Academy Award-winning composer Daniel Blumberg today releases ‘Clothed By The Sun,’ an original song from acclaimed writer-director Mona Fastvold’s forthcoming film ‘The Testament Of Ann Lee’. Written by Blumberg and performed as a duet between Blumberg and the film’s lead Amanda Seyfried, the song plays over the end credits of Fastvold’s visionary new feature, a speculative retelling of the life of Ann Lee, the founding leader of the religious sect known as the Shakers. “Clothed by the Sun” sees Blumberg and Seyfried’s voices intertwine tenderly over electric guitar, harmonica, strings, celeste and bells. It is one of three original songs Blumberg composed for the film, alongside ten radically reimagined Shaker hymns and a full-length score that underpins the film’s two-hour 70mm presentation. Searchlight Pictures’ The Testament of Ann Lee debuts in select theaters Christmas Day, with a nationwide release following in January 2026.
Of the track, Daniel Blumberg says, “When I write songs, usually the best ones happen very quickly and naturally. With ‘Clothed by the Sun,’ I plugged in my electric guitar and it all came out in one piece. I think that was possible because the whole world of the film, and Ann Lee’s story was in my bones after having been so submerged in the project for over a year. I was missing my brother who lives far away from me, and found Ann Lee’s relationship with William [her brother] quite moving, so I started with that line about her Brother’s love.
“Amanda did the vocals the next day from a studio in New York. It was originally written as a solo for her to sing, but it ended up being a duet, mostly because Mona liked the new atmosphere that leaves us with at the end of the film. It has a more contemporary feeling to the song which felt appropriate with the cards on the film explaining where the shakers are today. Amanda and I would sing a lot together during the recording sessions for the film so it’s nice to have a recording of us singing together finally and also an excuse to do some live concerts.”
