With a full plate of composing and conducting projects, award-winning composer John Debney utilizes both his classical training and a strong knowledge of contemporary sounds in order to easily adapt to any assignment. It is no wonder then that he has taken the challenge to compose music for ‘The Passion of The Christ’.

He has incorporated a myriad of musical styles and techniques into his work, from contemporary beats to authentic instrumentals. With over 50 feature films to his credit, Debney has proven his versatility with films ranging from Mel Gibson's epic "The Passion of the Christ," to comedies such as "Elf" and "Bruce Almighty," and action hits including "The Scorpion King", "Spy Kids (1 & 2)." and "Sea Quest DSV," for which he won an Emmy for "Best Main Title."

A devout Catholic, Debney was enticed by the idea of working on the project that held deep, spiritual meaning for him. Debney takes pride in conducting his own work, savoring the inherent joy that comes with producing the perfect score for a film. The soundtrack brings back moments from the film’s major segments and its well endowed sound effects only go on to bring about the sequence of events that occur during the screening. Full marks go to the Transylvania State Philharmonic choir for the magnificent voices and Tanya Tsarouska for her brilliant solos.

Indian composers and musicians are making waves all over the world. It comes as no surprise then that ‘The Passion of the Christ’ has American based Indian musicians noted violinist L Shankar and his teammate Gingger on the musical score of the film. Mel Gibson wanted the musical duo to bring out the pain and suffering of Christ through Indian ragas and chants.

The talented duo have composed, produced and performed vocals for half of the film’s 15 tracks. Most of the music has been performed on their 10-string instrument – the double violin. Having worked extensively with Gibson in Los Angeles and London since December 2003, the duo have composed the score for some of the most crucial scenes in the movie including the beating, crucifixion and resurrection. They also wrote special chants for the movie in which Gibson lent his vocal talents. They have written music for the soundtrack as well, which has been in the top twenty on the US charts.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira