Mark R. Bannister
Orchestral & Instrumental Composer
for Film, TV & Theatre

KING LEAR
"When we are born, we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools."

The famous Shakespearean tragedy that follows the gradual descent into madness of the aging British monarch was brought to life again by the Hampstead Players with David Gardner directing and taking the title role.  A tough act for David, who lost one of his legs in the 7/7 London bombings while learning his lines for Julius Caesar in 2005.

The music established a number of themes for the play, starting with the opening procession when Lear is at his most powerful, charting his demise through echoes of the Fool's songs (Two Tens to a Score, Less Grace in a Year and Raineth Ev'ry Day), to the death of his youngest daughter, Cordelia.

Lear Fanfare (MP3 - 1 min 44 secs - 2.37 Mb)
Lear Fanfare (Gentle Piano) (MP3 - 2 mins 2 secs - 2.79 Mb)
Two Tens to a Score (Orchestral) (MP3 - 1 mins 7 secs - 1.52 Mb)
Less Grace in a Year (MP3 - 15 secs - 0.34 Mb)
Raineth Ev'ry Day (MP3 - 31 secs - 0.72 Mb)
Cordelia 1 (MP3 - 51 secs - 1.16 Mb)
Two Tens to a Score (Synths) (MP3 - 1 min 8 secs - 1.55 Mb)
Approaching Terror (MP3 - 2 min 14 secs - 3.07 Mb)
Raineth Again (MP3 - 37 secs - 0.87 Mb)
Edgar (MP3 - 1 min 21 secs - 1.86 Mb)
Less Grace (Slow Mix) (MP3 - 51 secs - 1.16 Mb)
Cordelia 2 (MP3 - 59 secs - 1.33 Mb)
Raineth Ev'ry Day (Slow Piano) (MP3 - 45 secs - 1.02 Mb)

The following manuscripts were created for the show in Sibelius 6:

Lear Fanfare (also on Score Exchange)
Two Tens to a Score
Less Grace in a Year
Raineth Ev'ry Day

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