The Beyondness of Things

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A throat cancer scare in 1989 slowed Barry's work rate, but his ambition remained undimmed. In 1998 he released The Beyondness of Things, a "tone poem" unconnected to any film and which he presented as a concert piece. "It's amazing to work without film or without a director or producer," commented Barry, who was appointed OBE in 1999. "I love doing films, but it's been refreshing to work with such total freedom."

He won five Oscars, including two for Born Free and one each for The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances With Wolves. He also won Bafta's Anthony Asquith award for The Lion in Winter, and a Grammy for Dances With Wolves. In 1998 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His impact and depth of emotion with feeling not sentimentality for both orchestra and voices, for a non film work (The Beyondness of Things) using his own random thoughts for the function of the music.Whilst the world at large can instantly recognise music from the Bond suite, John’s composing abilities encompassed all styles and cultures. Five Oscars and four Grammy’s were to come his way making him the most successful British film music composer of the 20th century. After the success of Dr. No, Barry scored eleven of the next 14 James Bond films (but with Monty Norman continually credited as the composer of The James Bond Theme).

Barry was to subsequently score eleven 007 films between 1962 and 1987, including Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With The Golden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, and The Living Daylights. These movies were to produce Bond songs for Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Lulu, Rita Coolidge, Duran Duran, A-Ha, and Chrissie Hynde. Written in the form of extensively researched essays concentrating on one specific score, over forty are represented, from the first, Beat Girl, to the last, Enigma. Whether highly acclaimed or lower key films, each chapter sets out, clearly and accurately, the circumstances surrounding the inception and completion of the score under scrutiny and in doing so, provides fresh insights into John Barry's remarkable legacy.

Many accolades and awards came John Barry’s way in a career spanning over forty years. July 2001 saw him proudly receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of York. Surrounded by his wife, son, sister June and the Prendergast family, Barry was deeply touched to be honoured by his home city. Q The Music are a world-renowned tribute to James Bond music, performing at the smallest intimate private events, to huge production concerts in the West End of London as well as theatres throughout the UK and abroad. In 1998 John had the opportunity to record an album of his memoirs. Called The Beyondness of Things, these are his thoughts at that time.