Doctor Who returns for the 50th Anniversary in:

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Sunday, 7 July 2013

Doctor Who Prom

Just as a reminder, the BBC Proms are starting this week, which means our annual exercise in Doctor Who music is coming up. There's actually a number of DW events planned. First off, author and journalist Matthew Sweet is giving a talk about the history of Doctor Who (he's a Big Finish writer, among his other pursuits; here's his Twitter feed). That's going to be from 5.45 to 6.45 Saturday 13 July, at the Royal College of Music. Sweet's also just done a piece on music and sound in Doctor Who for the Telegraph (the usual homage to the Radiophonic Workshop, plus some rather good anecdotes and a wry comment about Drashigs).

Later this Saturday from 7.30 to 9.45, the Doctor Who Prom proper begins at the Royal Albert Hall. Ben Foster is conductor for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, so all as per normal. It'll feature Murray Gold's music and some classical pieces (Bizet’s Habanera from Carmen Suite No. 2, Debussy’s ‘La fille aux cheveux de lin’, and Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor). Here's the BBC's description: "Doctor Who returns to the Proms to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular BBC series. As well as showcasing Murray Gold’s music from the past eight years, the concert also journeys back to the early days of Doctor Who and the groundbreaking work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Featuring special guests from the series, big screens and a host of monsters ready to invade the Royal Albert Hall, this is not the year to be exterminated!" The schedule page promises an appearance by Matt Smith (who is very fond of the Proms), and a preview clip of the theme music is here.

The Doctor Who Prom is so popular that they repeat it the exact same way at the Royal Albert Hall the following morning (Sunday 14 July, 10.30 am – 12.45pm); nevertheless, both bookings are sold out. Finally, the Proms Family Orchestra and Chorus is offering an opportunity to help create a Doctor Who soundtrack, although that's sold out too. The Sweet event and the Prom will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and the Prom is being recorded for broadcast on BBC One.

2 comments:

Joe said...

Gee, both Paddy Kingsland and Marc Ayers are still alive (and the latter *very* active in Doctor Who on the Restoration Team). Maybe they should consider bringing one or both of them in one of these years?

(for that matter, Dudley Simpson's stil around, too, though at age 90, travel isn't something he's as likely to do. :) ).

Joe Shelby said...

Update: now that I've had a chance to listen to the whole thing, I'll sit corrected...and content.

Simpson, Ayers, and Peter Howell all attended and Ayers and Howell did some synth playing in the classic medley, so the classic composers were well represented!