What IS the music used in so many TV programmes?

[AlanSturgess]

I keep hearing music used in TV programmes - usually the BBC. Most recently it was used 20 minutes into the 'Tales from the Palaces' programme about Hampton Court and The Tower of London.

It isn't a tune, it's little more than a series of piano chords played in isolation - very haunting and ethereal. At first I thought it was just a one-off for a single programme or series, but now I've heard it several times.

Does anyone have any idea what it is or where it comes from?

[ermintrude35]

..I think the song you are thinking of is Clubbed to Death by Rob Dougan...the piano bit is right at the very end of the song...it is used A LOT in tv trailers etc..

[Aquariel]

It could also be Philip Glass - Metamorphosis One, which fits your description. This was recently used in the first episode of season 2 of Battlestar Galactica!

[finisterre]

You're not thinking about the plinky-plonky music that's sampled at the start of 'Stem/Long Stem' by DJ Shadow on the LP 'Endtroducing" are you?

If it's that. Let us know, and if I'm in a good mood I'll tell you what it is :-)

I heard this many times on TV over 20 years before I found out what it was.