A Glasgow composer will release a new fuller version of the iconic Love Actually soundtrack he scored two decades ago.
Craig Armstrong composed the cues for the hit 2003 Richard Curtis romantic comedy starring an ensemble cast including Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
The BAFTA and Grammy-winning composer has an impressive catalogue of film scores including The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge!, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Far From The Madding Crowd, Snowden and Ray.
The songs, which came together in his Glasgow studio, would become a central part of the film's enduring success and appeal - and now Armstrong has returned to them to deliver a new project.
Love Actually - The Love Themes For Orchestra is a new album of 15 songs from the original score which have been adapted, extended and reworked to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.
Armstrong said: “Getting the chance to work on this film twenty years ago was an exciting and sometimes complex process as quite a few areas of the film had to be filmed to on set.
“Of course, I had no idea at the time that this film would go on to be so loved, and it’s a testament to all the crafts involved in filmmaking that led to it being the success it is today.”
It also brings to life Armstrong's long-held desire to release full versions of his cues, as they were often cut down due to the nature of film editing.
Highlights of the new album include Croissants in France, which fans will recognise as the soundtrack to Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia's (Lucia Moniz) love story.
Glasgow Love Theme is heard in the famous scene in which Juliet (Kiera Knightley) watches her new husband's best friend Mark's (Andrew Lincoln) recording of their wedding day centred around his unrequited love for her.
Armstrong added: “Of the original compositions for Love Actually, Glasgow Love Theme is one of my favourites.
“It was written here, in Glasgow, 20 years ago, and I’m so pleased to have had the chance to go full circle and write the extended full version as I had always imagined it.
"My thanks go out to all the musicians involved in making the Love Actually score so loved.”
The album, performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra and conducted by Peter Pejtsik, will be released by independent Glasgow-based CMA Records on November 24, 2023.
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