Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy -- End Credits (to the 1979 BBC television miniseries)

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is a 1979 BBC television miniseries. This must be one of the best handful of series ever produced for television, as is the companion piece, "Smiley's People". Both series are based on the great books by John le Carre. Both star Alec Guiness as George Smiley; his performances are masterly. All the cast members in both productions are great. Both series are great.

This video shows the end credits for "Tinker, Tailor." The music was composed and conducted by Geoffrey Burgon. The title of the end credits music is "Nunc Dimittis" according to information found on Amazon.com.

N.B. The clouds are moving; the credits are running in front of a filmed scene not a picture.

N.B. 2 -- I am a fool; I just found out (8 months after posting the video) that this is being sung in English. I had assumed it was Latin and hadn't really bothered listening to the words. Thanks to Desperate Irish Housewife, I will enjoy this beautiful music even more.

[Luke 2: 29-32]
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace
According to Thy word.
For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation
Which Thou has prepared before the face of all peoples
To be a light to the Gentiles,
And to be the glory of Thy people, Israel.

[Doxology]
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

P.S. Thanks to EC4LS (11/2008), I can add that the singer is Paul Phoenix. Here is a statement I found: "Born on April Fools Day in 1967, I started my singing career some hours later! That seems to be my recollection - singing is something I have been doing and focusing on for as long as I can remember. I became a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral when I was nine under Barry Rose. Life was both challenging and rewarding, and I was lucky enough to make several successful recordings, including the theme music for the TV drama, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."

P.P.S. Here it is, 2012, and we now have a movie of TTSS (I haven't seen it yet but plan to--the reviews are good). I have edited the title of this posting in order to make it easier for people to avoid this if they are looking for something from the movie.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• tinker
• tailor
• le
• carre
• george
• smiley
• alec
• guinness
• burgon
• miniseries
• nunc
• dimittis
• paul
• phoenix

[debdessaso]

I, too, love TTSS and I watch it at least every other month. I understand that the movie version is due out either this year or 2012 with Gary Oldman playing Smiley and Benedict Cumberbatch playing a blond Peter Guillam. I plan to see it, primarily because of these two stars; however, I may have a hard time picturing Oldman as Smiley and, as much as I like Benedict, I can't quite picture Guillam as a blond!

[Straussian]

I just saw the trailer for the upcoming movie version of TTSS. I have such high regard for Gary Oldman, Le Carre, etc, that I am warning myself not to be too disappointed in the movie version but accept it for what it is. I cannot imagine the movie being anywhere near as good as the TV series or the book, so that helps lower my expectations. If it is as good as 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' movie, I will be happy. Though I haven't seen it in many years, I thought TSWCIFTC was very good.

[GuapaChica77]

Comment 2 of 2 --As a result of a little serendipitous Googling that landed me here, I have to say I'm pleased to have learned the name of the selection, its arranger, and the performing artist. Much obliged. (I suppose everyone reading this thread knows that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is available at Amazon. I bought it and plan to watch it every couple of years -- it's good for the soul.)

[Straussian]

And don't forget to read the book(s) every few years. I like all the Smiley books very much along with "The Night Manager." Actually, if they did The Night Manager with the same level of quality as they did TTSS and Smiley's People, that would be an amazing series. Great book.

[bigmandrel]

@Straussian or anybody else: I have only seen the film production. Would it still be worthwhile to then read the books already knowing what basically happens?

Cheers.

[Straussian]

Yes, it would be worthwhile. To pick an arbitrary amount, less than one-third of the enjoyment of reading Tinker, Tailor is in finding out who the double-agent is. Also, reading the book will give you a better, more enjoyable understanding of what happens in the story. The filmmakers did a fantastic job of translating the book onto the screen, so much so that there is a virtuous circle created. What you lose in freedom of imagination is more than offset by how great the film was. But I gush.

[xingsheng1]

Golden age of BBC TV.

i watched all these late 70's shows and 30 years later their qualities have still not been surpassed. I watched TTSS five times already and still love every minute of it. Smiley's people is also very good.

[GuapaChica77]

Comment 1 of 2 -- What a strange creature is YouTube! Amidst all the tawdry and banal dreck (with comments of an even lower quality) one can find this gemlike posting. When I viewed the series on PBS I looked forward to the end of each program so I could meditate on the closing theme. While I vaguely wondered what the music was, for the most part all along I just accepted that sensory package a unitary piece.

[MobiusBandwidth]

I always thought it was sung in Latin or Russian. thanks for sharing this, been wanting to hear it again for years. one of the best shows ever. Sir Alec IS Smiley. I've no interest particularly in some other actor's interpretation of the character.

[debdessaso]

@poetcomic1 -- I couldn't agree more! Although I look forward to seeing Benedict play Guillam, my heart will always be with Alec Guiness as George Smiley. In fact, I was a bit taken aback when I heard that Gary Oldman would be playing Smiley in the movie. Somehow I can't picture Gary as owlish with horn-rimmed glasses, the way LeCarre created Smiley and the way Alec played him to a tee!

[poetcomic1]

@debdessaso Even LeCarre himself could not picture anyone but Alec Guinness even when he wrote more Smiley material. Where is your loyalty? Guinness 'owns' Smiley for all time.

[jblacktree]

Agree with all but after the cold war, David Cornwall hit a fallow period and I think The Night Manager is close to raw, not very good or credible pulp. The Constant Gardener is for me a stab at finding somethig new to ignite indignation-big pharma--and not so beautifully subtle as the early spy stuff. Mind you, he was out from under in 1961, and his knowledge of 'the craft" got fixed abut there--but then in A Perfect Spy he simply says, "I am fake. I pose as an insider but I'm a con man"

[debdessaso]

@MrSps1234 Why don't you try sticking to the subject? This site is about Tinker Tailor, both the series and the upcoming movie. Re the "doofus" -- backatcha, and twice over!

[MrSps1234]

@debdessaso Wow, did you even read my post? I said Smileys People! The Following series ! and guess what doofus, the actor playing Peter Guillam had BLOND HAIR and it wasn't Michael Jayston.

[debdessaso]

@MrSps1234 Not only did I watch Tinker Tailor when it was on TV, but I bought the DVD set and I've watching it regularly ever sense. Michael Jayston, the actor who played Guillam, has BROWN hair. I suggest you do a Google search of how Jayson looked during the series--then check to make sure you aren't color blind!

[MrSps1234]

@debdessaso , you obviously didn't watch Smileys People, Peter Guillam was played by a blond actor in that.

[debdessaso]

@Straussian--I like your approach and have decided that I won't expect TTSS the movie to be like the miniseries. I've already read one story from a British online site which indicated that the movie is VERY British--slow moving and extremely subtle--so much so that an older couple left before the review was over. Even so, anything with Benedict Cumberbatch in it would, in my view, be worth watching!