THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL - "Kidnap"

Richard G Mitchell's opening music ("Kidnap") for the BBC TV mini-series score directed by Mike Barker, starring Tara Fitzgerald, Toby Stephens and Rupert Graves, based on the book by Anne Brontë. The original novel shocked Victorian England and the cruel husband from who Helen Huntingdon escaped, was based on Anne Bronte's brother. In leaving her husband, Helen violated not only social conventions, but also English law. In the novel, a mysterious young woman arrives at Wildfell Hall, with a young son and whilst determined to lead an independent existence, the neighbours who have no idea of her dreadful past, make her new life difficult. This was the first of a long series of collaborations between the composer and director Mike Barker, who on this production wanted intentionally anachronistic music that had a melancholic beauty to enhance the mood and haunt the soul of the film. The solo violin work was performed by Richard Curran and vocals by Gilly Darbey. The score won the Royal Televison Award for Best Score.