Arnold's music often has a bitter, edgy undercurrent. Oddly enough, considering the subject of this ballet, which is, of course, the murderous barber of Fleet Street whose victims ended up served in meat pies, there is little of Arnold's dark side in the ballet score, written for choreographer John Cranko in the late '50s. The sinister music in the score makes an impression of satire since it seems a parody of horror movie sound tracks. Elsewhere there are polkas, music-hall turns, and other opportunities for musical humor. In 1984 David Ellis made a concert suite from this score, under the supervision of the composer. There is no musical link at all with Stephen Sondheim's musical play on the same subject.

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