The Passion of the Christ (soundtrack)

James Horner and Rachel Portman were rumored to compose the film's score.[1] Mel Gibson first chose Canadian composer Jack Lenz to write the film's score, who began working on the project from September 2002. Lenz described the procedure as "completely uncommon" because "[composers are] usually the last people they call". While the film was in production, Lenz toured the Middle East to gather field recordings from different musicians in search of the "organic" sound that Gibson desired. Lenz scored eight CDs of original music, where he handed Gibson an additional 20 CDs of field recordings. Gibson was happy with Lenz's musical selection, though he struggled to express what he was looking for specifically. Furthermore, Gibson had also brought in Australian musician Lisa Gerrard to score the film, although her music was not used in the film.[3]

In October 2003, Gibson hired John Debney, to score the film. Lenz responded, "I assumed I would be the only [composer], especially with the amount of research and time I was putting in and how well he was responding to the material. But it’s Hollywood, and I call it ‘baptism by fire’". In the final score however, Gibson did implement around 20 minutes of additional music by Lenz. Gibson was impressed with how Lenz handled the arduous situation and pointed out that he will work with Lenz in the future.[3]

Debney, being a devout Catholic, was excited to compose the film's score, stating, "I just about fell off of my chair, because I had already heard a lot about the film over the previous few months...I offered to write some music because, being a life-long Catholic, that this is sort of dream come true. I wrote some music over a weekend...He [Gibson] heard the music I was writing and liked the direction I was going."[4] Debney wrote around 80 to 90 minutes of music for the film.[4] Debney was influenced by Peter Gabriel's The Last Temptation of Christ score.[4]

To avoid getting fired, Debney took a balanced approach on the film's score, stating, "I did know that the filmmakers liked an eclectic approach to the music, not wanting to make the score too literal or conventional. The result, I believe, is a nice blend between some very powerful, more traditional music, as well as some very interesting ethnic and contemporary textures."[1] During his work on the film, Debney stated, "What I was trying to do with the music was to write first of all the best that I could write and try to be true to the period, so I tried to utilize instruments from the period so there are a lot of ancient instruments in the music." He continues, "my studio is a lovely room and I have a work station with my keyboard...So that when Mel Gibson comes and sits in the room, he will hear a piece of music that is fully orchestrated; it's synthesized orchestrated. He'll hear the oboe, and then the clarinet and the strings, and so literally, I am composing note for note; instrument for instrument".[5]

Mel Gibson sang a part on the track “Judas Hangs Himself”. Vocalist Lisbeth Scott sings for Mary with sorrow in her voice. Instruments such as a duduk, double violin, bamboo flute, cello, Spanish dulzaina, oud and erhu are used occasionally in “The Olive Garden”, “Judas Hangs Himself”, “Pilate's Truth” and “Song of Complaint”. A percussion section was used during suspenseful scenes, with the erhu representing Satan.[2]