Review
A gorgeously soaring score similar in genre to the Pride & Prejudice and Romeo & Juliet soundtracks, Downton Abbey immediately brings to mind beauty and a period piece setting. It features a full orchestra with some violin solos and a variety of classical instruments. Piano decorates tracks like “Damaged,” adding emotive qualities to the melancholy strings. However, the next track (“If You Were the Only Girl In the World”) caught me off-guard, as it is an opera piece performed by Alfie Boe; quite nice, but very different from the rest of the score (I suspect I’m missing context from the show with this one). Boe returns on the track “Roses of Picardy,” which was not my cup of tea, but, again, I’m not the biggest opera fan. I quite enjoyed the main theme for this soundtrack, and the last track is a lovely lyrical version performed by Mary-Jess. Overall, this whole album makes for charming background music and would be a nice listen while working, cooking, or perhaps at your next book club.
Review by Stephen.