For the introduction of Thicker Than Blood, I chose to incorporate the opening line of the traditional Italian nursery rhyme, La Bella Lavanderina:
Italian: “La bella lavanderia che lava i fazzoletti,”
English: “The beautiful maiden, who washes handkerchiefs,”
This simple melodic motif serves as the thematic basis for the introduction. In arranging the music, I intentionally directed the notes to be played in a “lazy” manner. This interpretative choice was made to evoke a more human, intimate quality, which in turn adds a subtle melancholy to the overall tone. The relaxed phrasing imparts a sense of emotional weight, suggesting sorrow or nostalgia, despite the childlike origins of the melody.
To further this affect, I altered the final note of the phrase by lowering it an octave. This modification imbues the motif with a sense of incompletion or unresolved tension—as if the music ends on a cliffhanger. Given that this passage introduces the narrative, it was important that it did not feel conclusive or overly resolved. The intention was to foreshadow the unfolding story, evoking a tone of ambiguity and quiet unease.
In terms of instrumentation, I utilised the BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover plugin, a free and versatile tool which offers a broad range of high-quality orchestral sounds. This enabled me to experiment with various timbres and instrument families in search of the most suitable voice for the melody.
Initially, I considered using the Harp Plucks from the plugin’s Percussion section. While evocative, and both very similar to each other the Harp ultimately felt too whimsical and reminiscent of Joe Hisaishi’s compositions for Studio Ghibli, whose tonal palette—though beautiful—did not align with the emotional texture I was aiming for. Instead, I selected the Celeste, also found in the Percussion section. Its more delicate, bell-like quality struck a better balance: it retained a childlike innocence, but with an eerie, almost spectral undertone. The Celeste’s timbre is reminiscent of a broken music box—familiar yet unsettling—which suited the tone of the piece more effectively.
Thus, the introduction to my dramatised adaptation of Thicker Than Blood is underscored by a sparse and haunting rendition of a familiar children’s rhyme, played with restraint and fragility. This musical framing sets the tone for what follows: a narrative that straddles innocence and darkness, memory and loss.
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