Musical Themes

The Cats score uses many recurring musical themes, some of which are associated with a particular character or event.

Fanfare
This recurring trumpet fanfare is not associated with any particular character or event. It is mainly used to transition out of quieter, serious moments, and for this purpose, it is used as a direct introduction to "The Old Gumbie Cat", "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" and "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer". The fanfare theme also appears in "Magical Mister Mistoffelees", where it is used to amplify the celebratory refrains.



"Jellicle Songs"
Musical segments from "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" are revisited in later portions of the show. The instrumental opening of "Jellicle Songs" is revisited during the "Macavity Fight" when Demeter realises something is wrong. As she exposes Macavity's disguise in the same scene, a pounding rendition of the verse material of "Jellicle Songs" is played. In "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer", the hymn section of "Jellicle Songs" is quoted.

Jellicle Theme
The Jellicle theme is first introduced in its various forms in the "Overture". It can be heard throughout the show, almost always in the key of Bb major. The theme appears in three main versions: two phrases, four phrases, and eight phrases.
 * "Overture" - opens with fragments of the theme, which then builds into a dissonant fugue, and eventually played in its four-phrase and full eight-phrase forms
 * "The Naming of Cats" - the music is based entirely on fragmented and dissonant variations of this theme
 * "The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball" - played in its two-phrase form during the White Cat Solo, and played in its four-phrase form during Mistoffelees' stanza
 * "Pekes and the Pollicles" - played in its two-phrase form during Munkustrap's introduction
 * "The Jellicle Ball"
 * "Memory Act 1" - played at the end in its two-phrase form
 * "The Moments of Happiness" - chord fragments of the theme, taken from the slow middle section of "The Jellicle Ball", are played in the introduction
 * "Macavity Fight" - the theme is heard in various forms, including its fugal and fragmented versions
 * "Daylight" - played in its two-phrase form in the opening, and again as Munkustrap speaks, intoned with synthesizer bells (labelled on the score as "Jellicle Bells")
 * "Memory" - played in its two-phrase form at the very end, intoned with synthesizer bells (labelled on the score as "Jellicle Bells")
 * "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer" - played in its full eight-phrase form as the giant tire rises off the ground with Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy.

Two-Phrase
The Jellicle theme in its two-phrase form:



Four-Phrase
The Jellicle theme in its four-phrase form in "The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball":







Eight-Phrase
The Jellicle theme in its eight-phrase form in the overture:











"Memory"
The iconic melody from "Memory" recurs throughout the show. A very loose interpretation of the melody is first heard in "Grizabella the Glamour Cat", played by a solo English horn over Grizabella's leitmotif as she makes her first entrance. This version of "Memory" accompanies all three of Grizabella's entrances.



"Memory" itself is first sung as a short prelude version by Grizabella at the end of the first act. Jemima/Sillabub then sings two melodic reprises in a higher D major key, first during "The Moments of Happiness" (with the ensemble echoing her) and again in "Daylight". When Grizabella returns at end of the musical, she sings the full version of the song, with Jemima/Sillabub joining in briefly.

Character Motifs

 * Grizabella
 * Macavity
 * Old Deuteronomy
 * Skimbleshanks