Ruth Barrett
Ruth Barrett (born 1976) is a British film score composer.[1] Her film score credits include Harry Brown,[2][1] Twenty8k, and City of Tiny Lights. Her television score credits include The Sister, Bloodlands, Bodyguard,[3] The Durrells,[4] Collateral, Legacy,[5] Law & Order: Organized Crime, and Victoria.[6][7] For her work on Victoria, Barrett was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.
Ruth Barrett | |
|---|---|
 Barrett at work in her studio (2017) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ruth Barrett |
| Born | 1976 (age 46–47) Roehampton, London, England |
| Genres | Television score, Film score |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Website | https://www.ruthbarrettmusic.com/ |
Early life and career
Barrett was born in Roehampton, London in 1976. She became interested in film and television music at a very young age while watching 1980s reruns of 1970s American television shows. She cites 1978s The Incredible Hulk, Queen's 1980 Flash Gordon Soundtrack, and a number of commercials broadcast throughout the 1980s as childhood inspirations that piqued her interest in music.[8]
In her early teens she began improvising compositions around classical pieces with piano teacher and early mentor Nigel Crouch.
Ruth went on to study music at Cambridge University, and then music composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.[9]
She broke into the television industry composing for advertising pitches. Her first full time role was in post-production for ITV, which allowed her to build key relationships with producers and directors, while gaining practical experience composing for documentaries. Barrett also met her future husband, "sound engineer, electronic music aficionado, composer and synth super-geek", Ruskin Williamson while working there.[8]
After leaving ITV, she freelanced at Strongroom Studios where she began working with her future mentor and collaborator Martin Phipps. This allowed her to further her industry experience, develop her contacts, and led directly a commission for her first drama score.[9]
Works
Film
| Year | Film | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Harry Brown | Daniel Barber | Gary Young | Matthew Vaughn, Kris Thykier, Matthew Brown, Keith Bell |
| 2010 | Toast | SJ Clarkson | Lee Hall | Faye Ward |
| 2012 | Twenty8k | David Kew, Neil Thompson | Jimmy Dowdall, Paul Abbott | Martin Carr |
| 2015 | City of Tiny Lights | Pete Travis | Patrick Neate | Rebecca O'Brien, Ado Yoshizaki Cassuto |
| TBA | The Old Guard 2 | Victoria Mahoney | Greg Rucka | David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, AJ Dix, Marc Evans, Gina Prince-Bythewood |
Television
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Work | Episode | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series | Victoria | "Doll 123" | Martin Phipps, Ruth Barrett, and Natalie Holt | Nominated | [10] |
References
- "Ruth Barrett". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
- Dargis, Manohla (29 April 2010). "Michael Caine as Gangster-Shooting Vigilante". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- Rob Licuria (20 May 2019). "Composer Ruth Barrett ('Bodyguard') on exploring 'what does panic sound like' for political thriller soundtrack [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]". Gold Derby.
- "Interview: Ruth Barrett - M Magazine". M magazine: PRS for Music online magazine. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- "Legacy: The score would have to deliver". TV blog. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- "The story behind the Victoria theme tune". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- "Martin Phipps And Ruth Barrett VICTORIA Original Soundtrack Available Now - We Are Movie Geeks". We Are Movie Geeks. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- "Interview: Ruth Barrett". M-magazine.co.uk. M-Magazine. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- "Ruth Barrett". Apmmusic.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- "69th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 25 April 2019.