It’s another Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week’s theme is books we’d give theme songs to or songs we wish were books. Well, I’m stretching it a bit and going with my favorite instrumental music from book adaptations. If music with no words is not usually your thing, I get it. I really do. But, trust me here, you might just be captivated by the emotion and beauty in some of these themes.
Top Instrumental Music from Book Adaptations
1. Poldark by Winston Graham – “Theme from Poldark” composed by Anne Dudley (BBC series)
2. Emma by Jane Austen – “Knightley’s Walk” composed by Samuel Sim (2009 BBC series)
3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – “Northbound Train” composed by Martin Phipps (2004 BBC series)
4. & 5. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen – “Mrs. Darcy” and “Leaving Netherfield” composed by Dario Marianelli (2005 Focus Features film)
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – “Orchard House” composed by Thomas Newman (1994 Columbia film)
7. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper – “Main Title” composed by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman (1992 Fox film)
8. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – “Tara’s Theme” composed by Max Steiner (1939 MGM film)
9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – “My Father’s Favorite” composed by Patrick Doyle (1995 Sony Film)
10. The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans – “The Rhythm of the Horse” composed by Thomas Newman (1998 Buena Vista film)
What are some of your favorite series/film themes or scores? Have you seen any of these? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
The Green Mockingbird 
I’ve watched Gone with the Wind so many times that its music keeps playing in the back of my mind at odds times!
That’s a good thing!!! 🙂 Glad I’m not the only one who loved that music!
Great list ! I love everything Jane Austen.. great that you put musuc from the movie adaptions in there !
My TTT
Thank you, Liz! I love Jane Austen, too.
Your take on the TTT theme is neat, too! I’ll have to note books with music as a prominent theme and save a list for a future topic. Thanks for visiting!
i adore the score from S&S!! Great choices!
Thanks, Carrie! That’s one I’m due to re-watch soon!
hmm… i think i’ll have to as well. 🙂
How imaginative, Courtney! I love your approach to this theme. It’s hard to beat Tara’s Theme from GWTW. I live on the south side of Atlanta close to a historic mansion that likes to claim to be Tara. Of the others, my favorites are Orchard House and North & South – I’ve got to find time to watch that movie, by the way. And of course I like the Poldark theme. I love period dramas on PBS and Poldark … Well, I could go on, but let’s just say that I like the series, character, and actor!
One of my personal favorites is The Thorn Birds theme. It wasn’t a happy story, but really, really good. I read the book before seeing the miniseries. Here’s the theme song: https://youtu.be/7k_kdfaAq68
Thanks again for a great post, Courtney, and for visiting my blog earlier today. I’ll see you again soon.
Thank you, Carole! How neat that you live near such a mansion…I’ve never visited that part of the country, but its historical architecture intrigues me!
You MUST watch North and South! It is excellent! And the ending is quite memorable, too 🙂
I really did love Poldark, too! Can’t wait to see what’s in store in S2. Have you read any of the books? Since watching, I read book 1 and enjoyed it. I thought they did well adapting the series.
Thank you for sharing about The Thorn Birds! I haven’t seen it, but I’m off to listen to the music now!
This is such a fun take on this week’s theme! I love that you included the videos of the songs. Some of these are my favorites! I love that you included North and South and P&P. Ohh and My Father’s Favorite is just a lovely song. I have the sheet music and play it on occasion. Thanks for stopping by my TTT earlier too 🙂
Thank you, Jane! I have the sheet music for it, too, and need to work on it. I would LOVE to find the music for Northbound Train from N&S… I guess I’m waiting for someone online to transcribe it 🙂
Awesome! I’m glad you have it. And I’m right there with you on Northbound Train! 🙂
I really like how you chose to put this week’s “anything goes” topic together, Courtney. It’s fabulous! So many beautiful pieces of music, especially those for “Poldark,” “North and South” and 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice.” I tend to forget about instrumental music until it’s not there (in film), and then I REALLY notice it’s absence. Needless to say, it’s vitally important to help put us in the right frame of mind for whatever the emotion the scene calls for. 🙂
Why thank you! I’m glad you like those pieces 🙂 And I’m with you, absence of music is VERY noticeable to me… I’ve been trying to pay closer attention to music in each movie I watch. Usually, I notice it more upon a re-watch when I’m not so focused on the plot. Either way, there are some delightful film scores out there!
These music picks are perfect, Courtney!! I’ve been obsessed with Northbound Train ever since I saw North & South (it’s my alarm sound now) so it made me so happy to see you included it!! Also, high five to the P&P, Poldark, Little Women, and Emma shoutouts! Love your TTT. 🙂
Bekah! Thank you! Yes, obsessed it a great word for me when it comes to Northbound Train. And your mutual obsession is so awesome! (Confession: it’s my phone alarm, too. It’s just so peaceful and encouraging, somehow!)
Thank you so much for dropping by! 🙂