Elisabeth Luthyens — The Golden Age Of Horror Vol 1

Here’s a CD compilation bringing together three mid-to-late ’60s horror soundtracks by Elisabeth Luthyens-Britain’s first female feature film composer. The twenty-four-track collection brings together score cues ( along with atmospheric sound effects from the films) and a trailer for each film, with a total disc runtime of seventy five minutes.

This Limited-edition CD appears on Dragon Domain Records. It comes presented in a clear jewel case, with a colour six-panel inlay, with a bio of Ms Luthyens ( she was also an avant-garde classical composer), and a brief write-up about the films themselves/ her scores.

So first up we have eight tracks from the score for Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors (1965)- which was the first horror film anthology from Amicus Productions, who of course became very known/ respected for this type of film- releasing another six over the next decade Torture Garden (1967), The House That Dripped Blood (1971), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972), Vault of Horror (1973) and From Beyond the Grave (1974). The tracks go “Main Titles/ Strangers On The Train” which blends gloom, discordant guitar strums/uneasy orchestration with subtle touches of train noise (the wraparound story is set on a train). “The Creeping Vine” blends darting/ malevolent strings, eerie knocking percussion/ keys with vine wrapping around sound effects. And “The Vampire” mixes swirling & uneasy horn work, low simmering orchestration, and creepy footstep tones.

Next are eleven tracks from the score for The Skull(1965)- again, this was an Amicus Productions film, and it regarded a collector (Peter Cushing) coming into possession of a cursed skull that was once owned by Marquis de Sade. The cues go from the simmering vibes/ string, edgy percussion fills, and darting piano of “ The Book Of The Marquis de Sade”. Onto “The Marquis’ Curse”, which is all discordant organ stab, uneasy string swirls, clip-clop percussion, and subtle wind sound.

Finally, we have six tracks from the score for Paranoiac ( 1963- not 1967, as the disc credits have it), which was one of the few psychological thrillers Hammer films made around this period; it featured a brooding to intense performance from Oliver Reed. The cues go from “Suspicion” with its mix of climbing church organ tones, uneasy orchestrations, and chiming music box tones. Onto tolling & searing orchestration, weird slurping sound effects, and piping horns/ paino key asides of “Discovery Of Horror”.

The mixing in of the sound effects is done well/ largely subtly over all of the scores, and the addition of the original trailers is most effective.

All in all, The Golden Age Of Horror Vol 1, is another most entertaining compilation from Dragon Domain Records- and a must for anyone who has an interest in 60’s horror film scoring.