The First of the Few

music for the film

General Information – Instrumentation – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Recordings

General Information:

Composition:
1942

Film First Shown:
20 August 1942. Leicester Square Theatre, London.

Film Personnel:
Director/Producer: Leslie Howard
Story: Henry C. James, Key Strueby, based on the experiences of R. J. Mitchell
Screenplay: Anatole de Grunwald, Miles Malleson
Cast: Leslie Howard, David Niven, Rosamund John, Roland Culver
Musicians: London Symphony Orchestra, Muir Mathieson conductor
Studio: D and P Studioes, Denham

Alternate Title:
This film was shown in the United States as Spitfire.

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C45

Instrumentation:

Walton's exact instrumentation is unknown.

Manuscript:

There is no known surviving manuscript of this score.

Publication:

This music was never published.

Arrangements:

Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, excerpted from the film score and published separately.

A Wartime Sketchbook, arranged by Christopher Palmer, 1990.

Recordings:

This music has never been recorded apart from the film.

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Film Music