University News Last updated 10 January
Head of Recorder Annabel Knight is one of eight staff and alumni who was asked to play on the soundtrack of the film Wicked – a re-telling of the classic Wonderful Wizard of Oz story from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba Thropp.
The original score for the musical was composed by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman in 2005, and almost two decades later Stephen joined forces with John Powell for the film soundtrack, which is based on one of the most enduring musicals on stage.
Annabel was one of three recorder players who were joined by two flute doublers – musicians who can play two or more instruments from the woodwind family – to play at sessions that took place at AIR Studios last summer (2024).
In addition to AIR Studios, the film score was also recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and finally released by Republic Records on 6 December 2024.
Prior to the recording, Annabel, who has played on several film soundtracks and enjoys being in the studio, wasn’t told that she would be playing on the Wicked soundtrack. She remarks that film companies are sensitive about leaks and will use code names to avoid one.
Annabel was asked to bring as many different sizes and types of recorders as she could with the remit of playing something “weird and funky”. The composers and music production team also communicated their vision and expectations for the soundtrack as not “Ren Fair” or in other words not like a Renaissance festival.
Annabel said: “We did a lot of layering up of sounds and tried out lots of instruments including tenors, basses, tiny recorders, ethnic flutes, renaissance recorders and even ocarinas. I think I ended up playing quite a lot of low whistles – a folk music instrument.
“Listening to the film, it’s quite hard to discern any obvious recorder moments, but they are in there. Defying Gravity is one of the numbers we featured in, but we were peppered in various cues throughout the film. Composers often like the pure sound of recorders and seem to enjoy the huge range of recorders, their different designs and sizes, which can fire up their imagination.”
Pictured: (l-r) Recorder players Annabel Knight, Rebecca Austen-Brown and Lou Bradbury