My favourite theme has to be BBC World's from the 1999 era, I'm sure it was used on the overnight bulletins aswell and I always loved it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L58etRB5-9A&t=0m51s
I think that when you hear the themes from 1999 you do get a sense that the current music is not as exciting. When BBC News rebranded with the 1999 look you could really sense urgency, energy and also diversity in the music. There were different notes and quirks and the music was similar but different, it just had so much more energy to it.
Over the years this has really fell, the theme has been made much more unified and in a way, sombre. The drums and beeps are not accompanied by other interesting sounds, its just very stale now.
The current opening theme isn't as great as the original used by the 1,6 and 10 in 1999 IMO, even the 2003-2007 opening theme was superior to the current one.
I had hoped, and still do that the move to NBH means a new batch of music, still keeping David Lowe's recognisable theme but in a new style. Surely the move to NBH is significant enough to warrant a new look? I'd have thought so, but it doesn't really sound like that's going to happen!
Yup, I would totally agree with the assessment that its not "exciting" or "urgent" or for that matter has any energy to it any more.
Part of that issue is the intros are not short and snappy. We regularly see Headlines at
TOTH taking upward of 2 minutes on Duh Nyooz Chanul... contrast that to
this epicness from 2002 with Lindsey Brancher where the the Headlines were 24 seconds long. There were also some interesting stings to break up the programme which they dont use at all now.
World News bulletins still seem to rocket along at a much quicker pace than those on Duh Nyooz Chanul... probably because they are restricted to 30minutes, and so must get all of their news in to the shorter bulletin.
All in all, i think that the 2000 World package and 2002 Adaptations are David Lowe's best work on the BBC News music. The channel was near perfectly presented from 2002-2004.
Shame that both Domestic and World have become blasé about their presentation over the years. The whole "Back to basics" crap that was instigated in 2008 has gutted the channels of all their "life". I wish they would get their bloomin act together. Bring back World's Siren motif, and BBC News 24.
Oh, and as for the move to BH... we'll be very lucky to get more than another rehash of the 2005 countdown... i'd say the Network titles and pretty much everything else is here to stay.