About Bellowhead
English folk big band formed in 2004 by John Spiers and Jon Boden; first gig at Oxford Folk Festival; split in 2016 after a farewell show at Oxford Town Hall; reunited for a streamed concert in December 2020 and tours in November 2022 and November 2024. Founder member Paul Sartin died in September 2022.
The score
The incidental music is credited to Magnus Fiennes (credited composer on Tunefind and listed on his own website among his TV credits).
Other music in Beyond Paradise
| Track | Artist | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Grimsby Fisher Lads | Moonrakers (Oxford folk band), written by Jon Bennett | Added to the soundtrack of a Beyond Paradise series after a Red Planet editor who liked the band dropped it into a rough cut (Oxford Times report, 2024, so most likely Series 2). |
| Running Around | Owen Gray with Kenneth Richards & His Band | Series 3, Episode 3 (scene listed as 'Chocolate Delivery') |
| Break in the Weather | Benjamin Francis Leftwich | Series 4, Episode 6 (finale) - plays as Esther says goodbye to Zoe at the bus before Zoe heads off travelling |
Song identifications come partly from crowd-sourced listings and may be incomplete.
Beyond Paradise music: FAQs
What is the Beyond Paradise theme tune?
The opening titles use an upbeat version of 'Just as the Tide Was Flowing', a traditional English folk song about a sailor's chance meeting by the shore. The arrangement is performed by Bellowhead, whose brassy, foot-stomping style gives the Devon-set drama a very different feel from the Caribbean sound of Death in Paradise.
Is that Bellowhead on the Beyond Paradise theme?
Yes. Bellowhead, the English folk big band founded by Jon Boden and John Spiers in 2004, recorded the show's opening theme. The band were also written into the drama itself, turning up to play in the first Christmas special in December 2023 and returning for another cameo in the 2025 Christmas special.
Who composed the music for Beyond Paradise?
The opening theme is a traditional folk tune arranged and played by Bellowhead, so it has no single modern composer. The background score heard during episodes is credited to Magnus Fiennes, a composer and producer with many British TV credits. Licensed tracks from other artists are also dropped into individual episodes.
What song plays when Zoe leaves in Beyond Paradise?
In the Series 4 finale, the scene where Esther waves Zoe off on the bus is soundtracked by 'Break in the Weather' by the English singer-songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich, according to the fan-compiled Tunefind listings. As with all crowd-sourced song IDs, it is worth double-checking against the episode credits on iPlayer.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org — Beyond Paradise (TV series)
- en.wikipedia.org — Bellowhead
- tellyvisions.org — beyond paradise christmas special where watch stream
- oxfordtimes.co.uk — 24207891.bbcs beyond paradise features music oxford folk band
- tunefind.com — 263307
- tunefind.com — 272979
- magnusfiennes.com — beyond paradise
- cpdl.org — Just as the tide was flowing (Ralph Vaughan Williams)