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Doctor Who Series 9 Soundtrack Confirmed For 2018!

Silva Screen has today confirmed that Murray Gold’s music for Series 9 of Doctor Who will finally be released next year!

The music will be split across 4 discs, including the 2015 Christmas special The Husbands of River Song:

Disc One: The Magician’s Apprentice, The Witch’s Familiar, Under The Lake, Before The Flood, The Girl Who Died, The Woman Who Lived

Disc Two: The Zygon Invasion, The Zygon Inversion, Sleep No More, Face The Raven, Hell Bent

Disc Three: Heaven Sent

Disc Four: The Husbands of River Song

The first run of discs will also include an additional booklet containing designer Stuart Manning’s retro posters for each episode.

A release date for the soundtrack is yet to be confirmed - watch out for further announcements from Silva Screen and here on Doctor Whosic! 

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Dudley Simpson 1922-2017

Doctor Who composer Dudley Simpson - one of the show’s most prolific contributors - has passed away at the age of 95.

During Simpson’s time on Doctor Who he wrote incidental music during the 60s and 70s for 62 stories - almost 300 episodes - featuring the first four Doctors. Making his debut in 1964 with the First Doctor story Planet of Giants, his music was last heard on the show in the Fourth Doctor adventure The Horns of Nimon; he had been tasked with providing music for Shada but production issues meant that the story was ultimately left unfinished and unbroadcast.

Born in Melbourne, Australia on 4th October 1922, Simpson served in World War II before going on to study orchestration and composition at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. His early musical career post-graduation saw him become musical director for the Borovansky Ballet Company - predecessor to the Australian Ballet - with a move to the UK leading to a season as guest conductor at Covent Garden before a three-year stint as Principal Conductor of the Royal Opera House orchestra.

Outside of Doctor Who Simpson was perhaps best known as the composer for the sci-fi series Blake's 7, providing the show's theme as well as writing incidental music for nearly the whole series run. Other projects included The Tomorrow People, The Brothers, Dombey & Son and Goodbye Mr Chips.

Simpson’s impressive roll call of Doctor Who stories makes him one of the most significant contributors of the show’s history, a fact which was recognised when he was invited to a special performance of his music for City of Death as part of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Prom in 2013.

Simpson once said of his time on the show:

“I loved Doctor Who. It was the greatest challenge of my life. Every episode presented a challenge. Every moment. They were funny days. I miss them all.”

Dudley Simpson eventually retired in the 1990s and moved back to his native Australia, where he passed away on 4th November 2017.

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New Doctor Who Soundtracks Out Now: The Daleks and Survival

Today (15.09.17) sees the release of two brand-new Doctor Who soundtracks from the classic era of the show!

The latest Doctor Who soundtracks from Silva Screen feature music from two episodes spanning both ends of the show’s original 26-year run. The Daleks (1963) saw the First Doctor and companions come up against iconic Doctor Who villains the Daleks for the first time, whilst Survival (1989) was the Seventh Doctor’s final adventure, marking the end of the show’s original run.

More details for both albums can be seen below. Full tracklistings and audio previews are available by clicking through the below links to Silva Screen’s site.

The Daleks Music by Tristram Cary

A pioneer in the field of electronic music, Tristram Cary served as a wartime naval officer specialising in radar and electronics. He combined a career at the cutting edge of experimental music with works for cinema (The Ladykillers), television and radio. The Daleks made their debut in Doctor Who just before Christmas 1963 and Cary's music was composed to script as a number of atmospheric pieces for specific scenes and situations. These were then played live into the studio recording, alongside effects tracks. This release of the soundtrack expands on a previous issue and includes music from all seven episodes plus unreleased material and extended cues.

Purchase The Daleks - Original Television Soundtrack from: Silva Screen | Amazon UK | Amazon US (pre-order)

Survival Music by Dominic Glynn

Prolific composer Dominic Glynn is closely associated with the 1980s era of Doctor Who. A major creator of production music his work can also be heard in hundreds of film and TV productions worldwide as diverse as The Simpsons, Red Dwarf and Dead Like Me. Transmitted in late 1989, Survival marked the end of an era for Doctor Who, the final series from a continuous 26 year run. A few tracks from the series appeared on the Doctor Who 50 compilation but the rest are all previously unreleased. 

Purchase Survival - Original Television Soundtrack from: Silva Screen | Amazon UK | Amazon US (pre-order)

The Daleks and Survival are the latest additions to Silva Screen’s range of Doctor Who soundtracks featuring music from both the classic and new eras of the show; check out the full range at Silva Screen’s official site.

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Pitch Battle Does Doctor Who!

This fantastic vocal rendition of Doctor Who’s theme comes courtesy of BBC One’s hit new singing competition, Pitch Battle!

Vocal harmony group The 4Tune Tellers and beatboxer Kimmy recently teamed up to compete in the show, and along the way provided this very special ident leading in to The Eaters of Light, which aired as part of the most recent series of Doctor Who.

The group were sadly not fortunate enough to reach tonight’s live final, but all of their performances in the show can still be seen on BBC iPlayer!

Pitch Battle concludes tonight at 7:25pm on BBC One, with all previous episodes of the show available to catch up with on BBC iPlayer.

The 4Tune Tellers: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Kimmy Beatbox: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

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Orbital’s ‘Doctor?’ At The Bluedot Festival 2017

This year’s bluedot saw electronic dance music duo Orbital perform a special version of their cover of the Doctor Who theme, joined on stage by none other than the Radiophonic Workshop!

Music fans at the culture, arts and science festival were treated to a thumping new rendition of the iconic sci-fi theme during the duo’s set last weekend, with members of the Workshop even sporting Orbital’s signature head torch glasses!

Doctor? was originally released in 2001, appearing on Orbital’s sixth studio album The Altogether. It has endured through the years as an extremely popular and recognisable electronic cover of the Doctor Who theme, itself originally realised by electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire during her time with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. 

Elsewhere at the festival, the Radiophonic Workshop paid tribute to Derbyshire in her 80th year, rounding off their own set in style with their own live arrangement of the Doctor Who theme (from 57:26):

This year’s bluedot took place from 7th-9th July at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire. Visit the event’s official site for more, including extra videos from last weekend! 

Orbital: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Radiophonic Workshop: Facebook | Twitter

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Doctor Who: The Finale Countdown!

Last night’s Doctor Who Q&A session featuring Pearl Mackie and Steven Moffat is now available on BBC One’s official Facebook page, featuring performances of some of the show’s music from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales!

The show’s ‘house band’, conducted by Alastair King, accompanied last night’s special Cardiff screening of World Enough and Time with a live performance of Murray Gold’s score for the episode.

Although this performance isn’t currently available to watch (fingers crossed!), the orchestra did perform the following pieces during the Q&A session:

00:37 A Good Man? (Twelve’s Theme) - Murray Gold

15:24 Bill’s Theme - Murray Gold

25:46 Breaking The Wall (from Heaven Sent) - Murray Gold

36:32 Doctor Who Theme - Ron Grainer arr. Murray Gold

During the session, Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, who was joined by Pearl Mackie, paid a touching tribute to the orchestra, who have been providing music for the show for over ten years:

“I honestly don’t know how you guys do that. That’s not normal. That’s not human. That’s absolutely amazing. And genuinely, I’m not just saying that - I was saying it to Pearl earlier - it just takes my breath away, what you guys do.It is beautiful and extraordinary.”

World Enough and Time is available to catch up on at BBC iPlayer. The Doctor Falls airs on Saturday 1st July at 6:30pm on BBC One and at 9/8c on BBC America.

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Today’s exciting new trailer for the first part of the Doctor Who Series 10 finale, World Enough and Time, features music and sound design from composer Jamie Robertson!

Robertson has a long association with the world of Doctor Who, having provided music and sound design for its officially-licensed range of audio dramas from Big Finish Productions since 2007. Also for Big Finish, he has composed for Jago & Litefoot, Sherlock Holmes and Warhammer.

World Enough and Time airs tomorrow at 6:45pm on BBC One and at 9/8c on BBC America.

Find Jamie Robertson online at:

Official Site | Twitter | IMDB

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A new photoshoot featuring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor - and his guitar -  can be found in the digital edition of the latest Radio Times, out today!

The newest issue contains interviews with Capaldi, Michelle Gomez (Missy) and Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat ahead of the Series 10 two-part finale, which begins this Saturday with World Enough and Time.

The shoot was art directed by Stuart Manning, with photos by Richard Grassie. The exclusive gallery can be accessed through the digital edition of Radio Times, which can be purchased via iTunes.

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Delia Derbyshire Blue Plaque Unveiled!

As part of BBC Music Day, a new blue plaque has been unveiled today in honour of Delia Derbyshire! 

Derbyshire is perhaps best known for her pioneering electronic arrangement of the Doctor Who theme, originally written by Ron Grainer, which was created during her time at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

The plaque was unveiled at Derbyshire’s childhood home in Coventry by classic Doctor Who stars Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor) and Nicola Bryant (Peri), pictured below with Derbyshire’s surviving partner Clive Blackburn:

The blue plaque was awarded by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire in association with the British Plaque Trust. This year’s BBC Music Day has seen 47 new blue plaques awarded - the majority of which have been unveiled today - to recognise singers, songwriters and venues that have contributed significantly to the UK’s rich musical culture.

Derbyshire’s genius sadly went unrewarded during her lifetime, with the musician even being denied royalties and a co-writing credit for the Doctor Who theme due to the BBC’s policy of anonymity for members of the Radiophonic Workshop. Today’s plaque happily goes someway towards correcting this slight, and commemorates Derbyshire as someone who during her lifetime made an invaluable contribution to the field of electronic music.

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Radiophonic Workshop At The Science Museum

On Friday 16th June, the Science Museum will be hosting a special event featuring the pioneering musicians of The Radiophonic Workshop.

The Workshop will be staging a show in the museum’s IMAX Theatre, with a surround sound performance of new material as well as old favourites - including a unique recreation of the Doctor Who theme! The music will be accompanied by dazzling visuals projected onto the IMAX screen (in standard 2D). Original Radiophonic Workshop member Dick Mills will also be revealing some of the tricks behind the Workshop’s most innovative and best known works in a special visual interlude.

To celebrate the Science Museum’s new Mathematics Gallery, the Radiophonic Workshop will also be taking part in an on-stage panel conversation in which the musicians will take a look back at their work as well as explore how it - and electronic music in general - is influenced by maths. Ticket holders will also have an exclusive opportunity to visit the new Mathematics Gallery out-of-hours on the night.

The special event takes place from 8-10pm in the Science Museum’s IMAX Theatre, including support from pianist and mathematician Professor Elaine Chew and a 20-minute interval. Special access to the new Winton Gallery for ticket holders will be available between 6-7:30pm.

Tickets for the event are priced between £18-£22 and can be booked here.

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Doctor Who: The Finale Countdown New Live Concert Announced!

Episode 11 of the current series of Doctor Who, World Enough and Time, will be screened next week in Cardiff accompanied by live music from the show’s orchestra!

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales will perform Murray Gold’s music for the episode, conducted by Alastair King, as the episode is screened on at Wales Millennium Centre on Saturday 24th June.

The screening will be followed by an exclusive Q&A session with Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts) and Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, which will also be streamed on the BBC One Facebook page and the Doctor Who YouTube channel.

A random ballot for free tickets is now open and will remain so until 3pm tomorrow, Wednesday 14th June 2017. Fans can enter through Twitter by tweeting #DWFinaleCountdown to @bbcdoctorwho - full terms and conditions can be found here and must be read before entering.

Good luck to everyone who enters - if you’re successful then please feel free to get in touch - any submissions to Doctor Whosic about this incredible experience are very welcome!

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Doctor Who: Series 10 ‘A Time For Heroes’ - Trailer Music

Composer Blair Mowat (Class) has released a clean version of his dramatic, epic music for the Doctor Who teaser trailer ‘A Time For Heroes’!

Check out the full version in the link above - posted on Blair’s official Soundcloud - and listen to it in action in the trailer below!

Doctor Who returns for its tenth series on Saturday 15th April at 7:20pm on BBC One and at 9/8c on BBC America. For those in the US, stay tuned after the show to hear more of Blair’s fabulous music in the first episode of Doctor Who spin-off Class!

Follow Blair Mowat on:

Official Site | Twitter | Soundcloud

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After over a year away, Doctor Who: The Music is back - as Doctor Whosic!

Huge apologies for being absent for so long; this was due to a variety of reasons, mainly personal and not all within my control. However, with a new series of Doctor Who only a week away the time feels right to get this blog back up and running again!

This return also presents the perfect moment for a relaunch, so I’m excited to announce that Doctor Who: The Music has changed its name to Doctor Whosic!  

The name change is for several reasons; not only was the old one a bit clunky, but there was also the potential for confusion with similarly-named sites and albums that I was never very comfortable with. The new name is hopefully snappier, more memorable and less formal - and finally gets rid of that pesky colon!

As well as the name switch you can now find the site at the new URL of doctorwhosic.co.uk. Tumblr followers do not need to make any changes as you will be redirected to the new address - please contact me if there are any issues with this. Followers on other social media sites connected with this blog will also be unaffected as the accounts remain the same with just a change in name.

Although the name may have changed, this blog will still endeavour to bring you the latest news in the world of Doctor Who music, as well as reviews, features and additional content from fellow Whovians. Suggestions, comments and submissions are all hugely welcome - feel free to either get in touch or submit your content!

Most importantly, a huge thank you to all of you for sticking around! Thank you so much for sharing, liking and engaging with this blog both here on Tumblr and elsewhere. I’d really love to see Doctor Whosic grow into a proper little community of Doctor Who music fans online, and so I really hope you’ll continue to engage and spread the word as this blog heads into Series 10 and beyond!

Follow Doctor Whosic on:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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Twelve playing the guitar - requested by my friend and January Blog of the Month winner, Robyn [@twelfthdoctxr]

“What’s it called?”

“I think that it’s called… Clara.”

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Best of 2015 Awards #6: Music | Doctor Who TV

Vote for the very best of Doctor Who in our annual awards, continuing with Best Music Score.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/best-of-2015-awards-6-music-79500.htm

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In my last episode in the diner, Peter had to keep playing it on the guitar, and I couldn’t… I had to do a shot with him which we had to pick up in the studio later because of the backdrop thing. So it was actually split into two pieces that scene, and it was the bit where I’m right at the door and I have to turn back and look at him and I just couldn’t. I kept falling to pieces, but no I’m not supposed to be crying, it’s supposed to be a happy moment. So that’s really hard, y'know it’s one of those songs that really does get you there, for me anyway.

Jenna talking about the Clara theme music (Magic City Con)

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Maybe there is a really simple answer to this, but I was wondering how the guitar arrangement of clara's theme came about? Was it just made up by Peter on the spot or did he play a set arrangement? Because there is that wonderful moment where the sort of swelling of the music matches with Clara opening the door to her tardis. However in the script that has been released you don't necessarily get this "goosebumps" reveal moment, so was this something you came up with?

We had the chord arrangement for the Murray Gold’s theme. Peter played it on set, and did some improv with it. Murray recomposed to it once the piece was edited and temped. I guess that makes it a creative collaboration.