The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — Q&A With Harry Gregson-Williams, Composer

Born in England to a musical family, Harry Gregson-Williams earned a scholarship from the music school of St. John's College in Cambridge at the age of seven. By age 13, he had been a soloist on over a dozen records, and then earned a coveted spot at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He started his film career as an orchestrator and arranger for composer Stanley Myers, and went on to compose his first scores for the veteran English director, Nicolas Roeg.

Gregson-Williams graciously took a break from composing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe score for this interview with Walden Media.

You were very talented musically at a young age. Can you tell us a little bit about your musical biography?
Harry Gregson-Williams: Both my parents and all of my siblings were constantly playing and singing music as I was growing up and so it was completely natural for me to follow in their footsteps. At a young age I spent a huge amount of time experimenting with various instruments and playing music became a way of life to me. I was fortunate to gain a place at St. John's College, Cambridge (U.K.) where, as a specialist music school, several hours a day were spent on music alone. With that sort of intensity of musical training, by the time I was a teenager it was clear that music was going to be my life.

You have said that you had "very, very good teachers." What made them such good teachers?
Harry Gregson-Williams: I can't really say, other than they were committed to excellence and wouldn't accept anything second rate, but at the same time constantly inspired me to do well.

Can you tell us about your experiences teaching music to children in Northern Africa and Kenya? Did the children teach you anything about music? About composing?
Harry Gregson-Williams: Not about composing. But their spirit of adventure, musically speaking, was amazing. In Egypt I found that the children responded to Western scales very quickly and loved to experiment with instruments not normally used in their country.

Why is music important in a young person's education?
Harry Gregson-Williams: For a number of different reasons. Music is something that can enrich, challenge and focus young people. It is a universal language in which one can express personal feelings either with or without other people's input.

When did you start writing music? How did you become a composer?
Harry Gregson-Williams: I started writing music for fun when I first started teaching. Experimenting with a piece of choral music on an unsuspecting class full of keen students, for instance! Many years later I decided to have a go at film composing and was fortunate to be chosen by Oscar winning composer, Hans Zimmer, to be his assistant. From that vantage point, I was able to watch someone at the top level compose for film and I learned quickly from that that there was more to being a film composer than just composition. After orchestrating and assisting Hans for a year or two, I started at the bottom of the pack and worked my way forward.

What is the role of a composer in creating the soundtrack for a film? A conductor?
Harry Gregson-Williams: It is a collaborative role. To help the director realize his vision for his movie, and perhaps to bring another dimension to this vision (to show him something about his film that he didn't even know through the use of music).

Why is music important in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
Harry Gregson-Williams: As with most movies, music is an important tool. In LWW, because the "world" that it is set in--Narnia--is a place of fantasy, there needs to be a magical quality to many scenes. Music can help this feeling. Also, as seen through the eyes of the four children, it is important that the music reflects their journeys, both physical and spiritual.

How do you compose each character's music? What elements do you consider when composing a character's music?
Harry Gregson-Williams: I watch the film over and over again getting to know the characters involved and from that a musical idea is hatched. A Theme. I try to find something extra that the music can say about this character other than what is immediately obvious on screen. The character Mr. Tumnus was fairly straight forward for me as he actually plays a musical instrument on camera. The instrument he plays does not exist and is a figment of a Prop Maker's imagination, so I was able to chose what sound I thought it might make. I ended up with a Duduk, which not only sounded like it was coming form his instrument, but provided a mysterious, beautiful tone for me to utilize.

What drew you to working on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
Harry Gregson-Williams: The fact that I had read the books as a youngster and loved them. Also, Director Andrew Adamson and I have a relationship as I scored his two previous films ... Shrek & Shrek 2. Knowing the people you are working with really helps.

What do you remember from reading the Narnia books as a kid?
Harry Gregson-Williams: I particularly remember being transported in to this fantasy world where anything could happen at any moment!

What advice can you give students who love music and want to pursue it further?
Harry Gregson-Williams: Do it. Music comes in so many different forms and there are so many different ways to express yourself. Bear in mind this is coming from a film composer who never had a composition lesson in his life! I had masses of musical influences and years of studying, but no composition lesson.

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