Shrek (Original Motion Picture Score) is the film score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell to the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson. The film score was released through Varèse Sarabande on December 4, 2001, featuring 27 tracks from their score. Shrek was also their third and final collaboration between Gregson-Williams and Powell, as they decided to work on individual projects; the former would reprise his roles for the forthcoming instalments.

The score received a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and Saturn Award for Best Score, which was lost to Craig Armstrong for Moulin Rouge! and John Williams for A.I. Artificial Intelligence, but won Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production and Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Film Score.

Development

Shrek is the third film where both Gregson-Williams and Powell worked together, following DreamWorks' Antz (1998) and Chicken Run (2000).[1] Like their previous collaborations, they wrote several themes and brainstormed ideas collaboratively and send ideas back-and-forth to provide an interactive and collaborative effort. Firstly, they tried to develop a structure and after building them, they would take those ideas and apply it to different sections of the film. Gregson-Williams would score the opening sequence while Powell would work on the action sequences and specific themes that demanded on huge orchestral cues.[1] While Gregson-Williams wrote the "fairy tale" theme, Powell's "Ride of the Dragon" was considered to be his favorite, which had incorporated his themes.[2] Gavin Greenaway would conduct and orchestrate the score after doing the same for Antz and Chicken Run. This was also their last film they had collaborated for, as they decided to work individually on other projects to avoid being pigeonholed. Gregson-Williams would compose the later instalments in the Shrek franchise.[3]

Reception

Thomas Glorieux of Maintitles wrote "Shrek is still very good. But there are some moments that simply don't connect. First of all it is the various short length of several tracks that keeps destroying the magic, and secondly it are the various short songs. While funny in context, they don't really mingle well with the composed score, at least not to create this amazing listening experience."[4] Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks wrote "beyond all the hype and waiting for an album release of Shrek (which is half a year late, no less), the music hasn't translated as well from film to album as was hoped. What we're left with is a mish-mash of short rhythms, thematic rip-offs, and a few nearly unlistenable comedy tracks."[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell.

No.TitleLength
1."Fairytale"1:26
2."Ogre Hunters / Fairytale Deathcamp"1:35
3."Donkey Meets Shrek"2:37
4."Eating Alone"1:17
5."Uninvited Guests"2:09
6."March of Farquaad"0:38
7."The Perfect King"1:17
8."Welcome to Duloc"0:34
9."Tournament Speech"0:51
10."What Kind of Quest"2:22
11."Dragon! / Fiona Awakens"2:06
12."One of a Kind Knight"1:19
13."Saving Donkey's Ass"0:43
14."Escape from the Dragon"1:58
15."Helmet Hair"2:08
16."Delivery Boy Shrek / Making Camp"0:47
17."Friends Journey to Duloc"2:42
18."Starry Night"0:58
19."Singing Princess"1:35
20."Better Out Than In / Sunflower / I'll Tell Him"2:10
21."Merry Men"0:43
22."Fiona Kicks Ass"0:28
23."Fiona's Secret"3:02
24."Why Wait to Be Wed / You Thought Wrong"1:58
25."Ride the Dragon"1:36
26."I Object"1:51
27."Transformation / The End"3:26
Total length:44:16

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes:[6]

  • Music composer and producer – Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell
  • Additional music – James McKee Smith
  • Recording – Nick Wollage, Slamm Andrews
  • Mixing – Alan Meyerson, Slamm Andrews
  • Mastering – Patricia Sullivan-Fourstar
  • Music editor – Brian Richards
  • Executive producer – Robert Townson
  • Musical assistance – Alastair King, Dave Hecox, Joel Richard, Julie Imboden, Ken Smith, Toby Chu
  • Music supervisor – Marylata E. Jacob
  • Music preparation – Tony Stanton
  • Package design – Matthew Joseph Peak
  • Music clearance – Julie Butchko
  • Music business affairs – Lenny Wohl
Orchestra
  • Orchestration – Bruce L. Fowler, Elizabeth Finch, John Bell, John Coleman, Ladd McIntosh, Walter Fowler, Yvonne S. Moriarty
  • Orchestra conductor – Gavin Greenaway, Harry Gregson-Williams
  • Orchestra contractor – Isobel Griffiths
  • Orchestra leader – Gavyn Wright
Instruments
  • Cello – Martin Tillman
  • Clarinet – Anthony Pike, Dave Bishop, Nicholas Bucknall
  • Double bass – Steve McManus
  • Flute – Andrew Findon, Anna Noakes
  • French horn – Richard Bissill
  • Guitar – Peter DiStefano, Danny Jacob
  • Trombone – Peter Davies, Richard Edwards
  • Trumpet – Andy Crowley, Ian Balmain, Paul Archibald
  • Tuba – Owen Slade
  • Viola – Bruce White, Jake Walker
  • Violin – Everton Nelson, Mark Berrow
  • Voices – Lisbeth Scott, Sally Dworsky
Choir
  • Choir – Metro Voices
  • Alto vocals – Heather Cairncross
  • Bass vocals – Lawrence Wallington
  • Soprano vocals – Sarah Eyden
  • Tenor vocals – Tom Pearce

Accolades

Awards Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Annie Awards Outstanding Music in an Animated Feature Production Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Won [7]
[8]
[9]
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Box Office Films John Powell Won [10]
British Academy Film Awards Best Film Music Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Nominated [11]
[12]
[13]
BMI Film & TV Awards Film Music Award Harry Gregson-Williams Won [14]
GoldSpirit Awards Best Animated Soundtrack Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Nominated [11]
Ivor Novello Awards Best Original Film Score Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Won [15]
Motion Picture Sound Editors Best Sound Editing – Music (Animated Feature) Brian Richards Won [16]
Saturn Awards Best Score Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Nominated [17]
[18]

References

  1. 1 2 László, Kulics. "Different ways – Interview with John Powell". Filmzene.net (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  2. ↑ Goldwasser, Dan (December 21, 2001). "Interview – Harry Gregson-Williams". Soundtrack.Net. Archived from the original on January 23, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  3. ↑ Noyer, Jérémie (July 12, 2010). "Composer Harry Gregson-Williams takes us far, far away, from Prince of Persia to Shrek Forever After". Animated Views. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  4. ↑ Glorieux, Thomas. "Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell: Shrek - maintitles.net". Maintitles. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ Clemmensen, Christian (December 3, 2001). "Shrek (John Powell/Harry Gregson-Williams)". Filmtracks. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  6. ↑ Harry Gregson-Williams; John Powell. Shrek (Original Motion Picture Score) (Media notes). Varèse Sarabande.
  7. ↑ Kowalski, Eileen (November 11, 2001). "'Shrek' Decks Competish at Annies". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ Godfrey, Leigh (November 11, 2001). "Shrek Wins Big at This Year's Annie Awards". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Legacy: 29th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2001)". The Annie Awards. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ Gallo, Phil (May 3, 2002). "Kudos to composers". Variety. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Shrek – Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Bafta Award Nominees 2002". The Daily Telegraph. January 28, 2002. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  13. ↑ Gibbons, Fiachra (February 25, 2002). "Lord Of The Rings Is King Of The Baftas". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  14. ↑ "BMI Film/TV 2002 Award Winners | Press". Broadcast Music, Inc. February 15, 2002. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  15. ↑ "The Ivors 2002". The Ivors. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Hobbs, John (February 10, 2002). "Sound editors tap noms for Golden Reel Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on January 10, 2026. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  17. ↑ "The 2001 Saturn Awards". MovieWeb. June 13, 2002. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Past Saturn Awards". Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrek_(score)