Primetime Emmy-nominated composer Christopher Young has one hell of a resume in the horror world, lending his musical talents to fan-favorite films including A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, The Fly II, Tales from the Hood, Urban Legend, Drag Me to Hell, Sinister, and more recently 2020’s The Empty Man.
The legendary composer is back here in 2024 with Christopher Young’s Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror, taking to Kickstarter to fan fund a Double CD release of his own award-winning orchestral score for the 1922 horror classic directed by F.W. Murnau.
The Kickstarter campaign previews, “In 2022, Christopher Young was engaged by Europäische FilmPhilharmonie to compose original music for the film in celebration of its 100th anniversary…the results were spectacular. Inspired by the story’s gothic DNA, Young composed what can only be described as a dramatic, visceral, and utterly terrifying response to the picture; a concerto for organ and large orchestra…a “Symphony of Horror.” The score was performed live to picture across 2 nights to a packed Tonhalle Zurich, by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, under the baton of renowned conductor, Frank Strobel.”
“Following these performances numerous requests were made, and continue to be made, regarding the availability of a recording of Young’s 90-minute score (recent winner of the IFMCA Kyle Renick Special Award). As demand for this is so high, from both horror and film-music fans alike, your help is needed in ‘resurrecting’ this incredible music (winner of the IFMCA Kyle Renick Special Award) by means of a physical double-CD release,” the campaign continues.
And that’s where you come in. The team explains, “A distribution deal with renowned label Warner Classics is currently being finalised and a beautiful-sounding live recording does exist; however, adequate funding needs to be raised to pay for the licensing of the original sound recording, the commissioning of appropriate artwork, final editing, and mixing & mastering in order to ensure that the listening experience is of the highest quality. Additionally, a “pick-up” session is required to repair some areas within the live capture; eliminating significant audience/ room noise, and the re-recording & re-balancing of the organ track. In order to accomplish this, orchestra and conductor must, once more, gather in the Tonhalle Zurich in order to match the sound, tempo, and feel of the original performance. This is complex task and, given the music’s specific instrumental requirements, it is a relatively costly undertaking.”
The campaign is seeking $50,000 to bring the Double CD release to life, and fans have already (at the time of this article being written) pooled together well over $6,000 in mere hours!
Learn more and help fund Christopher Young’s Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror now.