Saving Sarah Cain
Mark McKenzie
" The lovely and heart warming McKenzie sound is back "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
When it comes down to dramas, composer and orchestrator Mark McKenzie is one of the very best. His ample projects prove that he is capable of poring heart into a drama, emotion into a story, quality into music. In Saving Sarah Cain, it all revolves around Sarah. She is forced to take care of her five Amish nieces after the death of her sister. Sarah has to make the right choice between letting them grow up in the life she's familiar with, or giving up her choices to make sure the Amish beliefs aren't lost. Mark McKenzie may have been on familiar territory with these kind of stories before, it nevertheless requires the very best of him each time again.
Opening with the lovely "How you Live" (a country-like song), we soon flow to the first orchestral cue of the disc. "Saving Sarah Cain Main Titles" opens with a Thomas Newman-like flute melody. That is until the familiar McKenzie strings take over and guide the main theme to a relaxing quality melody. The dreamy "Sea Shells" transcends further in "Farewell" because of the piano. This all until Mark's warm music wins you over so easily again in the latter part.
The piano version of the main theme in "Dishes are Never a Chore" gets an extra emotional level through the strings carrying the theme home. The same counts for the nice piano moment during "Love Letter" and the absolutely lovely "Nay! (Josiah's Tree Climb)".
However, it is in the two longest tracks of the CD that Mark McKenzie shows you how gifted he really is. In "Those Were Our Tears!" Mark displays how he (just like John Barry) can paint the most emotional and slow moving tear jerker of all. This followed by the extremely appropriate and powerful song "Here's my Life" where all the previous is connected. It all happens again in "Prayer Changes Everything", starting with the soft main theme, growing towards a string momentum and tumbling into a lovely flute send-off. This it is what he does best of all.
The emotional "You're OK in Everyway" is not to be forgotten as well, because piano, strings and uplifting melodies take you all to those treasured Hallmark moments. The same can be said for the emotional tense piano and string play during "Don't Leave Us".
You have to like the emotional slow moving music of Mark McKenzie. Saving Sarah Cain is one that will work the most when you don't expect to hear a Durango or Blizzard. Therefore, this score it is closer to John Barry's music of tender emotional music, perfectly as a background companion. But Mark has the ability to surge to a momentum that puts the emotional music on the forefront, leaving you overwhelmed with positive feelings and inner strength. I think Saving Sarah Cain stands for this idea perfectly. Paired with extremely fitting and uplifting songs, it makes it another winner in the McKenzie book of lovely family dramas.
Tracklisting
1. How you Live: Point of Grace (4.38)
2. Saving Sarah Cain Main Titles (1.55)
3. Sea Shells (2.32)
4. Farewell (3.58)
5. Dishes are Never a Chore (2.57)
6. Sarah's Story (2.19)
7. Love Letter (2.22)
8. Nay! (Josiah's Tree Climb) (1.03)
9. Those Were Our Tears! (7.15) Excellent track
10. Here's My Life: Barlowgirl (4.14) Excellent track
11. You're OK in Everyway (4.55)
12. Five Amish Orphans (1.36)
13. She Prayed for You Everyday (1.50)
14. Don't Leave Us (3.38)
15. Prayer Changes Everything (5.49) Excellent track
16. You Carried Me: Building 429 (4.00)
Total Length: 55.09
Opening with the lovely "How you Live" (a country-like song), we soon flow to the first orchestral cue of the disc. "Saving Sarah Cain Main Titles" opens with a Thomas Newman-like flute melody. That is until the familiar McKenzie strings take over and guide the main theme to a relaxing quality melody. The dreamy "Sea Shells" transcends further in "Farewell" because of the piano. This all until Mark's warm music wins you over so easily again in the latter part.
The piano version of the main theme in "Dishes are Never a Chore" gets an extra emotional level through the strings carrying the theme home. The same counts for the nice piano moment during "Love Letter" and the absolutely lovely "Nay! (Josiah's Tree Climb)".
However, it is in the two longest tracks of the CD that Mark McKenzie shows you how gifted he really is. In "Those Were Our Tears!" Mark displays how he (just like John Barry) can paint the most emotional and slow moving tear jerker of all. This followed by the extremely appropriate and powerful song "Here's my Life" where all the previous is connected. It all happens again in "Prayer Changes Everything", starting with the soft main theme, growing towards a string momentum and tumbling into a lovely flute send-off. This it is what he does best of all.
The emotional "You're OK in Everyway" is not to be forgotten as well, because piano, strings and uplifting melodies take you all to those treasured Hallmark moments. The same can be said for the emotional tense piano and string play during "Don't Leave Us".
You have to like the emotional slow moving music of Mark McKenzie. Saving Sarah Cain is one that will work the most when you don't expect to hear a Durango or Blizzard. Therefore, this score it is closer to John Barry's music of tender emotional music, perfectly as a background companion. But Mark has the ability to surge to a momentum that puts the emotional music on the forefront, leaving you overwhelmed with positive feelings and inner strength. I think Saving Sarah Cain stands for this idea perfectly. Paired with extremely fitting and uplifting songs, it makes it another winner in the McKenzie book of lovely family dramas.
Tracklisting
1. How you Live: Point of Grace (4.38)
2. Saving Sarah Cain Main Titles (1.55)
3. Sea Shells (2.32)
4. Farewell (3.58)
5. Dishes are Never a Chore (2.57)
6. Sarah's Story (2.19)
7. Love Letter (2.22)
8. Nay! (Josiah's Tree Climb) (1.03)
9. Those Were Our Tears! (7.15) Excellent track
10. Here's My Life: Barlowgirl (4.14) Excellent track
11. You're OK in Everyway (4.55)
12. Five Amish Orphans (1.36)
13. She Prayed for You Everyday (1.50)
14. Don't Leave Us (3.38)
15. Prayer Changes Everything (5.49) Excellent track
16. You Carried Me: Building 429 (4.00)
Total Length: 55.09