Music of the Spheres (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"Music of the Spheres" is a mini-episode of the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
that premièred
at the Royal Albert Hall
in London
before the Intermission
of the Doctor Who Prom on 27 July 2008, for which it was especially made. The Doctor Who Prom, including the audio
for "Music of the Spheres", was broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio 3
. "Music of the Spheres" was shown on the official BBC Doctor Who website during the interval and the concert itself was filmed for later broadcast on BBC One
on 1 January 2009.
The episode has live and pre-recorded components: the pre-recorded component takes place in the TARDIS
; the live component is the Doctor Who Prom which took place during the episode's first transmission. Consequently, a major component of the episode is that it breaks the fourth wall
: the Doctor
(David Tennant
) converses with the audience and conducts the orchestra to perform his symphony Ode to the Universe. He is antagonised by the Graske (Jimmy Vee
), who intends to cause mischief at the Prom.
composing Ode to the Universe: a symphony
based on the "music of the spheres"—an aural representation of the Universe
's gravity patterns. During the composition, a Graske teleports into the TARDIS to warn the Doctor about the imminent opening of a portal linking the TARDIS to the Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall
. The Doctor conducts the orchestra in a performance before he realises the Graske has escaped into the Prom with his water pistol. He forces the Graske's return by "reversing the polarity of the neutron flow" and banishes him from the TARDIS and to the other side of the universe. At the end of the episode, he tells the viewer that the music of the spheres encompasses everyone.
decided to create a "mini-episode" to be screened at the Doctor Who Prom in part because actor David Tennant
was unable to participate in the live concert due to his commitments to the Royal Shakespeare Company
's production of Hamlet
. Davies incorporated interactive elements into his script to ensure that the live performance was "an event":
Davies sought to continue the Doctor
's long association with music in this special after he realised the Tenth Doctor had yet to show "any aptitude for music". In his introductory note, Davies cites as examples of the Doctor's previous associations with music: the First Doctor disguising himself as Ancient Rome
's most famous lyre
-player in Emperor Nero's court in The Romans
; the Second Doctor
playing his recorder; the Third Doctor singing Aggedor to sleep with a Venusian
lullaby
in The Curse of Peladon
; the Fourth Doctor
shattering glass by singing in the style of Dame Nellie Melba
in The Power of Kroll
; the Fifth Doctor
playing a harp on Gallifrey
in The Five Doctors
; the Sixth Doctor
singing opera
; the Seventh Doctor
playing the spoons
; the Eighth Doctor
admiring composer
Giacomo Puccini
; and the Ninth Doctor
dancing with Rose Tyler
to "In The Mood
" by Glenn Miller
in "The Doctor Dances
". In writing the episode, Davies expressed hope that "this mini-adventure [would show] that music can take any shape or form, whether it’s singing
, or playing the recorder, or even the spoons." He states that "music can go anywhere, reach anyone, and make better people of us all. Just like the Doctor."
The mini-episode was filmed on Saturday 3 May 2008, the last day of filming for Series 4
of Doctor Who, in the BBC Wales
studios at Upper Boat, Pontypridd
. Jimmy Vee, "a faithful friend of the show", was recalled to the part of the Graske he first portrayed in the interactive episode "Attack of the Graske
".
Murray Gold
composed music especially for this short episode. Gold's Series 4 arrangement
of the Doctor Who theme tune
is used for the title sequence
, and Ron Grainer
and Delia Derbyshire
's original version of the Doctor Who theme tune is played over the end credits
.
via BBC iPlayer
for a week after transmission.
Freema Agyeman
, who played Martha Jones
in Doctor Who and Torchwood
, introduced the episode, which was shown on a large screen above the stage and smaller screens around the edge of the Dress Circle
in the Royal Albert Hall. As the Doctor addressed them, the Royal Albert Hall audience shouted back responses. Manuscript paper fell to the stage as the Doctor was seen to feed his sheet music to the orchestra. When the Graske sneaked through the portal, he appeared in the audience carrying the Doctor's water pistol and squirting members of the audience. A cellist had to defend himself from an attack by the Graske who promptly exited as, on screen, the Doctor pulled him back to the TARDIS. The Graske in the audience was Jimmy Vee in costume and prosthetics
.
"Music of the Spheres" was immediately followed by a Cyberman
introducing the interval over applause
. On BBC Radio 3, presenter
Sarah Walker
back announced the episode and announced its availability to watch during the interval on the official Doctor Who website. "Let's Do The Time Warp Again", presented by science fiction
writer Justina Robson
and produced by Mark Berman, was then broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during the interval in which Robson expressed her views about Doctor Who.
-style scene", "Music of the Spheres". Davies commented that they had "a brilliant time" and that "Music of the Spheres" involved "a lot of interaction with the audience". He also stated that the audience in the Royal Albert Hall had a "unique, one-off Doctor Who experience", repaying them for their effort in getting there and queuing in the heat.
Writing in The Times
, Caitlin Moran
said that the Doctor's homily to music and self-expression was "the most affecting moment" in the Prom, bringing "what could have been a wonderful, yet surreal and overwhelming introduction to orchestral music" down to "a rather lovely question. Did you like this orchestra, kids? What would you do with one?"
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
that premièred
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before the Intermission
Intermission
An intermission or interval is a recess between parts of a performance or production, such as for a theatrical play, opera, concert, or film screening....
of the Doctor Who Prom on 27 July 2008, for which it was especially made. The Doctor Who Prom, including the audio
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
for "Music of the Spheres", was broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
. "Music of the Spheres" was shown on the official BBC Doctor Who website during the interval and the concert itself was filmed for later broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 1 January 2009.
The episode has live and pre-recorded components: the pre-recorded component takes place in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
; the live component is the Doctor Who Prom which took place during the episode's first transmission. Consequently, a major component of the episode is that it breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
: the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
(David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
) converses with the audience and conducts the orchestra to perform his symphony Ode to the Universe. He is antagonised by the Graske (Jimmy Vee
Jimmy Vee
Jimmy Vee is a British actor and stunt performer, who has played a number of Doctor Who monsters and aliens. He is a dwarf, standing 3' 8" tall.He has appeared in the following episodes of Doctor Who:...
), who intends to cause mischief at the Prom.
Synopsis
The beginning of the episode depicts the Tenth DoctorTenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
composing Ode to the Universe: a symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
based on the "music of the spheres"—an aural representation of the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
's gravity patterns. During the composition, a Graske teleports into the TARDIS to warn the Doctor about the imminent opening of a portal linking the TARDIS to the Doctor Who Prom at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. The Doctor conducts the orchestra in a performance before he realises the Graske has escaped into the Prom with his water pistol. He forces the Graske's return by "reversing the polarity of the neutron flow" and banishes him from the TARDIS and to the other side of the universe. At the end of the episode, he tells the viewer that the music of the spheres encompasses everyone.
Production
Russell T Davies and Julie GardnerJulie Gardner
Julie Gardner is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of Doctor Who and its spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
decided to create a "mini-episode" to be screened at the Doctor Who Prom in part because actor David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
was unable to participate in the live concert due to his commitments to the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
's production of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. Davies incorporated interactive elements into his script to ensure that the live performance was "an event":
Davies sought to continue the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
's long association with music in this special after he realised the Tenth Doctor had yet to show "any aptitude for music". In his introductory note, Davies cites as examples of the Doctor's previous associations with music: the First Doctor disguising himself as Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
's most famous lyre
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
-player in Emperor Nero's court in The Romans
The Romans (Doctor Who)
The Romans is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from January 16 to February 6, 1965. The story is set during the era of the Roman Empire in the reign of Nero.-Plot:...
; the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
playing his recorder; the Third Doctor singing Aggedor to sleep with a Venusian
Venusians
In science fiction and ufology, a Venusian is a native inhabitant of the planet Venus.-Etymology:The word "Venusian" is simply a combination of the name of the planet Venus and the suffix -ian, formed on the analogy of "Martian" . It is usually pronounced or...
lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
in The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 January to 19 February 1972.-Synopsis:...
; the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
shattering glass by singing in the style of Dame Nellie Melba
Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
in The Power of Kroll
The Power of Kroll
*When script editor Anthony Read asked Robert Holmes to write the story, there were two requirements: that it include the largest monster in series history and that Holmes minimise the humour that many scripts from the era were known for. This second requirement was a request from higher up at the...
; the Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
playing a harp on Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
in The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...
; the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
singing opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
; the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
playing the spoons
Spoon (musical instrument)
Spoons can be played as a makeshift percussion instrument, or more specifically, an idiophone related to the castanets. "Playing the spoons" originated in Ireland as "playing the bones," in which the convex sides of a pair of sheep rib bones were rattled in the same way.- Techniques :# A pair of...
; the Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
admiring composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
; and the Ninth Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
dancing with Rose Tyler
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
to "In The Mood
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a big band era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. Joe Garland and Andy Razaf arranged "In the Mood" in 1937-1939 using a previously existing main theme composed by Glenn Miller before the start of the 1930s...
" by Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
in "The Doctor Dances
The Doctor Dances
"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
". In writing the episode, Davies expressed hope that "this mini-adventure [would show] that music can take any shape or form, whether it’s singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, or playing the recorder, or even the spoons." He states that "music can go anywhere, reach anyone, and make better people of us all. Just like the Doctor."
The mini-episode was filmed on Saturday 3 May 2008, the last day of filming for Series 4
Doctor Who (series 4)
The fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 25 December 2007 with the Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes aired, starting with "Partners in Crime" on 5 April 2008 and ending with "Journey's End"...
of Doctor Who, in the BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
studios at Upper Boat, Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
. Jimmy Vee, "a faithful friend of the show", was recalled to the part of the Graske he first portrayed in the interactive episode "Attack of the Graske
Attack of the Graske
"Attack of the Graske" is an interactive mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on the BBC Red Button service on 25 December 2005. It is now available as an online game on the official Doctor Who website.-Synopsis:The human race is in...
".
Murray Gold
Murray Gold
Murray Gold is an English composer for stage, film, and television and a dramatist for both theatre and radio.-Television:Gold has been nominated for a BAFTA four times in the category Best Original Television Music, for Vanity Fair , Queer as Folk , Casanova and Doctor Who...
composed music especially for this short episode. Gold's Series 4 arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
of the Doctor Who theme tune
Doctor Who theme music
The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily...
is used for the title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
, and Ron Grainer
Ron Grainer
Ronald Erle “Ron” Grainer was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his film and television music.- Biography :...
and Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
's original version of the Doctor Who theme tune is played over the end credits
End Credits
"End Credits" is the first single from Drum and Bass duo Chase & Status' second studio album No More Idols. The single was co-written, co-produced and features vocals from Plan B and was released on 29 October 2009, reaching a peak position of No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart...
.
Screening and broadcast
The episode premièred at the Royal Albert Hall before the interval of the Doctor Who Prom on Sunday 27 July 2008 and could be heard simultaneously on BBC Radio 3. It was also made available to watch during the interval on the official Doctor Who website and was shown on BBC One on 1 January 2009 as part of their showing of Doctor Who Prom. BBC Radio 3's recording of Doctor Who Prom including the audio of "Music of the Spheres" could be streamedStreaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
via BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
for a week after transmission.
Freema Agyeman
Freema Agyeman
Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is best known for playing Martha Jones, former companion of the Tenth Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and itsspin-off series Torchwood...
, who played Martha Jones
Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...
in Doctor Who and Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, introduced the episode, which was shown on a large screen above the stage and smaller screens around the edge of the Dress Circle
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
in the Royal Albert Hall. As the Doctor addressed them, the Royal Albert Hall audience shouted back responses. Manuscript paper fell to the stage as the Doctor was seen to feed his sheet music to the orchestra. When the Graske sneaked through the portal, he appeared in the audience carrying the Doctor's water pistol and squirting members of the audience. A cellist had to defend himself from an attack by the Graske who promptly exited as, on screen, the Doctor pulled him back to the TARDIS. The Graske in the audience was Jimmy Vee in costume and prosthetics
Facial prosthetic
A facial prosthetic or facial prosthesis is an artificial device used to change or adapt the outward appearance of a person's face or head....
.
"Music of the Spheres" was immediately followed by a Cyberman
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
introducing the interval over applause
Applause
Applause is primarily the expression of approval by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences are usually expected to applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play...
. On BBC Radio 3, presenter
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (music broadcaster)
Sarah Walker is a British music broadcaster for BBC Radio 3.Walker studied music at Royal Holloway, University of London, acquired an MA from Reading University and later a doctorate from City University in London....
back announced the episode and announced its availability to watch during the interval on the official Doctor Who website. "Let's Do The Time Warp Again", presented by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer Justina Robson
Justina Robson
Justina Robson is a science fiction author from Leeds, England.- Biography and publishing history :Justina Robson was born in Leeds , and studied philosophy and linguistics at the University of York...
and produced by Mark Berman, was then broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during the interval in which Robson expressed her views about Doctor Who.
Reception
The Doctor Who Prom, described as "fantastic" by Davies, was attended by 6,000 people who were addressed directly in the "pantoPantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
-style scene", "Music of the Spheres". Davies commented that they had "a brilliant time" and that "Music of the Spheres" involved "a lot of interaction with the audience". He also stated that the audience in the Royal Albert Hall had a "unique, one-off Doctor Who experience", repaying them for their effort in getting there and queuing in the heat.
Writing in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Caitlin Moran
Caitlin Moran
Caitlin Moran is a British broadcaster, TV critic and columnist at The Times, where she writes three columns a week: one for the Saturday Magazine, a TV review column, and the satirical Friday column "Celebrity Watch"...
said that the Doctor's homily to music and self-expression was "the most affecting moment" in the Prom, bringing "what could have been a wonderful, yet surreal and overwhelming introduction to orchestral music" down to "a rather lovely question. Did you like this orchestra, kids? What would you do with one?"
External links
- The official BBC Proms website
- Programme of events for Sunday 27 July 2008 on the official BBC Proms website
- "About the Music / Programme Notes", including Russell T Davies's introductory note, on the official BBC Proms website
- The official BBC Doctor Who website
- Doctor Who Prom 2008 at the official BBC Doctor Who website
- BBC iPlayer homepage