Terra Mater – Brothers of the Wind (Sarah Class)

TERRA MATER: BROTHERS OF THE WIND

Sarah Class, 2016, Red Bull Media House
20 tracks, 63:38

A story about a boy and an eagle. Expectations are soaring… but will Sarah Class’ music do too?

Review by Pete Simons

What is it?

The way of the eagle is to raise two chicks. The stronger is destined always to throw the weaker from the nest. Man also has his ways, often to hurt those closest to him. Lukas suffers at the hands of a father who has withdrawn since the loss of his wife. Killed whilst rescuing the infant Lukas, the boy now carries the burden of her death. Our eagle’s story begins in the nest. The first-born chick pushes his weaker brother to a certain death on the forest floor. But fate intervenes and the chick is found by Lukas. Naming him Abel, Lukas cares for the creature in secret, finding a love and companionship denied to him at home. But when the day comes to release Abel back into the wild, will Lukas find his own release into a new life?

What does it sound like?

The album opens with a simple yet heartfelt theme for cello accompanied by piano. Soon, the arrangement is expanded with soft choir, strings and strumming guitars. It’s beautiful, quite gentle and evokes a feeling of freedom; and it does so in a very casual sort-of way.

Casual is probably a great word to describe the album. It’s easy going, easy listening. There are beautiful melodies and lovely orchestrations. It’s got this free-flowing attitude you often hear in nature-documentary scores, yet seldomly elsewhere.

The first few tracks are all of that free-flowing nature. “A Chick is Born” and “Lukas Meets Able” are particularly gentle, whilst “He Speaks With Nature” reprises the main theme with rolling piano chords and lush strings augmented with brass and timpani hits.

Once the story truly gets underway, a few suspension and action tracks appear. “Fox Gets the Chickens” is quite a thrillery cue with a Charles Ives-esque section for woodwinds. “The Hunt of the Mountain Goat” sees Class adding a bit more percussion to the score; whilst “Danza Saves Lukas” and “Cain and Able Fight” are proper exciting little action cues.

The main theme returns several times throughout the score, and each time it sounds glorious, be it in “Able Returns and Lukas Teaches Him to Catch Food”, “Reconcilation” or “Homecoming, a Celebration!”. Class reprises the theme again in the more suite-like “Able is Released”, which itself receives the ‘song’ treatment with added lyrics and percussion. The album concludes with the song “Freedom” by Rebecca Ferguson, which makes for a nice addition to the score.

Is it any good?

Sarah Class’ “Brothers of the Wind” is a gorgeous, lyrical work with beautiful orchestrations. I like the casual, easy-going nature of the music. It’s a proper story-telling score; you can already see that in the track titles and Class certainly lives up to any expectations. And I like that whilst the music does soar, it’s quite a humble work. It’s powerful through it’s composition, but it’s never loud and it never rushes. A very mature and confident work that comes highly recommended.

Rating [4.5/5]

Tracklist:

01. Brothers of the Wind Opening Title Sequence (2.38)
02. A Chick Is Born and a New Day Dawns (3.32)
03. Lukas Meets Able (2.30)
04. He Speaks With the Nature (3.08)
05. Able Takes to the Air (2.54)
06. Fox Gets the Chickens and Lukas Saves Able (2.52)
07. Playtime! (2.04)
08. Able Disappears and Time Passes So Slowly (3.54)
09. The Hunt of the Mountain Goat (2.17)
10. Able Returns and Lukas Teaches Him To Catch Food! (3.00)
11. Able Is Released Into the Wild (Song Version) (3.58)
12. Alone In a Frozen Landscape (7.00)
13. Danza Saves Lukas (3.12)
14. Cain and Able Fight (1.22)
15. Reconciliation (1.40)
16. Lost In the Storm (3.33)
17. Finding Lukas (2.10)
18. Homecoming, a Celebration! (3.37)
19. Able Is Released (Orchestral Version) (4.06)
20. Freedom (Brothers of the Wind Version) – Rebecca Ferguson (4.11)

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Review (C) 2016 Synchrotones