The Music of Road to Avonlea

Road to Avonlea was definitely a show that drew the viewer into the story and a big part of its power was its beautiful score.  Every episode underwent an original musical score by composers John Welsman and Don Gillis.  For many episodes a full 40-piece orchestra was used.  A leitmotiv was created for each main character; this helped define their evolving action over the course of many episodes.  Special guest stars also had leitmotivs created for them, guest stars such as Christopher Lloyd, Faye Dunaway and Michael York.  For those who paid especially close attention, Michael York’s leitmotiv, the famous Captain Crane Theme, evolved into the popular theme for Gus Pike.  I was so pleased when John Welsman put together a beautiful CD of the music from Road to Avonlea, since it is such an integral part of the series.  The CD is included as a bonus in the purchase of the Road to Avonlea Season 6 DVD box set available at the online Sullivan Boutique.