Love. Undying.
GRACE, featuring music composed and orchestrated by Austin Wintory for the 2009 horror film written and directed by Paul Solet and starring Jordan Ladd, Stephen Park, Gabrielle Rose and Serge Houde.
GRACE tells the story of Madeline Matheson, a young mother who loses her unborn child during her eighth month of pregnancy. Madeline insists on carrying the baby to full term and, following the delivery, the child miraculously returns to life with an appetite for human blood. With nowhere to turn, Madeline must make a mother's ultimate decision: What will she sacrifice to keep her child alive?
GRACE originally began life as a short film in 2006 and was very well received critically, encouraging the director to turn it into a feature. To prepare for GRACE, composer Austin Wintory wrote a twenty minute “pre-score” for director Paul Solet, with the intention of having music available to play back for the cast and crew as the film was being made. When it came time to think about music for the film, the composer began to assemble a palette of sampled recordings that included horse flies, baby toys, actual babies, vocalizations performed by actress Jordan Ladd and other natural sounds recorded on the shooting location of the film. The next step would be to combine his palette with more traditional stringed instruments and a massive clarinet ensemble, along with the amazing vocal talents of Lisbeth Scott. The final result is a unique film score that will continue to reward listeners with repeated listens.
Austin Wintory began studying piano in Denver, Colorado at age 10 and began composing almost immediately. By the time he graduated from high school, Austin had conducted his own works in nearly a dozen different orchestra concerts, written music for a start-up computer game, performed a commissioned piece for a Youth Summit convention's opening ceremony and composed and conducted an hour-long orchestral score for a former teacher’s wedding ceremony and reception. He was also a commissioned composer for a Colorado Symphony chamber ensemble, the “Up Close and Musical.”
His first film score, composed for the silent short, NUTS&BOLTS, directed by Newell Todd, won the Golden Silent Series score competition and received a double performance live at NYC's Lincoln Center, synched to the film. Austin received separate awards for two brass quintet works, a woodwind quintet and string quartet, as well as an orchestral work. He later received the Alan Menken Award, a distinction given annually by the legendary Disney composer.
Austin has remained busy composing a slew of scores for nearly ninety productions, ranging from short and feature films, to computer games, TV shows and commercials, corporate videos, podcasts, video art installations and even books on tape. His most recent score is CAPTAIN ABU RAED.
He has also had success as a concert composer. His concert works have been performed through various Manhattan venues, and across the pond in Europe. His commissions include works for the Black Sea Philharmonic in Constanta, Romania, two orchestral works for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in Port Charlotte, Florida, a chamber work for the Colorado Music Teacher's Association and an orchestra piece for the Colorado Youth Symphony and, for the Thorton Symphony Orchestra at the University of Southern California, "Space, Time and Plexiglass", in honor of the works of filmmaker Joss Whedon.
ORIGINAL SCORE
1. Conception (2:09)
2. The Hospital (2:35)
3. Accident (1:27)
4. The Birth (4:22)
5. Pachelbaby (2:18)
6. Bath Time (1:32)
7. Breast Feeding (2:26)
8. Milk Substitute (1:59)
9. Alone (2:38)
10. Dr. Sohn (1:10)
11. Desperation (3:07)
12. Vivian (5:50)
13. Tea (1:39)
14. Love Undying (4:24)
15. End Titles (4:53)
SCRIPT SCORE
16. Naturebirth (0:44)
17. Behind a Glass Wall (1:47)
18. The Birth: Part 1 (2:11)
19. The Birth, Part 2 (1:16)
20. The Birth, Part 3 (1:47)
21. Madeline Cries (1:27)
22. Madeline Nurses (2:07)
23. Madeline Alone (1:47)
24. Rock Bottom (1:37)
25. Sohn’s Fate (1:08)
26. Bleeding (1:21)
27. Pachelbaby (1:44)
28. Family (1:10)
Total Time 63:46