Songs of the Sea: The Regatta Suite

by Jonathan Shearon   ·    December 18, 2008

Sometimes the best film music isn’t film music at all. Such is the case with Jeff Rona’s new disc Songs of the Sea: The Regatta Suite. Composed for the nautical events of the 2008 Olympics in China, Rona’s compositions are epic symphonic music in the grand tradition of the 20th century Neo-Romantics like Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Howard Hanson, and film composers like John Williams and James Horner.

Rona makes his intentions clear on the opening track “Calling of the Sea”, an optimistic expansive fanfare for full orchestra that is heavy on brass. From this first track it’s obvious we’re not going to get a fussy, introspective work, but rather one of vibrancy and raw unfettered emotion. Fans of more traditional Hollywood composers like Korngold and Williams will find much to enjoy here, albeit little new.

There are several other rousing tracks that share the same bombastic “big-movie” sound of the opener, such as “The Noble” and “Great Journey”. These parts of the suite are about as subtle as a Marine recruitment video, but that’s not a criticism. The Olympics have never been an intellectual endeavor, but rather one of the spectacle of physical endurance and human achievement. More emotionally complex music would have seemed out of place.

For me, the most interesting parts of this suite are the introspective mini-concertos for oboe and violin found in “Reflection for Oboe and Strings” and “Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra”. Channeling Ennio Morricone’s much beloved “Gabriel’s Oboe”, “Reflections” is both haunting and genuinely moving. Frank Ge-Fang Yang’s virtuosic violin performance in “Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra” is nothing short of breathtaking and the album’s highlight.

An interesting curiosity is “Song for the Salmon”, which features the poetry of David Whyte as read by the author and accompanied by Rona’s underscore. The effect is very cinematic, and conveys more than any other track the mysticism and romance of the sea that has captivated so many artists, musicians and writers since antiquity. Whyte’s performance seems stilted and out-of-sync with the orchestra in a few places, however, which occasionally breaks the effect.

The closing song sung by soprano Hila Plitman is pretty but uninspired and seems out of place with the rest of the suite. It echoes the contemptuous and unholy pairing of Celine Dion and James Horner on “My Heart Will Go On” for another popular water bound effort, although Rona’s song is actually better than Horner’s.

It’s refreshing to hear such direct, melodic music from a film composer. There is rarely room anymore in the ever more crowded sonic space of modern films for such a big score. Looking over Jeff Rona’s resume of mostly TV and low-budget film work, there was little evidence that he had such grandiose music in him, but I’m glad we got to hear it, even if it’s not for a Hollywood blockbuster.

TRACKS

2. Calling of the Sea
4. The Noble
6. Song for the Salmon
8. Great Journey
10. On the Open Sea
12. Reflection For Oboe And Strings
14. Intrepid
16. Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra
18. Horizon
20. Wisdom Of Wind