The score for Living with the Tiger was a collaboration between composers John Califra in New York, and Anthony Drennan in Ireland.

I asked John what attracted him to this project...

"I think that this is obviously, a worthy and interesting undertaking - one of those rare opportunities for a composer to involve himself in something of genuine value. There are depths of tragedy and there's great hope and humanity - all focused through the eyes of these kids. Personally, I regard the documentary film score as presenting certain creative challenges for the composer that are more interesting than those of dramatic films.

What were the challenges in putting the score together?

"For a music score to do this film the justice it deserves it must do more that simply "work"  or even, work well.  The music must somehow convey the humanity which lies at the heart of the film - and do it in a way that is simple, direct and memorable. The music needs to articulate the lives and backgrounds of the children and the effect which their participation in this project has had upon them.  This, of course, is something separate from the opera.  The difficult part is to infuse the score with the necessary relevance, beauty and pathos while not diminishing the impact of the opera."

< Prev		Next >