Shortland Street homage

Composer William Philipson, pictured below, has just released an album celebrating the role of original music behind the popular television show Shortland Street.

Consisting of 17 tracks totalling approximately 50 minutes, Shortland Street – Original Score Highlights 2023, is a snapshot of the past year of drama told through its original underscore. From the departure of fan-favourite TK Samuels, to the murder of Rahu Parata on the operating table of Harry Warner, the soundtrack album acknowledges the pivotal role of music in these memorable moments and gives the fans of the show a chance to relive them.

Philipson says the album is a celebration of the often overlooked but vital role that music plays in the storytelling process.

“A musical score has the power to set the tone and enhance the emotions portrayed on screen. Often, a television score can be quite subtle, disappearing into the background, subtly enhancing the show and doing the work of making everyone else look good.”

Philipson, crafts an original score for every episode of Shortland Street, five days a week.

With the tone of Shortland Street being eclectic, so too is the music – running the range from being dead serious to dead funny, the score has to keep pace.

Different tracks occupy various emotional spaces, providing a diverse listening experience. The score is heavily leitmotif based, with main themes for the major characters and plot lines.

“Listening to the album, you can start to pick these up and hear them develop,” says Philipson.