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==Theme tune== The [[theme tune]] of ''The Archers'' is called "[[Barwick Green]]" and is a [[maypole dance]] from the suite ''My Native Heath'', written in 1924 by the Yorkshire composer [[Arthur Wood (composer)|Arthur Wood]]. The Sunday [[Omnibus (broadcast)|omnibus]] broadcast of ''The Archers'' starts with a more [[Pastoral|rustic]], [[accordion]]-arranged rendition by [[The Yetties]].<ref>{{cite book|last=The Yetties|title=Upmarket|year=1997|id=Decca SKL 5282|no-pp=true|page=Track 1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/60-things-you-never-knew-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-archers-2173365.html|title=60 things you never knew you wanted to know about The Archers|last=Gonsalves|first=Rebecca|date=1 January 2011|work=[[The Independent]]|publisher=Independent Print Limited|access-date=1 July 2011|archive-date=4 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104053312/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/60-things-you-never-knew-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-archers-2173365.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The theme for [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]]'s ''The Archers'' spinoff, ''[[Ambridge Extra]]'', is a version arranged by [[Bellowhead]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/apr/05/tv-theme-tunes|title=TV theme tunes: don't mess with the best|last=Heritage|first=Stuart|date=5 April 2011|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=28 June 2011|archive-date=1 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001001212/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/apr/05/tv-theme-tunes|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[library music]] recording of Barwick Green was used for the pilot and during the early years of the national version, because a bid by Godfrey Baseley to have a special theme composed had been turned down on the grounds of cost, put at Β£250βΒ£300.<ref>Smethurst, William (1996), ''The Archers: The True Story''. London: Michael O'Mara Books; p.20. {{ISBN|1-85479-689-5}}</ref> However, once the serial had become undeniably established, a new recording of Barwick Green was authorised and performed by the [[BBC Orchestras and Singers|BBC Midland Light Orchestra]] on 24 March 1954.<ref>BBC Gramophone Library</ref> This mono recording was also accompanied by four movements entitled "A Village Suite", composed by Kenneth Pakeman to complement Barwick Green. Excerpts from these movements were then used for a time as bridging music between scenes. The 1954 recordings were never made available to the public and their use was restricted even inside the BBC, partly because of an agreement with the [[Musicians' Union (United Kingdom)|Musicians' Union]]. In 1992, the theme was re-recorded in stereo, retaining the previous arrangements. The venue was [[Symphony Hall, Birmingham]], the conductor [[Ron Goodwin]], producer David Welsby and the sound mixer Norman McLeod. The slightly different sound mixing and more leisurely tempo reportedly led some listeners to consider the new version inferior, specifically that it lacked "brio", although the BBC publicised the fact that the orchestra contained some of the musicians who had played in the previous recording, including Harold Rich (piano) and Norman Parker (percussion). {{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} [[Robert Robinson (broadcaster)|Robert Robinson]] once compared the tune to "the genteel abandon of a lifelong teetotaller who has suddenly taken to drink". {{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} On [[April Fool's Day]] 2004 both ''[[The Independent]]'' and ''[[The Today Programme]]'' claimed that BBC executives had commissioned composer [[Brian Eno]] to record an electronic version of "Barwick Green" as a replacement for the current theme,<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tumti-tumti-tumti-tum-kerrang-ambridge-in-uproar-over-enos-newwave-theme-tune-568412.html |title= Tum-ti tum-ti tum-ti tum... kerrang. Ambridge in uproar over Eno's 'new-wave' theme tune |access-date= 17 February 2008 |date= 1 April 2004 |newspaper= [[The Independent]] |location= London |first= David |last= Lister |archive-date= 2 May 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090502164244/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tumti-tumti-tumti-tum-kerrang-ambridge-in-uproar-over-enos-newwave-theme-tune-568412.html |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/arts/archers_20040401.shtml | title= New Archers Theme Tune | access-date= 17 February 2008 | date= 1 April 2004 | publisher= BBC Radio 4 | archive-date= 4 April 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110404075200/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/arts/archers_20040401.shtml | url-status= live}}</ref> while comedian [[Billy Connolly]] included in his act the joke that the theme was so typically British that it should be the [[national anthem of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9nnnM-__JQ|title=Billy Connelly: National Anthem|last=Max Kellar|date=1 March 2008|access-date=10 July 2018|via=YouTube|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726195923/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9nnnM-__JQ|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, comedian [[Rainer Hersch]] conducted the [[Philharmonia Orchestra]] in a performance of the theme, live from the [[Royal Festival Hall]] to a listening [[BBC Radio 3]] audience in an attempt to confuse them. He then went on to show how similar it is to "[[Montagues and Capulets]]" β "Dance of the Knights" β from ''[[Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)|Romeo and Juliet]]'' by [[Sergei Prokofiev]], claiming that this was a result of Russian spies going through the BBC's rubbish bins looking for the scripts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCVPgrQTHO0|title=Funny! 'The Archers' and 'Dance of the Knights'|via=YouTube|access-date=28 December 2014|archive-date=9 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709135437/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCVPgrQTHO0|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Serious events=== At times, a cliffhanger involving the death of a major character or a disaster was marked by the traditional closing theme being replaced by the final dramatic section of ''[[Barwick Green]]'' involving trombones, cymbals and the closing bars of the signature tune β known as the "doom music" to some fan groups.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ambridgereporter.org.uk/nicknames.html |title=See 'doom music' in 'Archers phrases' |access-date=22 March 2018 |archive-date=23 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323092332/https://ambridgereporter.org.uk/nicknames.html |url-status=live}}</ref> This tradition has been dropped more recently, with events such as the death of Nigel Pargetter being followed by the normal closing music despite the gravity of the incident. This has irritated some followers, who consider the jollity of the normal segment inappropriate in such circumstances.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lowfield.co.uk/archers/rip.html |title=Seek 'doom music' in this |access-date=22 March 2018 |archive-date=28 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028112349/http://www.lowfield.co.uk/archers/rip.html |url-status=live}}</ref> A brief extract from ''[[The Dream of Gerontius]]'' was played following the death of Phil Archer. When John Archer died no music was played.{{cn|date=January 2023}} There was a nod to ''The Archers'' in [[2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony#Frankie and June say...thanks Tim (21:52β22:09)|the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games]] in London on 27 July 2012, where the theme tune was played at the beginning of a segment celebrating British culture: the sound of a radio could be heard being tuned in as ''Barwick Green'' was played.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/28/olympic-games-opening-ceremony-british | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Marina | last=Hyde | title=Olympic Games opening ceremony: irreverent and idiosyncratic | date=28 July 2012 | access-date=16 December 2016 | archive-date=27 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427150716/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/28/olympic-games-opening-ceremony-british | url-status=live}}</ref>
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