BBC score makes Fraser’s music dreams come true

Two-part primetime series Earth’s Natural Wonders has been broadcast over the last two weeks – with a soundtrack delivered by former BBC Young Composer of the Year finalist Fraser Maitland.
Explaining his part in the project, Fraser, 42, said: “It’s all the original music.
“Generally, the BBC have their own library, so unless it’s a massive David Attenborough-style production it’s not done with a live orchestra.
“But their goal with this one, which certainly seems to have been very well received, was to try and achieve that sort of blue chip, high definition, fairly advanced BBC natural history programme but at a slightly reduced budget.”
The ex-Annan Academy pupil now lives in Crieff. With a degree in chemical engineering from Edinburgh University, he first worked for a music production company, taking on commissions, before working as a maths teacher.
He said: “Over the past few years I’ve been trying to get more and more back into the music again, and balance that practical element with wanting to do more music.”
Meeting up with a producer on the new BBC series, Fraser won the job – composing music to accompany a series with a focus ranging from elephants in Africa to the Grand Canyon.
Describing his approach, as he worked from October 2014 to March 2015, he said: “Orchestral would be generally the style, I suppose, but a sort of epic landscape.”
Fraser says the show has benefited from following the first two episodes of hit series The Great British Bake-Off on the last two Wednesdays.
And the series is also set to be enjoyed worldwide thanks to the BBC’s arrangement with the US-based PBS programme distributors, appearing alongside current favourites such as Sherlock and Dr Who.
With Earth’s Natural Wonders now finally broadcast, Fraser said: “Since its completion I’ve been put forward for another four-part series for the BBC.”