The Doctor Who Prom – Inspiring with Music and Monsters

By Chris Billingham 

“When [the Cybermen] come in, you can hear the screams behind me and I do have to just turn round and enjoy it”

Ben Foster, Conductor of the Doctor Who Prom

When the BBC aired the Doctor Who Prom, the opening segment featured conductor Ben Foster, smiling and saying “I keep meeting people outside and they say ‘Oh, I’m learning the violin’ or ‘I’m learning the trombone’, and you think ‘Great, I hope coming to a concert like this will inspire them to want to be in orchestras’”. The montage then cuts to a fan dressed as the 11th Doctor waving a sonic screwdriver (an iconic prop from the series) and exclaiming “Hello! Welcome to the BBC Proms!”. To me, this moment beautifully sums up why proms such as the Doctor Who Prom 2013 are so important. The evening is both a great way to introduce classical music to new audiences (including younger children, importantly) and a celebration of the iconic British television show. While other proms have the same aim (as discussed here, the Urban Classics Prom is another brilliant example of a prom reaching new audiences), what other evening combines monsters and aliens with cheers of delight and shrieks of terror?

Murray Gold, musical director of Doctor Who since its 2005 revival, wrote and composed the majority of the pieces performed. Gold has composed for film, stage and television throughout his long career. With works including the soundtracks to television shows such as Shameless, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Queer as Folk. His Doctor Who soundtracks have earned him two entries into Classic FM’s Hall of Fame and a number of BAFTA nominations. Regular Doctor Who conductor and arranger Ben Foster, also a multiple BAFTA winner, conducted the London Philharmonic Choir and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, highlighting the strength of the evening’s musicality. Similarly, Gold’s compositions, in particular ‘I Am The Doctor’, ‘The Final Chapter of Amelia Pond’ and ‘The Name of The Doctor’, provoke an emotional connection, causing you to want to both run and be still with your thoughts. The evening also featured works by Debussy, Bach and Bizet as pieces by all three have appeared in the show throughout its history.

Fan site Doctor Who Online described the evening as “a truly fantastic and eternally memorable evening and the perfect way to celebrate The Doctor's half century”, perfectly summing up why the evening is so important for fans. Over the past fifty years, Doctor Who has become an iconic part of British culture and people’s lives. Music exists as a celebration and reflection of culture and emotions, with classical music in particular inspiring passion and grandeur, making it the perfect companion to Doctor Who. The Doctor Who Prom is the perfect way to celebrate this companionship and serve as an introduction to classical music.  

Did you watch the evening? To let us know your thoughts, comment below or join in the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

For more information Southern Sinfonia and our upcoming concerts, click here.

Image attribution// Doctorwhotv.co.uk