Orchestral · 1993
The Nightmare Before Christmas score
Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman's music for the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas, played live by an orchestra.
What to listen for
Elfman wrote both the songs and the background score, and the music mixes spooky and playful. The film opens with the chorus of This Is Halloween, a marching song with a heavy beat. Jack Skellington sings the sad Jack's Lament and the joyful What's This? when he finds Christmas Town. Sally gets a soft, wistful song, and Oogie Boogie's number is a brassy, jazzy show tune. Between songs, the orchestra supplies swirling strings, creaky low notes and twinkling bells. Elfman himself sang Jack's singing voice in the film, so a live singer will take that role in concert.
The story
The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in 1993 as a stop-motion film directed by Henry Selick from a story and characters by Tim Burton. Elfman wrote the songs and the score and sang as Jack. The program lists the score as played by the orchestra, and I could not confirm whether the film is shown alongside.
First time hearing it?
- Many performances play the score while the film is shown on a screen, but check whether this one does.
- The music is heavy on songs, so expect singers as well as the orchestra.
- Family audiences are common, and the tone is spooky but friendly.
Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed October 2026.