On October 18, the BFI National Archive will be releasing The Epic Of Everest, Captain John Noel’s 1924 silent film of Mallory and Irvine’s ill-fated ascent of Everest, newly restored and given a score by musical polymath Simon Fisher Turner, which itself will be released on October 21 through Mute.
Turner will be performing it live, accompanied by some of the musicians he assembled to record the score, at a screening of the film at the BFI London Film Festival on the day of release.
Draw on his extensive experience of film soundtracking, beginning with his work with Derek Jarman in the 80s, and followed by two other restoration pieces for the BFI, Un Chant D’Amour and The Great White Silence, Turner produced a score "only made possible with the internet connections we have these days […] made from found and stolen life sounds, alongside new music and fake foleys". To perform it, he enlisted an impressive collective of musicians, including Throbbing Gristle/Chris & Cosey/Carter Tutti Void’s Cosey Fanni Tutti on cornet, Andrew Blick of Gyratory System, Land Observations’ James Brooks, Asaf Sirkis, Peter Gregson, the Nepalese Thapa family and even his own children, playing "cup gongs and prayer bowls".
Head here for full details and tickets of the BFI festival performance, watch the trailer above and listen to a track, ‘Makalu’, from the score below:
