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7 May 2025, 09:49 | Updated: 7 May 2025, 10:16
By Classic FM
8 May 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and peace in Europe. We commemorate the occasion with a selection of the greatest film scores accompanying depictions of the Second World War.
The heroic sacrifices of those made in the Battle of Britain were immortalised in the great and sobering words of Sir Winston Churchill when he said “never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Three decades later Guy Hamilton’s dramatic film version of events further cemented the RAF’s airborne efforts in memory, and Ron Goodwin’s score for the film remains some of the best loved film music ever written.
William Walton was originally commissioned to write the music, before producers decided to drop Walton’s score in favour of Ron Goodwin’s. Apparently lead actor Laurence Olivier stepped in and demanded his name be removed from the credits if Walton’s music was removed. Goodwin’s gripping score remained, but Walton’s cue for the battle sequence itself was reinstated.
Battle of Britain(1969)-Battle of Britain Theme
For some people, nothing is more synonymous with Second World War commemorations (and marking British military occasions more generally) than ‘The Dam Busters March’ by Eric Coates.
The main theme from 1955 epic film The Dam Busters and now a mainstay of military concerts and commemorations all year round, the lively march evokes the heroism and spirit of the members of RAF’s 617 Squadron who contributed so significantly to the British war effort by destroying several dams essential to Germany’s war infrastructure.
Central Band of the Royal Air Force – The Dam Busters March ( 1955 )
Similarly, the plucky theme from The Great Escape (1963) encapsulates British resolve and spirit in the face of the adversity of World War Two.
Soundtracking the Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough-led American war epic, it has the right amount of hopeful brass melody set against determined, chugging bass to suit the epic retelling of Australian Fighter Pilot Paul Brickhill’s first-hand account of British Commonwealth prisoners of war (POW) attempting to escape the Stalag Luft III German POW camp in 1944.
The Great Escape Theme
John Williams’ poignant ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ from Saving Private Ryan (1998) always has a part to play at stirring occasions, from D-Day commemorations to VE Day anniversaries.
The beautiful string melody is sombre, but glittered with hope, making it a perfect piece for reflection.
Cinema in Concert – 08 – John Williams – Hymn to the Fallen
There aren’t many violin solos more haunting than John Williams’ heartbreaking theme from Schindler’s List. Stephen Spielberg’s multi-award-winning, tear-jerking Second World War epic about the Holocaust could only be accompanied by the very best soundtrack – and John Williams’ score is just that: it scooped Academy Award and BAFTA wins, and has picked up a whole host of other awards and nominations.
As well as the theme, ‘Jewish Town (Krakow Ghetto, Winter ’41)’ and ‘Remembrances’ are well worth the listen – all stunningly performed by violinist Itzhak Perlman and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Williams on the original soundtrack.
Anne-Sophie Mutter – John Williams: Schindler's list
One of the most famous scenes in Joe Wright’s 2007 film Atonement is the one-take depiction of the pain, chaos and destruction of the Dunkirk beaches.
It is accompanied by Dario Marianelli’s sweeping soundtrack, reduced to cello and strings in a heart-wrenching melody that evokes the tragedy on screen. The music is all the more affecting when heard over the top of a group of soldiers singing ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ in the scene.
Among other accolades, Marianelli won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for his Atonement score, while ‘Elegy for Dunkirk’ was named Film Music Composition of the Year in the 2007 International Film Critic Association Awards.
Elegy for Dunkirk – Atonement – HD
The score for The Imitation Game, by French composer Alexandre Desplat, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2015 and won the Hollywood Film Composer Award.
On the track ‘Enigma’, Desplat used the musicians from London Symphony Orchestra to build the sonar pinging sounds of the Enigma machine, and enciphering machine used by the German armed forces to securely send messages, and whose code Alan Turing was trying to break.
Desplat had to write the score quickly. He spoke about the need for speed when it comes to scoring films, saying: “It’s not unusual to have only three weeks to score a picture. And that’s three weeks from signing on to finishing the last recording session. That’s how I did The Queen and, more recently, it’s how I did The Imitation Game.”
The Imitation Game Soundtrack – Enigma
Ron Goodwin’s score is one of his many works for film and remains one of British cinema's catchiest themes. The film was based on the 1956 novel of the same name by former Royal Air Force officer Frederick E. Smith, which was inspired several real RAF operations.
The score has had a huge life beyond the film: it was adapted for the computer games ‘1942’ and ‘Into the Eagle’s Nest’ and has become synonymous with British military aviation.
633 Squadron 1964 – music by Ron Goodwin – banda sonora – SOUNDTRACK MONTAGE
This 1962 film about the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy was scored by French composer Maurice-Alexis Jarre. Like other scores for World War II films, its use of brass and percussion evoke a sense of military spirit that serves as the tone for this war epic.
The Longest Day Theme
Although this film by Richard Attenborough did not gain critical acclaim, John Addison’s score is filled with the grandeur and emotion that make a military film so exciting.
The film tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a failed operation in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, and John Addison had served in the British XXX Corps during this operation.
Even though it wasn’t a hit with critics, the film was nominated for eight BAFTAs and won four, including John Addison for Best Film Music.
A Bridge Too Far • Main Theme • John Addison
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10 of the greatest Second World War movie soundtracks – Classic FM
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