For the historical drama Da Vinci's Demons, composer Bear McCreary was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, who famously wrote backwards and forwards. Talking about his inspiration, McCreary said: "Leonardo’s Theme is a palindrome, inspired by the mirror writing (writing backwards and forwards) that he is famous for. In music, this technique is an established trick called ‘retrograde.’ The theme is the same when played forwards or backwards."

McCreary is quickly establishing himself as a writer of incredible TV themes. This is possibly one of the hardest skills to master. In just over a minute the writer has to encapsulate the essence of the show they are composing for. So far McCreary has delivered some powerful themes for shows including The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica. His work for Da Vinci's Demons takes his writing to a whole new level. This is a theme that sticks in your head and sends a shiver down your spine.

An album of music from the show is planned for this summer (2013) and it's certainly one I'll be looking out for.

9

Darren Rea