Catherine Tate to host the Doctor Who Prom

Wednesday, 21 August 2024 - Reported by Marcus
Catherine Tait (Credit: BBC)

Tenth Doctor Companion Catherine Tate will host the Doctor Who Proms next Monday. 

The two concerts take place on Monday 26 August at 2.30 pm and 7 pm at the Royal Albert Hall and will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 at 7 pm, and will be shown on BBC TV later in the year

Tate is known for playing the role of Donna Noble in the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special, 2008’s fourth series, the subsequent 2009-2010 Christmas and New Year's specials, and the 60th-anniversary specials in 2023, and previously appeared as a surprise guest at the 2008 Doctor Who Prom.

Catherine Tate says

I’m delighted to be hosting this spectacular BBC Prom celebrating all things Doctor Who at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. I am so looking forward to immersing myself  in the music of the brilliantly enduring, shape-shifting Whoniverse, and celebrating the Doctors' adventures (and maybe a few monsters) with you all.

The Doctor Who Prom will be conducted by Alastair King and performed by the orchestra that records the Doctor Who soundtrack: the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW), who will be joined by international star soprano Aida Garifullina and singers Shahid Abbas Khan, Hollie Buhagiar, Lucie Jones and Tobias Turley, and the London Philharmonic Choir.

With previous Doctor Who Prom events held in 2008, 2010 and 2013, this year’s Prom will be a brand-new show celebrating the latest adventures of the Doctor and showcasing Murray Gold’s music for the series. The Prom will feature specially arranged pieces from the most recent series starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday and will also include music from the 60th-anniversary specials, as well as favourites from Murray Gold’s long association composing for the series. Alongside Murray Gold, the Prom will also be featuring Segun Akinola’s music which was specially created for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.

Complete with specially edited sequences from the series shown on big screens around the Royal Albert Hall, audiences can expect appearances from monsters old and new and at least a surprise or two!  

The Doctor Who Prom will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days. It will be audio-described by Timna Fibert and British Sign Language-interpreted. 

The BBC Proms 2024, currently in the fifth week of its eight-week season, continues to see a record-breaking number of ticket sales so far, with tickets still available to purchase. Returns are often available via the Royal Albert Hall website and Box Office and up to 1,000 Promming tickets are released each day for every single Prom, priced at £8 inclusive of booking fees.





FILTER: - Music

Goblins Top iTunes

Monday, 11 December 2023 - Reported by Marcus
The Church On Ruby Road: Gobins (Credit: BBC Studios (Maxine Howell))

The Goblin Song, written by Murray Gold and Russell T Davies, has rocketed to the top of the UK iTunes charts on the day of release. 

The single is taken from the soundtrack of the 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road due to be broadcast on BBC One on Christmas day as well as being available worldwide on Disney+.

The story is the first full adventure for the Fifteenth Doctor as played by Ncuti Gatwa. 

In the episodes the Doctor's world collides with Ruby Sunday played by Millie Gibson

The episode also stars Davina McCall as herself, Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood, Michelle Greenidge as Ruby’s mum Carla, and Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry.

The Goblin Song is available on BBC Sounds and is also available via Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer.

All proceeds will go to BBC Children in Need.

 

 

The Goblin Song - Official Lyric Video The Goblins are coming for Christmas! 🧌🎄 Listen to THE GOBLIN SONG from 'The Church on Ruby Road' - available to stream now! 🎶





FILTER: - Music - Fifteenth Doctor

Christmas single: The Goblin Song

Thursday, 7 December 2023 - Reported by Marcus
The Goblin Song (Credit: BBC Studios)

The BBC is releasing a Christmas single, featured in the upcoming Christmas episode, The Church On Ruby Road.

The Goblin Song, described as a fiendishly catchy song, is being released as a single, ahead of the big event. It is an original composition by Murray Gold and Russell T Davies, with proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.

The single’s music video shares exclusive content from the special as Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa takes his first adventure through time and space in the TARDIS.  

The track features in Doctor Who’s Christmas episode, where the Doctor’s companion Ruby Sunday meets the Doctor, goblins, stolen babies, and perhaps uncovers the secret of her birth.

As well as meeting Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) for the first time – the Doctor meets Davina McCall who plays herself, Michelle Greenidge as Ruby’s mum Carla, Angela Wynter as Ruby’s grandmother Cherry and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.  

The Goblin Song is available on BBC Sounds from Monday 11th December and will also be available via Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer. 

Murray Gold said

I don’t like these goblins and you won’t either but they have agreed to donate everything from their song to BBC Children in Need so let’s not give up on them

Claire Hoyle, Director of Income & Engagement at BBC Children in Need said

We’re delighted to continue our long standing relationship with Doctor Who, and we are so grateful for their support with this Christmas single.

Russell T Davies said

We’re releasing this as an early Christmas present for everyone. And if you want to see how the Doctor and Ruby escape from the Goblin King at the end of the song, you’ll have to watch on Christmas Day!

Doctor Who’s Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, airs December 25th on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and streams on Disney+ globally outside of the UK and Ireland.

 





FILTER: - BBC - Music - Murray Gold

Radio 2 Celebrates Doctor Who @60

Tuesday, 21 November 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Radio 2 Celebrates Doctor Who @60 (Credit: BBC)

BBC Radio 2 is marking Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary with a number of special programmes available worldwide on BBC Sounds.

Over two new shows, Jo Whiley takes a trip through the Whoniverse to discover the amazing stories behind the rise, fall, and subsequent resurrection of a British institution.

The Classic Years 

  • Whiley hears how the changing attitudes of Britain have been reflected through the TARDIS in a tale that features Dalekmania, Dad’s Army, Mary Whitehouse, Ridley Scott, the Cybermen, Hans Zimmer, the Beatles and the JFK assassination.  
  • With new and archive interviews from Doctors and companions past and present, including Peter Capaldi, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Sophie Aldred, Bonnie Langford, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Louise Jameson and showrunner Russell T Davies

 

The Modern Era

  • In the concluding part of this documentary, Whiley finds out how despite being cancelled by the BBC, the combination of its fan base, a drinks party and a forgotten BBC sitcom combined to help bring one of Britain's greatest cultural institutions back to our screens.  Along the way we hear never before heard tales from the teams behind the hugely successful reboot including Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall, plus Doctors and companions past and present including Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, Christopher Eccleston, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Aldred, Bonnie Langford, Ncuti Gatwa, Sylvester McCoy, Matt Lucas, John Simm, Billie Piper and Kylie Minogue.

 

Meanwhile, former Doctors, companions, and alumni of the series, introduce the music that has soundtracked their lives and careers, and talk about their involvement with Doctor Who in a series of 9x My Life In A Mixtapes, featuring:

Peter Davison (the fifth Doctor) 
Sylvester McCoy (the seventh Doctor) 
Janet Fielding (Tegan) 
Bonnie Langford (Mel) 
Sophie Aldred (Ace) 
Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Daleks, Cybermen and numerous other monsters) 
Segun Akinola (Doctor Who composer during the Jodie Whittaker era) 
Ruth Madeley (Doctor Who newcomer)
Plus from the archives, Spiderman star Andrew Garfield (who guest starred in Doctor Who in 2007). 

 

Doctor Who @ 60 (Credit: BBC)

The music of Doctor Who is celebrated in a special concert, recorded at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff,  featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Singers conducted by Alastair King. 

The music includes composer Murray Gold's best-known Doctor Who themes, the classic years of Doctor Who are also featured by the Radiophonic Workshop's Mark Ayres and Peter Howell. And there are brand new works premiered including The Woman Who Fell to Earth, a full-length suite composed by Segun Akinola and three of Murray Gold's new works, heard here for the very first time before making their debut in the new season of Doctor Who in 2024.

 

All episodes of Radio 2 Celebrates Doctor Who at 60 can be found here

 

And in a bonus episode of the ‘Zoe Ball and Friends’ podcast, David Tennant and Russell T Davies join Zoe to look ahead to the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations

 





FILTER: - Music - Production

Murray Gold returns to Doctor Who

Monday, 24 April 2023 - Reported by Marcus
Murray Gold (Credit: Richard Ecclestone (Navymaroon) )

The award-winning composer Murray Gold is returning to Doctor Who this Autumn. 

Murray Gold originally joined Doctor Who when Russell T Davies first revived the show in 2005. He composed the music for Doctor Who for over 12 years, throughout the eras of the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Doctors, scoring some of the most iconic moments in Doctor Who’s history.

From revamping the theme tune to creating the music for the Dalek and Cybermen to name just a few, Gold has been widely celebrated for his role in forging a new musical identity for the show.

Murray Gold will once again work with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with his musical scores appearing when Doctor Who returns in November for three special episodes celebrating the show's 60th anniversary and starring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor

He will score the fortieth season of Doctor Who when Ncuti Gatwa takes control of the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor with his first episode airing over the festive period.

On returning to Doctor Who, Murray Gold says:

I’m so happy to be invited back for another joyful ride in the TARDIS. I didn’t think twice. Working with Russell and his team is just a pleasure.

 





FILTER: - Production - Music - Murray Gold

Silva Screen to release the soundtrack for Flux

Sunday, 25 September 2022 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Silva Screen Records are to release the soundtrack for the 2021 Doctor Who mini-series Flux on both digital (30 September) and as a CD set (11 November) which will as well as the soundtrack on two discs will also include a bonus CD featuring the soundtrack of the 2021 New Year's Day special, Revolution of the Daleks.

Doctor Who Flux - the original television soundtrack (Credit: Silva Screen)Debuting at Halloween 2021, Flux was the first Doctor Who series in 36 years to tell one complete story across its entirety, rather than self-contained episodes. Jodie Whittaker returned for her third and final season in the title role. This three CD set features the score for Flux spread across two CDs and includes a bonus disc, the New Years’ Day special broadcast in 2021, Revolution of the Daleks

Segun Akinola is a composer for film and television who has strengthened many projects with his musical acumen. He is most known for his music in the latest series of Doctor Who, starring the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker.

Segun’s work is a key immersive tool for showrunner Chris Chibnall and series directors to establish the many adventures the Doctor and her friends travel on. These include the impressive 80s influenced electronic score for The Tsuranga Conundrum to the heart-wrenching Demons Of The Punjab which utilised specialist Indian musicians and orchestra, all recorded at Abbey Road Studios. He also scored the critically acclaimed Doctor Who VR experience, Doctor Who: The Runaway.

Segun scored Sundance 2019 favourite The Last Tree, which was also recorded at Abbey Road Studios. This is Segun’s second feature film collaboration with director Shola Amoo after A Moving Image, and it earned him a Discovery of the Year award nomination at the World Soundtrack Awards. A BAFTA Breakthrough Brit 2017, Segun’s other work includes scoring BBC Two’s landmark four-part series Black and British: A Forgotten History.

 

 

DISCS 1 & 2 – SERIES 13 FLUX

Volume One

  1. Series 13 Opening Titles
  2. Chapter One - THE HALLOWEEN APOCALYPSE
    A Little Skirmish
  3. What Lies Ahead
  4. Renewed at Last
  5. Must Not Blink
  6. Dancing Across Space and Time
  7. Chapter Two - WAR OF THE SONTARANS
    I Know Where We Are
  8. I Will Find You
  9. Parlay
  10. Short-Term Repair
  11. Chapter Three - ONCE, UPON TIME
    The Other Things
  12. When Is This?
  13. There Is No Greater Battle
  14. All Is Ending
  15.  I’m Not Giving Up

Volume Two

  1. Chapter Four - VILLAGE OF THE ANGELS
    Rapid Response Unit
  2. You Are Recalled
  3. Village of The Angels End Credits
  4. On My Way
  5. Chapter Five - SURVIVORS OF THE FLUX
    We Are Conversion
  6. An Incredible Stroke of Luck
  7. Where Are We?
  8. Fetch Your Dog
  9. Chapter Six - THE VANQUISHERS
    We Have Everything We Need
  10. I Can Rend Them All to Dust
  11. And Then We Will Play
  12. The Ultimate Betrayal
  13. Nothing Is Forever
  14. Where Would Earth Be Without You?
  15. 15. Series 13 End Credits

BONUS DISC – REVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS

  1. 367 Minutes
  2. A Cuppa
  3. Something Revolutionary
  4. Breakout Ball
  5. The Clone
  6. The Production Line
  7. Stability and Security
  8. Thank You for Being My Friend
  9. Activate
  10. The Death Squad
  11. Bad Boys
  12. Bye Fam
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Series 13(37) - Music

Trailblazers - Delia Derbyshire

Saturday, 29 May 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Trailblazers: Delia Derbyshire: Doctor Who theme (Credit: BBC Teach)

As part of this month's learning resouces from the BBC, CBBC have broadcast a series on classic music for schools over the past week: Ten Pieces have focussed on a number of works based around a theme, and Friday's episode, Back in Time, included a section on the groundbreaking work of Delia Derbyshire in creating the Doctor Who theme, presented by currrent series composer Segun Akinola.

The feature can be viewed via the Ten Pieces Orchestral Films page, and the full programme is currently available to watch on the BBC iPlayer until 27th June, with the Doctor Who theme segment starting from about six minutes.

Supporting material is available from the BBC Teach site, which includes downloadable scores for music showcased within the programmes. For Derbyshire, the Doctor Who theme tune has been published for performance by schools, arranged by Iain Farrington, and features arrangements for beginners, intermediate and grade 4/5 musicians.

 

(The site also features an item on Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, introduced by Christopher Eccleston)

 

The Arena docudrama, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes, remains available to watch on the BBC iPlayer for the next eleven months. Its director, Caroline Catz, can be heard discussing Derbyshire on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone from BBC Radio 6, and her BBC Radio 4 Great Lives programme on the composer ifrom January is still available to listen to on BBC Sounds. 

 


 

Also launched recently is a new film, Sisters with Transistors, described as "the remarkable untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today." The documentary looks at the careers of notable visionaries, including Delia Derbyshire and one of the founding figures of the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop, Daphne Oram.

The film was disussed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in April, and works from both composers can still be heard in the recentl repeat of the 2018 BBC Prom Pioneers of Sound.

Sisters with Transistors - Trailer





FILTER: - Broadcasting - Music - BBC

Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack

Monday, 4 January 2021 - Reported by Marcus
Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the Doctor Who New Year’s Day special, Revolution of the Daleks, is now available to download on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Deezer and Tidal.

Composer, Segun Akinola, who has composed the score for Series 11 and Series 12 of Doctor Who,  said:

Revolution of the Daleks is an emotional rollercoaster full of action, tension, old friends, old enemies and some heartfelt goodbyes, all of which are accompanied by music that utilises many of the musical themes from Series 11 and Series 12, and very often moves from a solo cello to orchestra, and much more in-between. 

It’s a ‘special’ in every sense of the word which I hope those who’ve enjoyed listening to the Series 11 and 12 albums will love. So, if that’s you, thank you - this album is dedicated to you!

Segun is an alumnus of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and part of 2017’s BAFTA Breakthrough Brit programme, with other works including Sundance 2019 favourite The Last Tree, Shola Amoo’s A Moving Image, (nominated for a Discovery Award, World Soundtrack Awards), David Olusoga’s Black and British: A Forgotten History. His work has screened at Sundance, the London Film Festival, LA Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival and many others.

Tracklisting:

  1. 367 Minutes
  2. A Cuppa
  3. Something Revolutionary
  4. Breakout Ball
  5. The Clone
  6. The Production Line
  7. Stability and Security
  8. Thank You for Being My Friend
  9. Activate
  10. The Death Squad
  11. Bad Boys
  12. Bye Fam
Doctor Who Revolution of the Daleks Soundtrack is available now from £8.99.
 




FILTER: - Music - Specials

Soundtrack releases for The Sun Makers and The Visitation

Saturday, 14 March 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Silva Screen Records have now released details on the forthcoming CD releases of the soundtracks for the fourth Doctor adventure The Sun Makers by Dudley Simpson, and fifth Doctor tale The Visitation by Paddy Kingsland.

The Sun Makers - soundtrack (Credit: Silva Screen)The Sun Makers
Music by Dudley Simpson

1. Doctor Who Opening Title Theme
2. Death and Taxes
3. Mahogany
4. One Thousand Metres
5. Six Suns
6. The Others
7. Subway 13
8. Subway 13 (Continued)
9. A Heart as Big as your Mouth
10. A Little Hop
11. Jelly Babies
12. Something in the Air
13. K9, Bite!
14. Humbug
15. The P45 Return Route
16. The P45 Return Route (Reprise)
17. Morton's Fork
18. I’ve Heard That One, Too
19. The Rebellion Begins
20. Static Loop
21. The Steaming
22. The Steaming Continued
23. Gentlemen, Good Luck
24. Nobody Works Today
25. The Gatherer Excised
26. Doctor Who Closing Title Theme (53" Version)

The Visitation - soundtrack (Credit: Silva Screen)The Visitation
Music by Paddy Kingsland


1. Doctor Who 1980 (Opening Titles)
2. Have you Seen the Sky?
3. Heathrow, 1666
4. Richard Mace & The Miller
5. A Fascinating Wall
6. An Incredible Illusion
7. Death in the Cellar
8. Activation
9. Grim
10. The Poacher and his Friends
11. Looking for the Miller / Not Again!
12. Trouble at the Mill
13. Laying a Trap

14. More Trouble at the Mill
15. Oh for a Proper Key
16. The End for us All
17. A Final Visitation
18. Almost Your Old Self
19. Eureka!
20. The Sonic Booster
21. Almost as if we were Expected
22. The Great Fire
23. Doctor Who Closing Title Theme
24. Activation (Unused Version 1)
25. Not Again! (Unused Version 1)
Paddy Kingsland reminisces about the process for the score:
We decided early on that the music should have a period flavour together with the usual high tech (at the time!) synthesiser sounds. Peter was my favourite Doctor Who director and was always enormously encouraging and positive... he generously gave me the freedom to do my own thing, but always knew if something needed to be adjusted. I had about a week to put together the music for an episode before going to the dub… the score is quite sombre although there are elements of “yea verily” type music to set some scenes, which have a lighter texture. I played all the parts, using the synthesisers of the day, Oberheim, Roland and ARP, adding bass guitar plus drums and cymbals… not to mention my trusty Fender Mustang guitar.

Both CDs are due to be released on 1st May 2020.




FILTER: - Fifth Doctor - Fourth Doctor - Music

Doctor Who Series 12 - Official Soundtrack

Thursday, 5 March 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Series 12 Official Soundtrack (Credit: Silva Screen)Silva Screen Records have announced a two-volume release of Segun Akinola's score for the latest series of Doctor Who, due out on 3rd April 2020 both digitally and on CD.

The composer said:
From the experimental sounds of ‘Orphan 55’ to the emotional rollercoaster of ‘The Timeless Children’, it’s been a complete joy working on the music for Series 12 and I hope that whilst listening to this album, fans can relive all their favourite moments.

Track Listing:

Volume 1
1. Series 12 Opening Titles
2. The Attacks
3. Hold On
4. MI6
5. Beyond Your Understanding
6. Doctor, The Doctor
7. Going Undercover
8. The Spy Master
9. Don’t Panic
10. The Incredible Shrinking Device
11. Thank You
12. The Lie
13. Tranquility Spa
14. Stay Alive
15. One Possible Future
16. Big Fat Liar
17. The American Sense of Humour
18. Official Eviction Notice
19. Superior Minds
20. The Future Is Mine
21. Judoon Warning Transmission
22. You Missed Me, Right?
23. Fugitive Identified
24. The Lighthouse
25. Something Is Coming for Me

Volume 2
1. Together and Alone
2. Praxeus
3. Three Idiots Roaming
4. Get Everyone Out
5. The Bloke Watching Your Dreams
6. His Eternal Partner
7. It’s Not Just You
8. Tales of The Dead
9. A Traveller Moving Through Time
10. Quicksilver
11. She Was the Universe
12. Brendan
13. Be Afraid
14. The Fall
15. The Ascension Shall Begin
16. Everything Is About to Change
17. Tecteun
18. Time Lords
19. The Division
20. CyberMasters
21. My Penance
22. Home Sweet Home
23. Ascension of the Cybermen End Credits

Series showrunner Chris Chibnall said:
Segun’s music is a key component of the Thirteenth Doctor’s era - his extraordinarily eclectic, bold and emotional scores for the series are part of Doctor Who’s identity. From lush orchestral spy movie arrangements to experimental soundscapes, this collection showcases the range, ambition, precision and brilliance of Segun as a composer - and demonstrates how lucky Doctor Who is to have a composer of Segun’s calibre providing dynamic and fresh new scores every episode. No Doctor Who fan should be without it, and no lover of contemporary film scores should miss it.






FILTER: - Music - Series 12/38