Composer reveals little-known secrets behind Irish TV tunes from RTE News to Grand Designs

What is the music theme tune that we hear almost everyday, that the vast majority of the Irish population know, but are unaware we listen to? 

Well, that would be the RTÉ news theme tune or indeed, the BBC theme tune. 

While you might not pay much attention to them, they are synonymous with our everyday viewing habits and are widely recognisable to all age groups. 

But have you ever considered what goes into making these catchy, yet serious tunes? 

“It’s all about attracting people’s attention. You’ve got to be quite neutral with news theme tunes, you can’t be too happy or too sad,” BBC news theme composer David Lowe told Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1. 

“It has to be an attention grabber. For the BBC, I was looking for a sound that was really identifiable and instantly recognisable. 

“The pips [one beat every second] works well because it is about accuracy and reliability, like a clock.”

David Lowe was also commissioned for the popular home renovation show Grand Designs, which he says is very different from the news tune. 

“The Grand Designs theme song is whimsical and magic-like. The trick with theme tunes is to tell a story and you’ve only got 15 seconds to do so, and you want to have a beginning, middle and end.” 

Judging the past theme tunes for RTE News, Mr Lowe said there was a definite “change in style” over the years and “as things progressed, they were getting bigger and bolder”.