Jonathan Dove - Composer His Dark Materials isn’t a musical, and there aren’t any songs, but it does make very good use of music which has been specially composed by Jonathan Dove. Jonathan came into rehearsals at a fairy early stage both to watch the work unfolding and to explore ways in which his music could enhance the drama and sustain the excitement of the plays in performance. He used two keyboards in rehearsal to produce music that was eventually to be played live at each performance by the eight musicians (flute, trumpet, harp, cello, double bass, keyboards, trombone, and percussion). Jonathan had composed more than a dozen operas, and was working with a director (Nicholas Hytner) who had plenty of experience of music theatre. The effect of his work on the performance is subtle; as the action unfolds the atmosphere is amplified by the underlying music, like a film score it enhances the emotional impact of the action and gives an almost visceral atmosphere, playing upon the audience's emotions. | 
