- What is the music used for your aerial IDs?
The music on our aerial IDs is "At Last You're Here," performed by Pat Metheny, from the album "Day Trip."
- What is the music in the "California Postcards" on your HD channel?
2008/2009 Postcards (now retired):
"Mer du Japon" by Air
"San Francisco Bay Blues" by Eric Clapton
"A Brand New Day" by Van Morrison
"A Sunday Kind of Love" by Etta James
"Left Bank" by Air
"On a San Francisco High" by Sony Holland
2007 Postcards (now retired):
"California Rain" performed by Madeleine Peyroux
"You Do Something to Me" performed by Lori Carsillo
"California Stars" performed by Billy Bragg & Wilco
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" performed by Steve Tyrell
"Going to California" performed by The Led Zepplin Tribute Band
"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" performed by Sam Cooke
"But It's Alright" performed by Huey Lewis & The News
- What is the music used for your HD channel ID?
Current IDs feature untitled music commissioned by PBS, not available in any format.
2008/early 2009 IDs (now retired):
"Shut Your Eyes" performed by Snow Patrol (the peppier ID)
"Dice" performed by Finley Quaye (the mellower ID)
- What is the music in the Be More: Mr. Rogers promo?
The song used at the beginning of the "Be More: Jeff & Mr. Rogers" promo is called "O Leaozinho" by Brooks Williams. The CD is called "Little Lion" from 1999 and is available at Brooks Williams' website.
- Who composed the theme music for Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way, and where do I buy it?
The music heard during opening and closing credits was commissioned specifically for the series, and was composed and performed by John Bayless. Unfortunately, recordings aren't available for purchase.
- What's the music during your evening schedule billboards?
The cut is from "Brooklyn Heights" by Down to the Bone, from their "From Manhattan to Staten" album.
- What's the theme music for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer?
The theme music to the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer was originally written by Bernard Hoffer for the MacNeil/Lehrer Report. Unfortunately, recordings aren't available for purchase.
- What's the theme music for Charlie Rose?
Specifically composed for the series by David Lowe & David Schapiro in Brooklyn, NY. Not available in any format.
- What's the theme music for Masterpiece Theatre?
Title theme is "Rondeau" from the album "Symphonies and Fanfares for the King's Supper" (Nonesuch Label, H-71009). Composer is J.J. Mouret (1682-1738).
- What's the theme music for Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection?
The original theme for MT's American Collection was created by John Williams, Academy Award-winning composer of film scores and laureate conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma is featured.
- What's the music in the Stay Curious promos?
PBS promos by Fallon McElligott, "Stay Curious" campaign:
"The Dishwasher"
(child puts plastic-wrapped videocamera into dishwasher)
Music specially composed for this spot by Thad Spencer (former drummer for The Jayhawks) of Asche & Spencer Music, Minneapolis; not commercially available.
"The Fishbowl"
Music specially composed for this spot by Chris Beaty (formerly of the band Beat the Clock) at Asche & Spencer Music, Minneapolis; not commercially available.
"Photo Booth" a.k.a. "The Singer"
(man photographs himself in a photo booth and makes flip-book from the photos to show him lip-synching to an opera record)
Enrico Caruso's recording (originally on Victor [now RCA Victor, now part of BMG]) of "Di quella pira" from Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore."
"Pictures" a.k.a. "Curious Moment"
(woman looks at picture postcards from an envelope; puts a disposable camera and a note "Please take a picture and return to Maggie" in a bag; attaches the bag to a helium balloon and releases the balloon)
Specially composed music score (begins with a tinkly wind-chimes sound with synth drone underneath) by Trivers/Myers Music, Los Angeles (John Trivers & Elizabeth Myers); not commercially available. (They also wrote the original "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" theme.)
"The Recording"
Music specially composed for this spot by Thad Spencer (former drummer for The Jayhawks) of Asche & Spencer Music, Minneapolis; not commercially available.
"The Rooster" a.k.a. "Light"
(girl gets up before dawn to see whether her shining a flashlight into a barn will cause a rooster to crow)
Instrumental portion of "Our Way to Fall," performed by Yo La Tengo on their CD "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out" (Matador label, released 2000). (The song was written by Yo La Tengo members Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, and James McNew).
- Who sang You Are the New Day on the promo I used to see between children's programs?
"You Are the New Day" was written by John David, and appears on The King's Singers' CD "New Day," Angel-EMI 49564. It can be hard to find, so try a store with a good classical section. If you can't find it locally, you can try online stores such as Tower Records or Amazon.
The instrumental rendition of the song and additional music was specially done by Michael Whalen for this promo and is not commercially available. The actual video promo itself is also not available for sale, or for downloading over the internet.
Sheet music for this song is included in The King's Singers' "25th Anniversary Jubilee!" songbook. Two other sheet music versions (an a capella SATB arrangement, and a simplified SSA arrangement) are published by the Hal Leonard Corporation, and another version (an SATB choral arrangement) is published by CPP/Belwin, now Warner Bros. Publications.
King's Singers recordings and sheet music can be purchased in stores or from:
DJ Records
Post Office Box 95
McMinnville, OR 97128
To read the lyrics to "You Are the New Day," visit the Princeton Footnotes website.
- What's the music running under the underwriter credits at the beginning of "Jazz"?
The music under the credits is Duke Ellington's "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart."
- What's the theme music for Reilly: Ace of Spies?
"The Reilly Theme" is Harry Rabinowitz's adaptation/arrangement of "Romance" from Dmitri Shostakovich's "The Gadfly" suite (from his film score).
- What's the theme music for the Cadfael Mysteries?
"Cadfael" opening and closing title theme "Cadfael of Shrewsbury" and scores specially composed by Colin Towns. Soundtrack album (which also includes some Gregorian chants performed by the Clerkes of St. Albans Abbey) released 1/97 in the USA on the Angel (EMI-Capitol) label, # 37086.
- What are the "classical bits" within Inspector Morse Mysteries?
The following "bits" of classical music have been identified as being in the original British versions of the following Inspector Morse episodes. A few may not have been heard in the American versions of the programs.
Absolute Conviction - Chorale "Er kenne mich mein Huter" from Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" and aria "Mitradi quell'alma ingrata" from Mozart's "Don Giovanni."
Cherubim and Seraphim - Aria "Che faro senza Eurydice" from Gluck's "Orphee."
Day of the Devil - Andante from Brahms' "String Sextet No. 1 in Bb" (Op. 18).
Dead on Time - Recurring piece is Schubert's Quintet in C, D.956, 2nd movement.
Deadly Slumber - Adagio from Mozart Piano Concerto in A, K.488. Rondo from same concerto, and Beethoven Piano Sonata #31 in Ab, Op.110.
Death is Now My Neighbor - Nina Tilbury performing "No so piu" from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"; "String Quartet, Opus 20, No. 4 - Allegro di molto," by Haydn; the Andante movement from Mozart's "Piano Quartet in G Minor," KV 478; Capella Bona of Oxford performing Vivaldi's "Gloria."
Death of the Self - Vivaldi "Concerto for 2 mandolins" and aria "Signore, ascolta!" from Puccini's "Turandot."
Fat Chance - "Laudate Dominum" from Mozart's Vespers, "Venetian Gondola Song" from Mendelssohn's "Lieder ohne Woerte."
Happy Families - Trio (Terzettino) "Soave sia il vento" from Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte"; Andante from Mozart's Piano Sonata in D; Beethoven Piano Concerto #4.
Masonic Mysteries - Overture and "O Isis und Osiris" from Mozart's "Die Zauberfloete" ("The Magic Flute"); "Bei Maennern, welche Liebe fuehlen," also from "Die Zauberfloete."
Promised Land - "Hab' mir's gelobt" from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier."
Second Time Around - "Senza Mamma" from Puccini's "Suor Angelica."
Twilight of the Gods - "Brunnhilde's Immolation" from Wagner's "Goetterdaemmerung," "Traeume" from Wagner's "Wesendonck-Lieder."
Way Through the Woods - Recurring piece is Barrington Pheloung's arrangement of Debussy's String Quartet. Also used once, Pheloung's arrangement of Debussy's Prelude No. 6.
Who Killed Harry Field? - "Ain't Misbehavin," written by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf, specially sung for show by Jon Satton; Mozart Piano Concerto, K.450 played briefly.
- Why is the background music so loud in some of your programs? It's often louder than the actors speaking.
Most average home receivers have low fidelity speakers which accentuate the upper mid-ranges and highs. The human voice tends to be in the mid-audio range. The rest of the sound spectrum that helps keep these two components separate and distinct is lost. Add to this the fact that most producers and editors sit in edit bays outfitted with the very best sound systems, and they balance voice and music on their programs based on that high fidelity ability. In sets with better audio systems there are things that can help with audio in general. Stereo and digital sets with "surround sound" tend to enhance the low and high ranges (which is where the music is), and ignore or dampen the mid-range (which is where the voice usually is). Try switching from stereo to mono whenever there is such a problem, or switch off the "surround sound" (sometimes known as "enhanced") feature.
