The History of Sound soundtrack: A comprehensive list of all songs and music featured in the movie

The History of Sound is one of the highly anticipated movies of 2025, and its emotional pull derives from its thoughtfully selected soundtrack. Oliver Hermanus directs this film, an adaptation of Ben Shattuck's short story. It is a romantic drama and history intertwined with World War I and its horrors.

With Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor as stars, the film employs music not only as background but as an instrument of storytelling that captures the journey of the characters and the period of their life.

Since its debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May of 2025, The History of Sound has been lauded for its beautiful landscapes, soft story, and how its soundtrack interweaves folk songs, choral music, and classical pieces into the narrative.

What is the The History of Sound soundtrack?

The soundtrack of The History of Sound is a mix of traditional folk songs, sacred choral pieces, and modern recordings, chosen to capture the early 20th-century atmosphere while resonating with contemporary viewers. It includes performances from ensembles, folk musicians, and even iconic modern tracks that highlight the film’s themes of love, loss, and memory.

O Salutaris Hostia – by Lorenzo Perosi
All Is Well - by Benjamin Howard, Brian Jeffers, Bryan Murray, Christopher Seefeldt, Corey Shotwell, Jason Kahil, John Elliot Yates, Martin Schreiner, Nathan Hodgson, Tomas Cruz, Zachary Fletcher; directed by Buck McDaniel
Across The Rocky Mountain - arranged by Sam Amidon
Silver Dagger - arranged by Sam Amidon
Country Life - arranged by Martin Carthy, Michael Waterson, Norma Waterson, Elaine Waterson
The Unquiet Grave - traditional; arranged by Sam Amidon
The Snow It Melts The Soonest - arranged by Sam Amidon
Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies - by Sheila Kay Adams
Fourteen Wildcat Scalps - by Eamon O'Leary and Cleek Schrey
Sweet Is The Day Of Sacred Rest - performed and arranged by Sam Amidon
Grieved Soul - arranged by Sam Amidon
Cuckoo! – composed by Benjamin Britten
Here In The Vineyard - arranged by Sam Amidon
The Old Churchyard - arranged by Sam Amidon
Forked Deer - composed by Jackson Lynch, Eli Smith, and Walker Shepard; performed by Jackson Lynch and Eli Smith
O Salutaris Hostia (second version) - written by Lorenzo Perosi; published by BAM Music SARL
Ave Verum Corpus Op.65 No.1 - composed by Gabriel Fauré; arranged by Edward Higginbottom; performed by The Choir of New College, Oxford
Stabat Mater: 12. Quando Corpus - Amen - composed by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; performed by Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
All Is Well (choral arrangement) - words by C. Dingley, 1842; tune by J.T. White, 1844; arranged by Peter Amidon
Down In The Willow Garden - arranged by Sam Amidon
The Unquiet Grave (Nancy Kerr version) - arranged and played by Nancy Kerr
Atmosphere - composed by Ian Curtis, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook; played by Joy Division.

What is The History of Sound about?

The History of Sound chronicles the romance of Lionel Worthing (played by Paul Mescal) and David White (played by Josh O'Connor). These two young men became friends at the Boston Music Conservatory in 1917. Their love develops quickly, only to be discouraged by the advent of World War I.

David ships out, and upon his return, the two embark on a road trip across rural Maine in 1920 as they are commissioned to gather folk songs for research.

Their journey leads them from village to village, where they tape the music of ordinary people. These songs are not just historical records; rather, they are a means for Lionel and David to maintain their bond in a world that is changing fast around them.

As they record the voices of strangers, they also salvage their own tale, using music as a means to negotiate memory, identity, and desire.

The cast is more extensive than Mescal and O'Connor, with Chris Cooper starring as the older Lionel, Molly Price as Lionel's mother, Raphael Sbarge as Lionel Worthing Sr., and Briana Middleton as Thankful Mary Swain.

For the unversed, The History of Sound was released on September 12, 2025.

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Edited by Sakshi Singh