大象传媒

I met with director David Johnson and editor Mark Fox (episode 1) in the summer of 2015 for an initial briefing session. We talked together about the series: its geographical location, the kinds of terrain presenter Gordon Buchanan would be negotiating, the various story lines and potential main gorilla characters that would be the focus of attention. Together we viewed some early clips and a rough assembly of sequences. We talked about the pace of the film and looked at some key dramatic and emotional moments. Music was discussed in terms of filmic references and instrumentation, in particular, just how 'African' the score might feel.

I began writing to pictures in mid-September 2015, when a rough cut of episode one became available. Firstly I tackled themes for the main gorilla characters, in particular the youngsters, Mwira and Marhale. Gentle, touching sequences of this kind are always the hardest musically to get right. Next was Chimanuka, the immensely complex central character of the series, always charismatic, powerful and intelligent, yet with the capacity for tenderness and sensitivity. Mugaruka, the alienated brother of Chimanuka, whose family Chimanuka had stolen, proved to be a fascinating proposition musically, and his stalking of Chimanuka throughout episode one provided a rich vein for suspense and drama. I also wrote some pieces that responded to the forest landscape as well as music that would help transitions from one scene to another, and others that would support and highlight elements of Gordon’s narration.

There is a lot of variety in the score. The palette combines traditional African instruments such as marimba, kalimba and a wide range of drums and shakers, with orchestra, vocals, piano, guitars and electronics. The pieces evolved in a fluid way alongside the edit, working closely with the editors. Deciding when and when not to use music is vital, and involved a lot of discussion as well as trial and error. When all the music was composed, David and I would sit together and make final decisions on the placing to picture of each and every piece.

The final pieces to be written were those that open each episode, the pre-titles. Based on key musical themes from the body of the programmes, these set the scene in a dramatic and emotional way and help to reinforce the ideas and images as they are introduced.

I would like to thank percussionist David Oliver, and guitarist/ mix and mastering engineer Dan Brown, for their stunning contribution to the score.