Original score from the 2009 drama mini-series directed by John Alexander, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris and Ruth Wilson, produced by Ruby Films and released by BBC (UK) and PBS (USA).

THE STORY: A gentle Jamaican woman reunited with her husband in post-World War II London encounters both racism and homesickness as she adjusts to her new life.

THE SCORE: One of UK’s finest composers of television music in recent years, Martin Phipps (Wallander, North & South, Harry Brown, Sense and Sensibility, The Virgin Queen), delivers yet another gripping and original score for the new BBC One drama series based on the Andrea Levy novel, Small Island. Phipps combines warm writing for orchestra with chamber-sized, intimate music and substantial material inspired by the Jamaican setting of the story (one prominent example is the main theme in 5/8 meter). The composer received an Emmy nomination for his previous project (Sense and Sensibility) together with Small Island’s director, John Alexander. Small Island is an equally strong score: music that generates strong emotions and has an instant poetic charm.

THE COMPOSER: Coming from a musical background (he is Benjamin Britten’s godson), Martin Phipps scored his first TV drama, Eureka Street in 2002. He has won 2 BAFTAs, 5 Ivor Novello Awards and received multiple Emmy nominations for writing music to many of the most interesting series of recent years. These include the BBC’s War and Peace, Hugo Blick’s The Honourable Woman, Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror and seasons three & four The Crown. His film credits include Woman In Gold (scored with Hans Zimmer), with Ryan Reynolds and Helen Mirren, The Aftermath, starring Keira Knightley and Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Brown and Brighton Rock. His score for Small Island was released by MovieScore Media in 2009.

MMD0008 SMALL ISLAND (Original Television Soundtrack)
Music Composed by MARTIN PHIPPS
Release date (digital): December 15, 2009