Volume three of Chandos's invaluable Walton series returns to the composer's landmark scores for Shakespeare films. The entire programme of the disc is dedicated to Christopher Palmer's expanded arrangement of Walton's masterful score for Laurence Olivier's Henry V (1945). Arguably his finest effort, Walton's music was designed to assist Olivier in his desire to inspire the British public in preparation for D-Day manoeuvres in France. Though it pushes all of the proper patriotic buttons, the composer's score also makes a subtle impression at times. During the opening scene, Walton places a delicate flute solo over an exterior view of London, which then resolves into the Old Globe theatre. Indeed, Olivier pays respect to the film's theatrical origins throughout his production, which the composer enhances through Elizabethan pastiche. The score also features various classical styles, including a passacaglia ("Death Of Falstaff") as well as several examples of organum and plainsong. A Delius-inspired folk-song is a highlight, as are the extensive fanfares and orchestral crescendos for the "Battle Of Agincourt". Despite the occasional nod to styles of the past, Walton represents the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and Henry V mainly through his own contemporary style. Adding to the effect is actor Christopher Plummer, whose vital narration imparts presence and authority to the disc. Though the Chandos release is recommended, a budget version of this release has been issued by conductor Andrew Penny and the RTE Concert Orchestra on the Naxos label. --Kevin Mulhall