Who has written the music for Frozen Planet II?
Over a decade after Frozen Planet showed us the wonders of life at Earth’s coldest reaches, the BBC returns with a sequel series. But who has composed the music for this latest, chilly spectacle?
It was in 2011 that the BBC first unveiled Frozen Planet, its latest epic series following in the weighty footsteps of Blue Planet and Planet Earth all presented by the irreplaceable David Attenborough.
Given the massive popularity of both Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II, it was no surprise that the team would bring us Frozen Planet II as well.
The six-part series, which premiered on BBC One on Sunday 11 September, once again gives us a window into life in the extreme cold at either ends of the Earth. It’s a series that (as we’ve come to expect) not only celebrates the wonders of these icy worlds and their inhabitants, but reveals the knife-edge they live on thanks to climate change.
Such drama always inspires big music, and Frozen Planet II is no exception. Like the prior sequel series’, the BBC turned to Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer and his cohort of dynamic composers at Bleeding Fingers Music to provide the show’s musical backdrop. For this latest venture, Zimmer has brought in Australian-born, LA-based composer Adam Lukas and British composer James Everingham.
Lukas and Everingham have worked together on television projects together before, including Nat Geo’s Expedition Everest and music for the telecast of Super Bowl LVI. Everingham has co-composed with Zimmer before, too, his music featuring in 2020’s Planet Earth – A Celebration for the BBC and Apollo: Mission to the Moon for Nat Geo. Lukas is no stranger to the BBC’s Natural History Unit, having composed the score for the recent series, Primates.
Both composers have worked on notable projects away from the screen, with Lukas composing solo piano works and a 2015 Gloria, as well as music for the stage. Everingham released a debut album called Leviathan in 2020 and undertook a massive project to sample the Royal Albert Hall’s mighty pipe organ as part of its 150th birthday celebrations.
For Frozen Planet II Zimmer, Lukas and Everingham join forces to create the kind of thrilling, evocative musical palette we have come to expect from these blockbuster series. Zimmer’s touch is perhaps most evident in the main theme, which captures both the majestic and delicate nature of our planet’s frozen worlds. Like any Zimmer production, though, you can hear his sonic influence throughout, especially in the more grandiose, anthemic music.
Who is singing in the score for Frozen Planet II?
One important element of the score is the ethereal vocals. These are performed by 26-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA. She made a memorable appearance at this year’s ‘Earth Prom’ at the BBC Proms. It featured a preview of Frozen Planet and the live premiere of ‘Take Me Back Home’, performed by AURORA with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ben Palmer. The song was written for the series’ extended trailer, by Hans Zimmer (one of the best film composers in the world) with global superstar singer Camila Cabello.
Where and when can I buy the music from Frozen Planet II?
An official soundtrack album for Frozen Planet II, featuring the music by Hans Zimmer, Adam Lukas and James Everingham, will be available to stream and download from 7 October courtesy of Silva Screen Records. A two-CD release is set to appear on 21 October, with plans to make the music available as a triple-vinyl release next year.
Authors
Michael is the Reviews Editor of BBC Music Magazine. He was previously a freelance film music journalist and spent 15 years at St George's Bristol. Michael specialises in film and television music and was the Editor of MusicfromtheMovies.com. He has written for the BBC Proms, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood in Vienna and Silva Screen Records.
