Prior to the novel’s completion, Jon mentioned to Richard that he would be interested in exploring Derbyshire folk songs as inspiration. Richard found one called Tip O’Derwent. Like the novel, it’s about someone who goes missing in the wilds around the Upper Derwent Valley. Richard reveals:

“I found a recording of it, and it had this really eerie melody that instantly made me think of the missing girl from Jon’s novel. I adapted this as her theme, and wrote all the other pieces around it. It’s in every piece of music, but muted…missing, like the girl. You can’t hear it, but it’s influencing and inspiring everything else that happens.”

Derbyshire trio Haiku Salut feature on the record, adding a delicate timbre to Birkin’s
chamber arrangements. Richard explains:

“I wanted the instruments to be quite ambient…not recorded to a click…and inhabiting their own little universe. I gave each member a short melody to play, and we played
through the pieces in our own little worlds…sometime influencing each other, sometimes
not. It was a beautiful experience hearing the music come alive in such a gentle and
natural way.”

The resulting music, adorned with Birkin’s string arrangements, stands on its own as a
beautiful listening experience, as well as giving readers of the book a companion to and
reminder of McGregor’s powerful storytelling.

Innovation with Music and Mobile Phones

Richard and Creative Technologist Tom Armitage created an innovative way for Jon to take the music on tour without a live band or any audio equipment.

At the start of each performance, Jon would tell his audience to keep their phones on, turn the volume up, and visit his tour webpage. On this webpage, audio would automatically download to audience’s phones, and play when triggered by Jon’s remote on his own phone. Each of the audience’s devices would play a separate instrument from each piece, constructing a moving, communal surround-sound experience.