James Bernard - the sound of Hammer horror

Whether considered to have successfully carved out a niche for himself or as suffering from the musical equivalent of type-casting, James Bernard is closely associated with the Hammer Horror films and particularly their Dracula series. He managed to give the same feel of unsettling foreboding yet strangely attractive power as also conveyed in the flesh by Christopher Lee in the title role.

Bernard was asked to compose a new soundtrack to the original Dracula film "Nosferatu" as shown as part of the Channel 4 Television series of Silent movies. Given his past associations it is an apt choice to use Bernard's music for this film. Other films in this series used soundtracks by Carl Davis.

Films by James Bernard:

• Nosferatu (1921) - the original silent Dracula movie, scored by Bernard in 1997
• Dracula (1958) - the original Hammer film with Chrisopher Lee and Peter Cushing
• Taste the blood of Dracula - more lyrical than his other Dracula scores, with a love theme for the young innocents
• Dracula has Risen Again
• The Devil Rides Out
• Frankenstein must be destroyed
• Frankenstein created Woman
• The Quatermass Experiment
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• She