Biography
Sidney Sager (1917–2002) was an English composer, conductor and trombonist, best known for his music for television and radio. The Ambrosian Singers are one of the best-known London choral groups, particularly appreciated for its great variety of recorded repertory. In the late 1970s Sager collaborated with the Ambrosian Singers for the soundtrack of the cult TV show Children of the Stones.
The 25th anniversary release of Children of the Stones on DVD by Second Sight Films has perhaps more than any other created new interest in the soundtrack. The combination of a cappella vocalizations fixated on a single, repeated Icelandic word ("Hadave"), along with its dissonant wordless counterpoint, makes this score unique among children's programming. The vocals were provided by the Ambrosian Singers, featuring Lynda Richardson on the solo soprano line. The vocals were supplemented by electric guitar, bass guitar and percussion.
The main theme of Children of the Stones is written on the acoustic scale, ambiguously fluctuating between a tonality of C and D major. A signature two-chord harmonic progression, Em9 to G/C, is heard throughout the seven-part series at key dramatic points. A secondary theme is treated in canon and is diegetic music, representing a hymn sung by the spellbound villagers in the story. This theme is later echoed in the guitar and bass when the main child protagonist, Matt, uses his latent psychometric abilities. The secondary theme also concludes the series in a light jazz arrangement, establishing a lighter tone before the final twist is revealed.
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