SPOILER ALERT! - EPISODE DETAILS DISCUSSED HERE.
Hello everyone, I’m back to discuss the music on episode two which aired on Wednesday 10th August.
Episode two introduces the use of some new character/ storyline music themes and I’m focussing here on how I approached one of the key character/ relationship strands when writing the score.
I created a theme to support the story of the connection between Jack (Damien Moloney) and Rose (Karen Hassan), which subsequently develops to cover the thread of daughter Lucy (Lucy Carless) too.
Early in the story, when Jack goes to question Rose at her home, we hear this theme for the first time as a simple string bed, it’s subtle but tinged with a kind of sorrowful intrigue - like Rose, at this point, the music is holding back.
In part two, when Jack returns to talk to Rose again, we learn that her life with Stan is ‘not a bed of roses’, in fact it’s become intolerable and she reveals bruises on her arm from where he’s been violently abusing her. There is a delicate sparse piano melody running under the scene, it’s very gently piquing our curiosity and showing her vulnerability. It resolves with the string bed we heard in part one, underlining the bruises.
You can listen to that cue here.
Versions of this theme appear whenever we visit this storyline, it gathers momentum with the addition of synth beds and percussive elements as we reach end of part three and discover that Rose, is not as innocent as she claims and is behind the sale of baby Katie.
It reaches it’s conclusion for this episode in the final arrangement in part four. Jack meets Lucy by the marina at Tower Bridge for the first time and initially the piano and strings theme underscore their introduction but once Rose screams out to Lucy, realising it’s a trap, the theme steps up- the piano melody is at double speed, drums and percussion push the tension and severity of the situation, but it’s not a adrenaline fueled chase and arrest theme; this is the sad song of Rose’s downfall and the devastating impact this will have on both her and her daughter. The somewhat mournful cello and viola lines really reflect that.
You can listen to that cue here.
I hope you enjoyed the episode and the music - I'd love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions, please do leave a comment.
- Justine