Mary, Queen of Scots
cover art for Mary, Queen of Scots OST cover art for Mary, Queen of Scots Re-recording

Original Soundtrack

1971

Decca DL 79186

  1. Mary's Theme (2:30)
  2. Vivre et Mourir (2:31)
  3. But Not Through My Realm (2:30)
  4. Journey to Scotland (1:41)
  5. Black Night (2:33)
  6. Escape with Bothwell (2:15)
  7. Mary's Theme (1:20)
  8. Journey to England (2:25)
  9. Death at Kirk O'Fields (1:45)
  10. March to the Castle (1:52)
  11. Mary at Chartley (1:30)
  12. The Execution (1:55)
  13. Vivre et Mourir (1:44)
  14. Mary's Theme (1:14)

Re-recording

2001

CD: Silva 353

  1. Mary Queen of Scots
  2. Elizabeth's Ride
  3. Vivre et Mourir
  4. But Not Through My Realm
  5. Mary and Darnley
  6. This Way Mary

The Movie

I found the movie tedious and bailed on it. Vanessa Redgrave plays Mary, Queen of Scots, the rival Catholic claimant to the throne of England and a very real threat to protestant Elizabeth (Glenda Jackson). The movie gets knocked for taking wide liberties with history, but the music got an Oscar nomination.

The Music

Barry's score got nominated for Best Original Score for the 1972 Oscars, but lost to Michele Legrande's Summer of '42. It's another historical movie, but it's about as far from The Lion in Winter as possible. The music mirrors the story in its mood of impending tragedy and fragility.

Release Notes

For a score that got an Oscar nomination, this one has been forgotten. It got an LP release and it's fairly easy to find, but it never got a commercial CD release. It has been bootlegged, the most recent one paired it with Anne of 1,000 Days (not a Barry score). Nic Raine re-recorded and added it to his re-recording of The Lion in Winter.

Music from the movie, usually the main theme "This Way Mary" shows up on the compilations The Best of John Barry, The Concert John Barry, Moviola and Play It Again.

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