We Aren't Making a Musical.

Excerpt from Walt's People Vol 11
https://www.amazon.com/Walts-People-Talking-Disney-Artists/dp/146536840X/ref=pd_ybh_a_13?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SY40CBEW0CEH54HMB32T

Producer Joe Hale: "When I took over the picture, I wanted to add some songs
because I felt it was kind of heavy and dark.

I went to Ron and talk to him about it,
but Ron said "no that decision has already been made.
we aren't making a musical."

Anyway when I finished the picture I went to Ron and I said are you happy with the picture?
he said "I couldn't be happier."

Lenghty excerpt from An Interview with Susan Sheridain (voice actress for Princess Eilonwy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rEdDda-C8&t=684s

Movie Reviewer Jambareeqi: "You're most well known voice acting role for playing Princess Eilonwy in uh Black Cauldron
what was it like working for a major animation company like Disney?"

Susan Sheridan: "It was fantastic. It was an absolute joy, because
I was employed over a period of three years and i had to keep coming back
to record and then they put the animation to the voice If thats the way round they do it.

And those three years I went every spring uhh I think twice a year
and you can imagine it was absolute heaven working in the Walt Disney studios was an absolute joy
and the people were fabulous to work for.

However

The film itself costs millions and millions of dollars as well the most expensive cartoon they every made
uhh was not a major success the expected it to be. which I think is very sad

and one of the reasons is I think is it's a very dark film
and it didn't have enough light, a lot of shade, not enough light
and I kept saying when we're doing it "Look, couldn't we have a song?" I 'm a singer.
Nigel Hawthorne could sing, and he played a character who is a bard Fflewddur Fflam the bard.

We should've had songs or two. and they didn't take taken uhh and they didn't do it
and that was a great shame though it would been then more moments of lightness.
and John Hurt who played the Horned King you know fantastic but, terribly scary.

my uhh neighbors I went to the premiere with various children my neighbor's children
and sheee(laughing) the mother said "My god kids, we'll never sleep at night.".
(laughing)It was

It is a scary film. I mean now it's kind of become sot of a cult thing
and you know I think children are much more used to scariness and darkness.

But then in the well what was in the 80's it was it was very dark.
and I I I've I've regretted that they didn't make it umm more fun."

While the film is not a musical, the film had one song: Fflewddur's Song sung by the bard Fflewdddur Fflam.  It's in the film but not in it's entirety.


Fflewddur's Song
https://www.amazon.com/Disneys-Lost-Chords-Russell-Schroeder/dp/0615206336/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=78340254633777&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=disney%27s+lost+chords&qid=1558055587&s=gateway&sr=8-1

"From Shore To Shore
Great Deeds of Courage Never Sung Before

and If I find them
I'll Strum and Rhyme Them
and Earn Myself a Great Name

The World Would Applaude Me
His Praise Will Reward Me
And I Flewddur Fflam will find fame"

excerpt from The Look Back Machine's Musical Homecoming: Disney's The Great Mouse Detective
http://lookbackmachine.libsyn.com/musical-homecoming-the-great-mouse-detective

Melissa Manchester:  The Great Mouse Detective was interesting because Disney stopped using songs in their animated features. just ridiculous.

But since they have success with it anyway, that was their policy for minutes, and the great mouse detective was trying to reintroduce the concept of songs in animated features.