# Martin Phipps

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Phipps
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Phipps.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Phipps
> Source revision: 1346597442
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Martin Phipps** (born 1 August 1968) is a British composer who has worked on numerous film and television projects.

## Early life and education

He is the son of Sue Pears and [Jack Phipps](/source/Jack_Phipps), an arts administrator who had previously founded a management agency, which acted for many leading musical figures (including [Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten), Phipps's godfather).

Phipps read drama at the [University of Manchester](/source/University_of_Manchester).[citation needed]

## Career

Phipps enjoyed early critical success with *[Eureka Street](/source/Eureka_Street_(TV_series))*, and went on to score the BBC period dramas *[North & South](/source/North_%26_South_(TV_serial))* and *[The Virgin Queen](/source/The_Virgin_Queen_(TV_serial))*, for which he was recognised with the [Ivor Novello Award](/source/Ivor_Novello_Award) for Best Original Score.

Phipps scored *[Low Winter Sun](/source/Low_Winter_Sun_(UK_TV_series))* for [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4), starring [Mark Strong](/source/Mark_Strong) and [Brian McCardie](/source/Brian_McCardie) and *[Persuasion](/source/Persuasion_(2007_film))*, the most recent [ITV](/source/ITV_(TV_network)) adaptation of [Jane Austen](/source/Jane_Austen)'s novel, as well as *[Grow Your Own](/source/Grow_Your_Own)*, a feature for [Warp Films](/source/Warp_Films). He also scored the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's *[Sense and Sensibility](/source/Sense_and_Sensibility_(2008_miniseries))*, adapted by [Andrew Davies](/source/Andrew_Davies_(writer)). Phipps was then commissioned to score the BBC's *[Oliver Twist](/source/Oliver_Twist_(2007_miniseries))* adaptation, for which he was recognised with the Ivor Novello Award 2008 for Best Television Soundtrack.

Phipps went on to score the [Rowan Joffé](/source/Rowan_Joff%C3%A9)-helmed drama, *Hurndall* for Talkback Thames followed by *[Wallander](/source/Wallander_(UK_TV_series))* for Yellow Bird/Left Bank Pictures, starring [Kenneth Branagh](/source/Kenneth_Branagh), for which he was recognised with the [BAFTA](/source/BAFTA) Craft Award 2009 for Best Original TV Score. He then went on to write the music for the feature film *[Endgame](/source/Endgame_(2009_film))*, starring [William Hurt](/source/William_Hurt), [Derek Jacobi](/source/Derek_Jacobi), [Mark Strong](/source/Mark_Strong), [Jonny Lee Miller](/source/Jonny_Lee_Miller) and [Chiwetel Ejiofor](/source/Chiwetel_Ejiofor), chronicling the breakdown of S. African apartheid, directed by [Pete Travis](/source/Pete_Travis). It was entered into competition at the [Sundance Film Festival](/source/Sundance_Film_Festival). He also scored *[Small Island](/source/Small_Island_(TV_film))* for Ruby Films/BBC, winning the BAFTA Craft Award 2010 for Best Original Television Music. More recently, he completed the score for his first feature film, *[Brighton Rock](/source/Brighton_Rock_(2010_film))* and composed the music for the newest BBC adaptation of *[Great Expectations](/source/Great_Expectations_(2011_miniseries))*.

In 2005, Phipps wrote the score to the film *[Pierrepoint](/source/Pierrepoint_(film))*. Other credits include *[The Wife of Bath](/source/The_Wife_of_Bath)* from the BBC's contemporary adaptation of the *[Canterbury Tales](/source/Canterbury_Tales)*, and the contemporary drama *[Dirty Filthy Love](/source/Dirty_Filthy_Love)*. He also scored the British feature film, *[The Flying Scotsman](/source/The_Flying_Scotsman_(2006_film))*, and *[The Line of Beauty](/source/The_Line_of_Beauty_(TV_series))*.

Phipps scored the UK thriller feature *[Harry Brown](/source/Harry_Brown_(film))* for Cutting Edge/Marv Films, starring [Michael Caine](/source/Michael_Caine), as well as Rowan Joffé's feature adaptation of [Graham Greene](/source/Graham_Greene)'s *[Brighton Rock](/source/Brighton_Rock_(novel))*. Mike Diver described Phipps' score as "rich and sumptuous of tone and depth".[1] He co-wrote the score with [Emily Barker](/source/Emily_Barker) for the BBC drama *[The Shadow Line](/source/The_Shadow_Line_(TV_series))*. Authored by Hugo Blick for the BBC, it was described by one critic as "a maddening, stylish experiment in doing something completely, admirably different with television".[2] More recent credits include the first series of *[Peaky Blinders](/source/Peaky_Blinders_(TV_series))* on [BBC Two](/source/BBC_Two) for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Craft Award and *[The Honourable Woman](/source/The_Honourable_Woman)*. His documentary work includes scoring the documentary *[Britain in a Day](/source/Britain_in_a_Day)*. More recently he composed the score of the film *[Woman in Gold](/source/Woman_in_Gold_(film))* in collaboration with [Hans Zimmer](/source/Hans_Zimmer).

Phipps composed the soundtrack for the 2016 miniseries *[War & Peace](/source/War_%26_Peace_(2016_TV_series))*. Phipps said he "ended up coming onto the project early on", and that he was given room to "run with it... from the very beginning."[3] The soundtrack was released on 13 May 2016.[4] He also composed the theme to the same year's *[Victoria](/source/Victoria_(UK_TV_series))*, as well as incidental music of the early episodes. The theme was sung by the [Mediæval Bæbes](/source/Medi%C3%A6val_B%C3%A6bes).[5]

Phipps also composed the soundtrack for season 3, season 4, season 5 and season 6 of *[The Crown](/source/The_Crown_(TV_series))*.

## Filmography

### Films

Year Title Director Notes 2005 Pierrepoint Adrian Shergold 2006 The Flying Scotsman Douglas Mackinnon 2007 Grow Your Own Richard Laxton 2009 Endgame Pete Travis Harry Brown Daniel Barber Co-composed with Ruth Barrett, Pete Tong, Theo Green and Paul Rogers 2010 Brighton Rock Rowan Joffé 2014 X+Y Morgan Matthews The Keeping Room Daniel Barber 2015 Woman in Gold Simon Curtis Co-composed with Hans Zimmer 2019 The Aftermath James Kent 2022 The Princess Ed Perkins Documentary film The Railway Children Return Morgan Matthews Co-composed with Edward Farmer 2023 Napoleon Ridley Scott

### Television

Year Title Studio Notes 1996 The Adam and Joe Show Channel 4 Title music composer 1999 Eureka Street BBC Two TV miniseries 2000 Shades ITV 2001 Bob & Rose Nice Guy Eddie BBC One 2003 The Canterbury Tales 2004 New Tricks Composed for 6 episodes North & South 2006 The Virgin Queen PBS The Line of Beauty BBC HD 2007 Masterpiece PBS Episode: "The Ruby in the Smoke" Oliver Twist BBC One TV miniseries 2007 Persuasion TV film 2008 Sense and Sensibility 2008–2012 Wallander BBC One Co-composed with Vince Pope 2009 Whitechapel ITV 2011 The Shadow Line BBC Title music composed by Ruth Barrett Great Expectations BBC One Co-composed with Natalie Holt 2011–2016 Black Mirror Channel 4 Netflix Episodes: "The National Anthem" "Hated in the Nation" 2013 Peaky Blinders BBC Two Composed Series 1 2014 The Honourable Woman 2016 War & Peace BBC One Victoria ITV Title music composer Main score by Ruth Barrett 2019–2023 The Crown Netflix Seasons 3-6; theme music composed by Hans Zimmer (succeeding Rupert Gregson-Williams and Lorne Balfe) 2021 Solos Prime video Composed for 7 episodes 2026 Steal Prime video Music by/Composer 6 episodes

## References

1. ["Music – Review of Martin Phipps – Brighton Rock – Original Soundtrack Recording"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/gz3q/). BBC. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.

1. Nicholson, Rebecca (9 June 2011). ["Have you been watching … The Shadow Line?"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/jun/09/the-shadow-line-have-you-been-watching). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 27 June 2013.

1. Niles, Jon (2 August 2016). ["Martin Phipps, 'War & Peace' BBC Miniseries Score Composer, on Music for TV, Film & More \[Q&A\]"](http://www.musictimes.com/articles/64705/20160208/martin-phipps-war-peace-bbc-miniseries-score-composer-music-tv-film.htm). *Music Times*. Retrieved 18 May 2016.

1. ["MARTIN PHIPPS – COMPOSER PROFILE"](http://coolmusicltd.com/composers/martin-phipps/), retrieved 18 May 2016

1. Dowell, Ben (25 September 2016). ["What is the Victoria title music? Who wrote the theme? Who sings it? Was it played at her wedding to Albert?"](http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-09-25/the-story-behind-the-victoria-theme-tune). *[Radio Times](/source/Radio_Times)*. Retrieved 25 September 2016.

## External links

- [Martin Phipps at COOL Music Ltd](http://coolmusicltd.com/composers/martin-phipps/)
- [Martin Phipps](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681040/) at IMDb

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Martin Phipps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Phipps) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Phipps?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.