Cory Stillman
BBC’s Murder Is Easy is the latest Agatha Christie adaptation to captivate audiences in recent years, but the series sets itself apart from other Christie adaptations in a number of ways. The show stars David Jonsson as Luke Obiako Fitzwilliam, a modernized version of Christie’s original protagonist. Jonsson’s Fitzwilliam deeply values his Nigerian and Igbo heritage, one of many reasons that composer Segun Akinola was a perfect fit for the series.
Akinola has British-Nigerian heritage, and his familiarity with Nigerian and Igbo cultures allowed him to innovate across every step of the composing process. He incorporated the Udu, for example, a percussive Igbo instrument.
“The Udu…worked very well to draw a link to [Fitzwilliam’s] Igbo heritage and still easily fit into a more orchestral setting,” says Akinola. “Certain Udu phrases are used when there’s a direct link to, or mention of, his Igbo heritage. Whereas, in his theme, it provides rhythmic support throughout.”
When Akinola was first brought on to Murder Is Easy, he was tasked with paying tribute to the music of 1950s Hollywood. The former Doctor Who composer made good on his promise, while still pushing the show’s sonic palette even further.
“As I started to write music early on, the direction changed a bit to incorporate more contemporary elements like synths and breaths within the music for Fitzwilliam, but the original impetus remained an important part of the score.”
Part of this early work involved a surprising discovery for Akinola. As he considered the ways in which he might merge that traditional 1950s sound with more contemporary elements, Akinola turned to an unexpected source.
“I always wondered if there would be room in the score for ambient electronic soundscapes that I could make by manipulating audio from other cues,” says Akinola. “I tried it out and sent in an idea to the edit, which was really well received by the director and producers, so it was able to become a big part of the suspense in the score, allowing viewers to ‘feel’ the suspense rather than actively hearing something more musical and traditional”
Check out our full conversation with Akinola below to learn more about his unique fusion of traditional and electronic elements in his score for Murder Is Easy (streaming on BritBox in the U.S.)
What initially inspired the music for the series, and how did it evolve as the production progressed?
The music of 1950s Hollywood was the initial brief, which took me down a certain path musically. As I started to write music early on, the direction changed a bit to incorporate more contemporary elements like synths and breaths within the music for Fitzwilliam, but the original impetus remained an important part of the score.
Could you describe the specific musical elements used to represent Fitzwilliam, such as the investigative motif and the Igbo percussive instrument Udu?
Fitzwilliam’s Nigerian heritage and Igbo culture are very important to him. The values he learned in his upbringing are guiding principles for how he should conduct himself so it felt important to incorporate this into his theme. The Udu is a percussive Igbo instrument that worked very well to draw a link to his Igbo heritage and still easily fit into a more orchestral setting, which I knew would be needed for this score, so it was the perfect instrument for him. Certain Udu phrases are used when there’s a direct link to, or mention of, his Igbo heritage. Whereas, in his theme, it provides rhythmic support throughout.
Whilst the melody of Fitzwilliam’s theme is its most obvious component it’s used sparingly in the score. The more important element is the investigative motif which opens his theme and which is used throughout the series as Fitzwilliams delves deeper into all the mysterious deaths taking place in such a small English village.
How did you approach composing the theme for Fitzwilliam and Bridget, and what musical techniques did you use to convey their evolving relationship?
Initially, I wrote a love theme, but it didn’t quite work for them. Their relationship is much more nuanced than falling in love at first sight. It felt like it was more about their attraction to each other, sometimes a dangerous attraction and a meeting of minds. There’s a very charged moment between them in the second episode, so I used part of the original theme and rewrote it to be more energetic, tense and sensual. Once it was working here, the director and producers all knew it would work everywhere else, too.
Can you explain the significance of the death theme in the score and how it is integrated throughout the series to underscore the threat of murder?
I started my work on Murder Is Easy by writing three themes: Fitzwilliam’s theme, Fitzwilliam & Bridget’s theme, and a death theme that could be used anytime someone dies in Wychwood. The death theme ended up being more significant than anticipated because it permeated so many parts of the score. It wasn’t just used for all the deaths in Wychwood: the melody is used as the melody for the opening titles and forms the bass line for the titles, too; a combination of this death theme melody and Fitzwilliam’s investigative motif is used as a sub-theme whenever Fitzwilliam thinks he’s closing in on the killer. For example, it can be heard at the end of episode one as he accuses Doctor Thomas. These are just two examples, but there are many more, as all cues in the series are based on one, or more, of the three original themes.
How did you incorporate ambient electronic soundscapes into the score, and in what ways did they contribute to the overall atmosphere of the series?
Early on in the process, I was trying out ideas against the rushes, and I always wondered if there would be room in the score for ambient electronic soundscapes that I could make by manipulating audio from other cues. I tried it out and sent in an idea to the edit, which was really well received by the director and producers, so it was able to become a big part of the suspense in the score, allowing viewers to ‘feel’ the suspense rather than actively hearing something more musical and traditional. The soundscapes were always made from existing material. For example, I processed a version of Fitzwilliam and Bridget’s theme and used it when they were investigating together, so there’s a direct link to their journey as characters, but it also adds to the suspense of the particular situation they were in as they were piecing together vital details about the murders.
Can you provide insight into how the score for the series was designed to introduce and interweave these important musical elements and themes in the first episode?
I always like themes that are made up of more than one distinctive element so that I can take one part of a theme and combine it with one or two parts of another theme. So, when I started writing the themes, I made sure they could work well together in a number of ways. It also means that I can build entire cues out of one part of a theme. This interconnected approach enabled me to create a web of musical elements in the first episode, helping to both create a cohesive score throughout because I could always turn to those original themes, and present them in different ways, depending on what was happening on screen.
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