“Really very little need be said about Elmer’s work other than this: He is one of the greatest film composers ever. What Elmer Bernstein has done is create a massive body of work, which includes many definitive examples of film compositional styles. It’s been like a how-to book for up-and-comers like me.”

“Certainly, ‘effortless’ is one of the words which comes to mind when I consider Elmer’s work. With his scores, one never has the feeling that the music is working too hard. Somehow, he has always been able to achieve gigantic effect with the most gentle and graceful gestures. Never has that been put to better use than in his incomparable score to, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.'”