Any casual film buff can bring to mind musical themes from iconic films such as the frantic cadence of Hitchcock’s Psycho or the poignant balalaika melody from Dr. Zhivago. Sadly, despite the value they bring to cinema, film scores are often overlooked by the public. If you love orchestral music, this is the class for you. We’ll hear the works of legendary composers such as Alfred Newman and Bernard Hermann. In session two, we’ll consider how their work influenced the scores of modern-day composers, including Danny Elfman (Dolores Claiborne, Good Will Hunting), Thomas Newman (Meet Joe Black, The Shawshank Redemption), and Rachel Portman (Emma, Chocolat), the first woman to win an Academy Award for a film score. Together we will develop a new appreciation for the sounds behind the dialogue.