Ahead of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular series of concerts, the sci-fi series’ composer takes us behind the scoring.

“I definitely was daunted taking on the theme,” Doctor Who composer Murray Gold tells me – and it’s not surprising he might have doubts when rearranging a classic. A lifelong fan of the series, Gold considers his current role on the series (which he has scored since its revival in 2005) his dream gig, with “no question he’d turn it down.”
Not that he had a lot of experience in the area when he first got the job – Gold freely admits that he had “never done anything remotely sci-fi or fantasy prior to Doctor Who,” but says that wasn’t a problem when approaching the genre for the first time.
“I think there’s a difference in scoring Doctor Who to any sci-fi series,” he says. “I approached it as if it was a story about people – and their hopes, and their dreams, and their loves, and their losses.”
“Doctor Who, while having clear sci-fi elements, is also a melodrama, a saga, a romance, a comedy – I mean, there’s very few scenes without jokes. If it were pure sci-fi, I wouldn’t score it the way I do. It wouldn’t have the romantic themes, it wouldn’t have the charm, the transparent openness and the heart. It seems different in that way to me.”
Whatever his approach it’s been a success, with Gold’s music one of the only throughlines since the show’s return and the composer’s songs a hit with fans, selling hundreds of thousands of albums.

But what’s the piece he really shares their love for – what’s his favourite?
“Judging your own stuff is like one of those robots that’s got a hidden layer of command structure which prevents it from speaking,” he demurs. “A Doctor Who robot! It’s very difficult for me to analyse, to step out of my own life.”
Surely he must have some treasured pieces, though? “The last stuff I did is always my favourite,” he relents.“So my current favourite is the music from [2014 seasonal special] Last Christmas.”
“It was a puzzle to unlock with that episode, how to play it, how to judge the tone of it. To bring the Christmassy elements of that episode out, so that it didn’t become overwhelmingly bleak.”
“And,” he goes on, “to bring out the nostalgia that everybody has for past Christmas – even though the characters are all dying, really dreaming away their lives. I tried to make it as thoughtful as possible.”
He adds: “I also love all the stuff other people respond to quickly – I know when I’ve written an anthem. I know there’s a need for an anthem. When ‘I am the Doctor’ came out, when ‘Doomsday’ came out, when the Amy and Rory leaping off the building song came out…the graveyard scene.”

“You’re building towards those moments the entire series, and when they come along you hope there’s going to be a place for you to write the music.”
For the last 10 years or so, he seems to have managed to fit it in – and now Gold’s music will be put to the public in the latest version of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, a series of natrionwide concerts (hosted by fifth Doctor Peter Davison), that will form one of the largest productions of the sci-fi series’ music yet (following previous Doctor Who concerts and proms).
“What can fans expect? Well, it’s like a rock concert,” says Gold. “It’s an epic, massive, epic rock concert with 150 people, maybe more, 85 in the orchestra, 75 in the choir, and then there’s the monsters and a rock band as well.”
“But more than that, it’s this kind of sweeping experience of gathering together and enjoying Doctor Who, and the values of the show. You know, all of the good stuff about – just travelling around the universe with your best friend.”
The Doctor Who Symphonic spectacular runs for a week across the country from Saturday 23rd May. You can find more details and buy tickets.

 

News Source: Radio Times