Irish western music

The Northern Irish coastal region produces similarly rough characters as the American prairie. Does Liam Neeson in the movie In the Land of Saints & Sinners As he roams the vast Irish countryside with his gun, he is strongly reminiscent of Clint Eastwood, who once roamed the imaginary Wild West as a solitaire in spaghetti westerns.

So it is hardly surprising that the soundtrack, composed by the Swiss-Australian siblings Diego, Nora and Lionel Baldenweg, picks up on many typical western music elements. The musical cosmos of Ennio Morricone was the inspiration for what feels like every second note. A harmonica (sensuously played by Pfuri Baldenweg) is also a must. This instrument runs like a red thread through the score, which is characterized by leitmotifs. And yet: not only western sounds play an important role in the soundtrack of director Robert Lorenz's film, specially composed Irish folk music is also subtly integrated into the sound structure.

Great wealth of ideas

The trio of composers use a wealth of ideas from their film music bag of tricks to score the film, which is set in the turmoil of the Northern Ireland conflict: Rhythmically propulsive clusters of sound (The Grand Showdown), similarly familiar from Hans Zimmer's composing factory, alternate skillfully with lyrical themes (Finbar's Theme) and palatable Irish western sound (Irish Western Ballad).

The score, masterfully orchestrated by Diego Baldenweg, was beautifully recorded in the Belgian Galaxy studios under the direction of Dirk Brossé. The Galaxy Symphonic Orchestra, made up of musicians from various Central European countries, received vocal support from members of the Vlaams Radiokoor. It was epic how the austere Irish landscape was captured musically. Great cinema for the ears!

In the Land of Saints & Sinners. Music Composed by Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg & Lionel Baldenweg. Galaxy Symphonic Orchestra, Conducted by Dirk Brossé; Feat. Pfuri Baldenweg. Caldera Records C 6058