Nigel Hess

Fantasy from Ladies in Lavender

Although the piece was supposedly composed by the fictional Boris Danilov, the job of creating an authentic period piece of dazzling violin music fell to the film's composer, Nigel Hess, who utilized the main theme of the film, transforming the romantic major theme into an extended, bravura minor variation full of dramatic intensity and longing. It has now become a popular piece in its own right, establishing itself (not unlike the Warsaw Concerto before it) as an audience favourite in the concert repertoire. The piece was performed on the film soundtrack by Joshua Bell with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer.