Decca Records has released the Queen Of Carthage – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack via iTunes and amazon. The soundtrack features the original score composed by Brian Byrne (Albert Nobbs), who also composed the music for the worldwide production from the producers of Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home. In addition to the original score, Byrne wrote the haunting end title track "Waltz With Me Under The Sun," performed by Kristina Train. Also featured on the album is "Dido's Lament," performed by Danielle DeNiese.
"Kristina Train is probably one of the finest young singers around just now. Although she's has youth on her side she sounds like a classic soul voice that always was," said Byrne. "The score is mostly based on the melody for the song 'Waltz With Me Under the Sun'. That was the first thing I wrote for the film and it just seemed to work as a theme throughout." Byrne's wife Kasey wrote the song's lyrics.
Queen Of Carthage stars Shiloh Fernandez (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and Oscar nominated actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. The film follows an American Drifter discovers a New Zealand Singer and develops and obsession for him. The soundtrack features the RTE Concert Orchestra, Kristina Train and Danielle DeNiese.
In addition to the song performed by Kristina Train, the album features "Dido's Lament," by Henry Purcell. "Mardana Mayginnes (the director) told me that the only music he listened to whilst writing the script for Queen Of Carthage was 'Dido's Lament' by Purcell," he explained. "Although the lament does not appear in the film, I knew from the outset that a classical soprano would be part of the orchestration palette. I had worked with Danielle DeNiese on a classical album (Tales From The Walled City) that I released through Decca US. Danielle was the natural choice to perform on the soundtrack." DeNiese also performs as the featured female vocalist on the score tracks, representing the voice of Amos' sister.
Byrne is no stranger to working with vocalists. He has collaborated with such international luminaries as Katy Perry, Bono, Barbra Streisand, Lisa Stansfield, Van Morrison, The Corrs, Sinead O'Connor, Alan Bergman, Ronan Tynan, Luis Miguel, Vince Gill, Gladys Knight, to name a few. He toured with Diane Warren, arranged a song for Sex and the City 2 and played piano on Liza Minnelli's cover of Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)."
Golden Globe nominated composer Brian Byrne moved to Los Angeles from Ireland in July 2003 to expand his career as a film and television composer. Since then, Brian has consistently worked as a composer, conductor, songwriter, arranger and pianist—in the US and in Europe. Brian recently won two World Soundtrack Awards for his music to the song and score for the movie Albert Nobbs.
From huge orchestral scores to minimal ensemble compositions, Brian has written music for films in many genres. He won the Irish Film and Television Award for his original score for the Irish Sci-Fi comedy Zonad, directed by John Carney. He then scored an indie drama called The Good Doctor, starring Orlando Bloom and Albert Nobbs starring Glenn Close. Brian's previous film work includes conducting and arranging the scores to Jim Sheridan's Oscar-nominated In America and Kristen Sheridan's drama, Disco Pigs.
Byrne's recent projects include Heartbeat of Home. Created by the Producers and Director of Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home is a music and dance spectacular featuring the vibrant, dynamic components of traditional Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban music and dance. The world-class cast of thirty-eight includes a ten-piece band creating a new and electrifying sound written by award-winning, Golden Globe nominated composer Brian Byrne. The show employs high-definition, cutting edge 3D projection technology and has an engaging narrative structure.
The Queen of Carthage -Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available digitally on Decca Records. Also available from Decca Records will be the Heartbeat of Home (date TBA), which will be staged in the United States in early 2014.