"Merlin"

Merlin is a Trevor Jones classic, featuring a noble and memorable main theme, but also plenty of callbacks to his earlier work, most notably Excalibur, which comes as no surprise, as well as other scores from around that period. The soundtrack consists essentially of concert suites that allow the main theme to flourish, though the lack of incidental music to better round out the experience, coupled with a somewhat repetitive flow, detracts from its overall impact. Still, the emotional rewards are considerable. There is a grandeur here that few television scores of the time managed to achieve, balanced by a tender side that gives the music genuine heart.