Michael Morpurgo’s 1999 book Kensuke’s Kingdom might have very modern concerns with its bringing issues about care for the environment and the natural world into what is a traditional adventure story, but the new animated film based on the book which was released last month has a refreshingly traditional approach to the genre. The film, directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry with Peter Dodd as animation director and Michael Shorten as art director, features traditional hand drawn animation along with a fine symphonic score by British composer Stuart Hancock.
Hancock’s score has a strong dramatic sweep to it and the original motion picture soundtrack, on MovieScoreMedia, makes for substantial and satisfying listening. The film was produced by Lupus Films, and the soundtrack was recorded by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, conductor David Hernando Rico, and the Holst Singers, conductor Michael Waldron, and the score even has a solo for actor Ken Watanabe who plays Kensuke.
I enjoyed listening to the soundtrack immensely, the album has 31 tracks lasting 73 minutes, which is a lot of music for a film, from short cues to longer sequences. Hancock’s music has a depth and complexity to it, which is reflected in the fact that the performers include the full Bratislava Symphony Orchestra and the Holst Singers. Even from just listening, there is a strong emotional range, and I can’t help but hope Hancock has time, energy and impetus to create a concert suite from the music.
Hancock says of the writing process, “Kensuke’s Kingdom has very little dialogue – a gift for a composer! The two lead characters cannot speak each other’s language, so the music has space to flourish and help tell their story. I composed initial character themes and sketches, working closely with the directors from the storyboard/animatic stage onwards. I honed the music as the animation gradually fell into place, culminating in fantastic recording sessions with full symphony orchestra, choir and solo musicians in late 2022. Personal highlights included recording Ken Watanabe’s singing (remotely from Tokyo) and having author Michael Morpurgo’s glowing seal of approval at regular intervals!”
Stuart Hancock’s score for Kensuke’s Kingdom is available via MovieScoreMedia and can be streamed on Spotify or YouTube. Full details of the film from the Kensuke’s Kingdom website.
