‘Full fathom five’ is quite different to ‘Come unto these yellow sands’. This is a much more sinister song. Instrumentation is central to how Woolfenden creates the creepy, ominous sound. The sound quality of particular instruments is crucial for building atmosphere in the theatre. Here, Woolfenden uses bells and a vibraphone, which so far haven’t been used in the score. The bells play slow beats throughout the song, almost like a funeral bell. The vibraphone is a percussion instrument with metal keys that are struck with soft mallets, so has a very gentle and resonant sound, not dissimilar to a bell. The way that Woolfenden combines these instruments creates the watery, mellow background to accompany the singer.
To this he adds the flute, which plays a countermelody against Ariel’s line (which is sometimes doubled by the oboe, making the singer sound less human). The flute doesn’t have a melody, but just plays the same alternating notes over and over, which adds a feeling of suspense.
Finally, the harmony is crucial for creating the foreboding atmosphere. The song is in F minor, a key associated with melancholy, and on top of this Woolfenden moves between F minor and Eb minor chords. Eb minor is outside the key of F minor, so this harmony adds dissonance, contributing to the ‘otherworldly’ effect.
Link to mp3: ’02 Full Fathom Five’
