James Horner : Rest in Peace

James Horner  1953-2015

While I have always been so very vocal about being a fan of Jerry Goldsmith, (John Williams, John Barry and Ennio Morricone), the name of James Horner has been known to me from my first film music collecting days. I can remember his score to STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN, the first exposure I had to Horner in the cinema, vivdly, as being exciting, fresh, new. Horner represented a new sound for the films of the 1980s.
With titles such as BRAINSTORM, COCOON and ALIENS, James Horner made his mark during these years as a very talented young man with a voice not to be mistaken. And where he would often do similar things like in 48 HRS and COMMANDO, in which he perfected the urban gritty theme, he would also sometimes surprise with scores so fantastically different as THE NAME OF THE ROSE and FIELD OF DREAMS. WHERE THE RIVER RUNS BLACK, PROJECT X and GLORY also showed many different sides to his musicality.
In the 1990s James Horner reaffirmed his status as a top composer with projects like SNEAKERS, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, TITANIC (for which he would be awarded the Oscar, DEEP IMPACT, and BICENTENNIAL MAN, but even beyond, in the 2000s he would often amaze you with music for THE PERFECT STORM, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, TROY, THE NEW WORLD, APOCALYPTO and THE KARATE KID.  Not to forget of course, his amazing score for James Cameron's AVATAR !
I will not bore you with what directors James Horner liked to work with. Nor will I rehash the details of his passing. I have never had the opportunity of seeing James Horner in a concert setting. I gather that would have been as joyous an experience as any concert I have been fortunate to be witness to, but I would have loved an opportunity like that. I would have also loved it if I could have expressed my admiration for his music in person. That will now no longer be possible.
A great musical talent has been taken from us.

You will be missed greatly, James. Rest in Peace.