The musical score Dimitri Tiomkin composed for "Friendly Persuation" is wonderfully understated, well-suited to the theme of the a movie about Quakers. Taken from the classic novel by Jessamyn West,Tiomkin perfectly evokes the time around the Civil War in southern Indiana. There are beautiful evocations of a quiet. pastoral beauty of life on a Quaker farm and their lifestyle, brought to life with serious as well as funny musical themes. Tiomkin also captures musical moments of shy courtships and renewed romance, following the moving relationship between husband(Gary Cooper) and wife(Dorothy McGuire)and it is no mean feat to make their romance in musical terms moving, realistic and funny. Of course this idyll is broken by the Civil War and the battle music is short and brutal,eye-opening for a their young Quaker son(Anthony Perkins). And my favorite music on the CD is the horse-drawn buggy race to church, which runs as a motif through the happier sections of the movie. Here, the feeling of the race is beautifully captured, the speed, dust, and wry humor. Running through this entire score is a great sense of humanity. It may skirt on the edges of sentimentality but William Wyler(who directed the movie) and Dimitri Tiomkin(who wrote the film score) didn't let the reins go. They have painted a wonderful picture in images and music of the temtations not only Quakers risk but temtations we all risk. Every time I see a horse-drawn buggy clopping through a wooden-covered bridge, I think of this music, the rich emotional tone it shows.Even the title song, sung by Pat Boone, is pretty and appropriate. I still have my old LP of this score and was greatly excited to hear this extended version on CD. There is so much of this score to savor and listen to, over and over. This is one of Tiomkin's most beloved scores and like the movie, it finally persuades the listeners with its power, passion, humor and moral character that any Quaker would be proud to stand by in times of troiubles. Highly recommended. Request more of Dimitri Tiomkin Scores be re-issued, for he is a wonderful composer of film music, one of of our greatest, and "Friendly Persuation" demonstates how good this music sounds on CD and deserves a wide audience.A great soundtrack CD for the entire family.
