To Gillian on her 37th Birthday

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Horner didn't compose real blockbuster scores in 1996 but created nonetheless an inspiring composition for The Spitfire Grill that year. The soundtrack that leans a bit on the same road, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday is nothing of that same equivalent, which is sad but the score is a pleasant background listen nonetheless, where Horner really supports the scenes as smoothly as possible. If mainstream fans ask what makes this score so special, for recommendation I would answer not much. Its just relaxing and you simply listen it, for no further reason. And sometimes people (like me) need it, for no further reason. Picking the similarities between To Gillian on her 37th Birthday and The Spitfire Grill is a wrong way to start this score, let's say and quote that the score has some orchestrations that resemble that style, some moments that listen like Casper and Deep Impact, and many other things you can pinpoint and examine.

But never feel this as pure Hornerisms because then you would ignore the calm beauty surrounding the score of Horner. There is nothing that makes the score so good, the theme is gentle, nice, the various moments of calm underscore and piano accompaniment bring more moody music and the last track 'Saying Goodbye / End Title' is probably the best one, delivering all the main themes of the score, into a nice and gentle composition. You can argue that To Gillian on her 37th Birthday doesn't offer much new and spectacular, but the movie did require nothing of that bombastic adventure music or sweeping romantic edge, it simply needed to stir the emotions for its worth, it needed to feel like a summer breeze, surrounding the conversations and backing up the main emotional scenes in the movie. And this all happens one way or another in To Gillian on her 37th Birthday. Offering probably music that doesn't last long in the memory, but the impressions were made during the score, offering one of Horner's mellow and emotional soft soundtracks.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. A Far Away Time / Main Title (3.52)

2. The Boating Accident (2.13)

3. Gillian (3.58)

4. The Lighthouse (2.16)

5. Fond Hopes .... Distant Memories (2.07)

6. Rachel's Dream / Gillian's Visit (6.48)

7. The Decision To Leave Home (3.11)

8. Saying Goodbye / End Title (12.40)

Total Length: 37.11