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MohicanLand Musical Musing: The Music of The Last of the Mohicans "The British Arrival"
One might argue that the "Arrival of the British" could have been more militaristic, more suited to the army's arrival.
But Edelman must have known
what he was doing: the piece opens with something like a forewarning that all is not well (or foreshadowing Webb's
non-arrival),
the second part has a bit of a boyish and confident lift to it,
then turns dark and ends sadly, something like Duncan at the start versus the end of his misadventure.
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In the movie, the first time we hear any of "The British Arrival" is when Duncan's carriage begins to cross
the bridge (literally, the arrival of the British). The music continues until just after Duncan enters Webb's office. This is the lively melody of the second part, which begins at about 0:40 on the CD. (And don't
forget, in the wide-screen version this includes our Soldier #2 cleaning his musket beside the office building as
Duncan climbs out of his coach).
We do not hear the ominous first part of the piece until much later in the movie,
during the scene in Monro's office when Monro, Duncan and Hawkeye discuss
sending a courier to Webb, beginning when Monro asks, "Webb's at Edward?" and more
noticeably when Hawkeye and Uncas tell Monro and Duncan of the Camerons' murder by the Ottawa (allied to the French).
The deep tones in the bass strings are fitting for this ominous scene, as Monro ignores the plight of the
Mohawks and settlers' families "out there".
The music fades out at the end of the scene when, after Hawkeye and Uncas and Chingachgook
have left, Monro says to Duncan their success "hangs on a courier to Webb."
As mentioned in the discussion of 
