122-578: Ronald Erle Grainer (11 August 1922 – 21 February 1981) was an Australian composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. He is mostly remembered for his television and film score music, especially the theme music for Doctor Who , The Prisoner , Steptoe and Son and Tales of the Unexpected . Ronald Grainer was born on 11 August 1922 in Atherton, Queensland , Australia,
244-481: A Yamaha DX21 and Korg 770 respectively. The theme removes the bass slides which were featured in all previous official arrangements, and is instead merged into the main bassline. The Glynn arrangement was itself replaced by a new arrangement by Keff McCulloch for the Seventh Doctor 's era beginning with season 24 (1987). McCulloch's arrangement was made using a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesiser, with
366-514: A massive explosion on 19 September 1921 killed 75 resident mine workers – one third of Mt Mulligan's adult population. Concerts in the years following the disaster included performances by a very young Ron Erle Grainer, taught piano-playing from the age of four by his mother and encouraged to learn the violin by an elderly Welsh miner. As Grainer's music skills developed, he started demonstrating an ability to reconstruct tunes he had heard at school or on gramophone records. Mary Wardle,
488-634: A "Music University" was realised, in which specialised musical disciplines including both classical and jazz performance , music education , composition and musicology enriched each other. In 1990, as part of the Dawkins Reforms , the Conservatorium amalgamated with the University of Sydney , and was renamed the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. A 1994 review of the Sydney Conservatorium by
610-417: A Commodious tho" not expensive Plan, and I expect they will be Completed in about three Months hence.' Horses were prized possessions and very valuable. They needed to be protected from the weather and made secure from thieves. Early in 1819 Lt John Watts was sent from England with plans and estimates, but these do not appear to have serviced. On 26 September 1819, Commissioner John Thomas Bigge arrived in
732-504: A Most ruinous Mean, Shabby Appearance. No private Gentleman in the Colony is so Very ill Accommodated with Offices as I am at this Moment, Not having Sufficient Room to lodge a Very Small Establishment of Servants; the Stables; if possible, are still worse than the other Offices, it having been of late frequently Necessary to prop them up with Timber Posts to prevent it falling, or being blown down by
854-462: A change of companion. This new piece retains the melodic fanfare of the opening bars, as well as Gold's bassline and lead – albeit with all of them modified (with the latter two's timbre modified – especially the bassline, and the lead dipping largely downwards during the first high B note) and lacking both the heavy use of percussion from the previous arrangement, and removing the counter-melody that featured in all previous Gold arrangements. However, for
976-542: A classical music singer, historian, and former resident of Mt Mulligan, remembers Grainer performing on keyboard instruments "when he could barely reach the pedals." The Grainer family left Mt Mulligan in 1930. By April 1932 they were living in Aloomba , a sugar-growing rural community on the Far North Queensland coast. Aloomba is situated on the eastern side of another rock monolith, the 922-metre-high Walsh's Pyramid. At
1098-489: A conservatorium to the design of R. Seymour Wells from the Government Architect's Office was undertaken, including the construction of a roof over the courtyard and the construction of a large auditorium. A new entrance of a cantilevered concrete awning was created and the former one removed. The windows and doors were altered considerably, though the castellated stuccoed exterior remained. The conservatorium auditorium
1220-474: A day's fencing in the Australian outback. At one stage, to pay the rent on their room, Grainer and his wife had to work as caretakers of a large block of London flats where he stoked two large boilers, morning and night, whilst Margot washed stairs and cleaned rooms. To increase his public profile Grainer had two attempts at song contests: "England's Made of Us" (1956), an entry with lyricist David Dearlove for
1342-405: A departure from previous versions of the theme. Debney's version of the theme begins in A minor, but after the middle eight the main melody is transposed back to E minor, as in the original score. Less evident in this version of the score is the rhythmic bassline that opens and underscores all previous (and later) televised versions of the theme; a bassline is present, but it does not rise and fall in
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#17328527501641464-641: A dialect of the Dharug language . Governor Arthur Phillip arrived in 1788 with a pre-fabricated building which was assembled as his Government House , now partially on the current site of the Museum of Sydney and partially under Bridge Street . In its varied additions and permutations, it survived as the Sydney residence of the Governor until completion of the new Government House. Governor Lachlan Macquarie took control of
1586-499: A drum-based bassline rhythm. For the end credits of series 11 episode 6, "Demons of the Punjab," Akinola created a vocal arrangement of the theme performed by singer Shahid Abbas Khan. The theme was updated largely, with less emphasis on the melody, and added more bass to the bassline. The middle 8 was once again added to the end credits, but for Ascension of the Cybermen only. In 2021,
1708-578: A farm growing organic fruit and vegetables, undertaking the planting and maintaining of 1,000 peach trees. From 1969 to 1975, Grainer composed themes and soundtracks for an average of around one TV series and one film each year. In April 1974, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal prompted Grainer and his family to leave the country and return to England until the political climate cleared. Damian went first to boarding and then to day school . Grainer
1830-496: A greater influence on the design by Greenway. Yet on 7 February 1821, Major Druitt reported that Governor Macquarie had not liked the ornamentation of the towers and the rich Cornish around the battlements. It was not until 24 March 1819 that Macquarie informed the Colonial Office that he had commenced building the stables, in contravention of a firm order from Bathurst. "I had so long Suffered such very great Inconvenience from
1952-654: A major upgrade of the Conservatorium, with the ultimate goal of creating a music education facility equal to or better than any in the world. A team was assembled to work to that brief, resulting in a complex collaboration between various government departments (notably the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Public Works and Services), the Government Architect, US-based acoustic consultants Kirkegaard Associates , Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Architects,
2074-515: A more dynamic and glossy but less haunting feel. Its bassline was created on a Yamaha CS-80 synthesiser, with reversed echo added, adding to its characteristic "zshumm" sound and emphasising especially the bass slides (which are otherwise still more upfront than in the Derbyshire theme). The sting at the beginning was also created with the CS-80, using its unique ring modulator section. The opening line of
2196-517: A new Government House near the stables by selling some of the Domain to raise funds. He also suggested that rooms in the stables could accommodate some of the Government House servants. At an inquiry into the building of the new Government House in 1836, Colonel George Barney originally suggested converting the stables into offices but later changed his mind to recommend demolition. Construction of
2318-574: A new arrangement of the Doctor Who theme for the Eighth Doctor. The Arnold arrangement was used for every Eighth Doctor audio play until 2008's Dead London . They proceeded to use this theme arrangement again from 2012's Dark Eyes onward. In 2005, the television series was revived. Murray Gold 's theme arrangement featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added: an orchestral sound of low horns, strings and percussion and part of
2440-450: A new sting as the theme opens. This leads into the main melody, now more electronic and screech-like in homage to the Howell and Glynn themes of the 1980s. The 'middle eight' is absent from any broadcast version of the theme, and as such the closing credits cut straight to the main melody as they did in series 7 part 2. However, it was reinstated for an extended version of the theme released on
2562-472: A number of artists' views of the stables. This derived from its position overlooking the harbour as part of a vista of Sydney. It also acknowledged the stables as a piece of Gothic architecture, both romantic and picturesque. Even more to the point, it highlighted its role as a " folly " in a managed landscape. The stables remained under utilised. Governor Richard Bourke sought approval in February 1832 to erect
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#17328527501642684-502: A particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Conservatorium of Music is of State heritage significance for its association with generations of noted Australian musicians. It was and continues to be a focus for musical activity attracting visiting performers to perform in the auditorium The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of
2806-513: A section that Howell calls the "trombone stop" which is a part in the record on which the brass sounds as if it goes up a flight of stairs towards the climax note at the end on which the reverse sting is added. The Howell theme was eventually replaced by a new arrangement by Dominic Glynn for season 23 's The Trial of a Time Lord (1986). This version – again synthesizer-driven, like the Howell arrangement, only this time using digital synthesizers –
2928-508: A series of solo artist radio shows for the Australian Broadcasting Commission . In August 1951 a presentation of Delius, Faure, and Milhaud compositions by Grainer on piano and Don Scott on violin was ridiculed in a newspaper review for the duo's "uncompromising disregard of mob appeal", "lack of practical concert sense", and "unrelievedly pastel colouring" set list that was "in need of a more impulsive and heartfelt spirit on
3050-641: A special televised concert, Doctor Who: A Celebration which was broadcast in November 2006 as part of the annual Children in Need appeal. A second soundtrack with music from the third series plus the 2007 Christmas special, Voyage of the Damned , was released on 5 November 2007. In November 2007, following the BBC's announcement that it was requiring all series to implement a shorter closing credits sequence, Murray Gold produced
3172-409: A synthesizer. The reworking was something of a departure from all previous arrangements, with a prominent new melodic fanfare theme playing in the opening bars, and a percussion sound accenting each quaver of the rhythm. The end credits featured only a short arrangement with introductory fanfare and the final notes of the main theme. The only exception to this was at the end of " The Beast Below ", where
3294-519: A third version featuring additional drums, piano and bass guitar and a variation of the string counter-melody while retaining the original Derbyshire electronic melody line, used from the Christmas 2007 episode. The 2008 series featured a modified arrangement of this version. In 2005, a new orchestral arrangement by Christopher Austin was commissioned by the BBC for the Blue Peter prom and performed by
3416-419: A three-month engagement playing piano in a nightclub along with other occasional jobs, the worst of which became a twelve-month stint with a touring Australian comedy act called "The Allen Brothers and June." This required the classically trained Grainer to be hit on the head nightly by a falling grand piano lid and then to topple over into the orchestra pit , an experience he later said was even harder to do than
3538-503: A variation on his arrangement for the closing credits of " The Christmas Invasion ", which was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales . Unlike his arrangement for the 2005 series, this version restored the "middle eight"; it was also used for the closing credits of the 2006 and 2007 series . A soundtrack of Gold's incidental music for the new series was released by Silva Screen Records on 4 December 2006. Included on
3660-516: Is a rare surviving example of the work of noted ex-convict architect Francis Greenway in the Old Colonial Gothick style. Greenway was instrumental in Macquarie accomplishing Macquarie's aim to transforming the fledgling colony into an orderly, well-mannered society and environment. It is the only example of a gothic building designed by Greenway still standing. The cost and apparent extravagance
3782-462: Is in the key of A minor . Delia Derbyshire was reportedly unimpressed with McCulloch's version. The 1996 Doctor Who television movie used a fully orchestrated version, arranged by John Debney . This contained a new introduction, being a quieter piece of music over which part of the Eighth Doctor 's ( Paul McGann ) opening narration was read, leading into a crescendo into the "middle eight",
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3904-544: The BBC Philharmonic . It has also been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra as part of the celebration of 75 years at Maida Vale . From " The Eleventh Hour " the theme received a complete reworking to tie in with the new cast, production design and title sequence design. Arranged by Murray Gold, this theme, while still retaining Gold's counter-melody, has the bassline and electronic melody redone by Gold on
4026-603: The BBC Radiophonic Workshop . The time-consuming work commitments eventually contributed to the breakdown of Grainer's relationship with his wife; he and Margot divorced in 1966. Later that year, he married Jennifer Dodd (1944–2024), a member of the cast of Robert and Elizabeth . Their son Damian was born shortly afterwards. In September 1968, tired of London traffic jams and worried about his intensifying eyesight problems, Grainer moved permanently to his former retreat property in southern Portugal. He and Jenny started
4148-399: The BBC Radiophonic Workshop . Created in 1963, it was the first electronic music signature tune for television. It is used as the theme for the science fiction programme Doctor Who , and has been adapted and covered many times. Although numerous arrangements of the theme have been used on television, the main melody has remained the same. The theme was originally written and arranged in
4270-635: The Conservatorium High School . In addition to its secondary, undergraduate, post-graduate and community education teaching and learning functions, the Conservatorium undertakes research in various fields of music. The Building was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 January 2011. The land originally belonged to the Aboriginal people, called the " Eora ", who lived around Sydney coast. They lived off
4392-588: The Conservatorium library for orchestral parts. However, during the later part of the stewardship of Verbrugghen's successor, W. Arundel Orchard (director 1923–34), there were tensions with another emerging professional body, the ABC Symphony Orchestra, later to become the Sydney Symphony Orchestra , driven by the young, ambitious and energetic Bernard Heinze , Director-General of Music for
4514-614: The Parramatta Road Toll-gate have all been demolished. Only the Government House Stables survives of his Gothic buildings. After Macquarie's return to Britain in 1821, the Stables had mixed uses. On 25 May 1825, Governor Thomas Brisbane suggested to Earl Bathurst that the 'Gothic Building on the pleasantest side of the Scite of the Domain, which was intended for a Government Stables, is utterly useless at present from
4636-520: The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in December 1940 and was sent to Amberley, Queensland , posted to 73 Signals, given a course at Point Cook and assigned to Radar Station No. 58, Townsville . While stationed there, and in subsequent similar postings, he contributed to barracks recreation activities by scoring and organising numerous servicemen shows. On March 22 1944 he was transferred to
4758-410: The University of Queensland in 1939 to study civil engineering and music, a course which included harmony, counterpoint, and composition as taught by classical musician Percy Brier, a traditionalist educator who encouraged his more talented students to think for themselves. Grainer gained his Associate of Trinity College London Diploma (ATCL) on piano. After the outbreak of World War II, Grainer joined
4880-584: The British Parliament when it was shown on 20 February 1959. Taking inspiration from Orson Welles ' 1938 radio drama of The War of the Worlds , the production used a similar format in which a regular programme broadcast was interrupted by a fake public service announcement. In this instance it was about a mysterious and "terrifying" satellite seen hovering over the city of London. In 1960 Grainer achieved public recognition with his theme and incidental music for
5002-507: The Carr Labor government decided to rebuild on the site in 1995. The enlarged building designed by NSW Government Architect Chris Johnson and the private partnership of Daryl Jackson, Robin Dyke and Robert Tanner was completed in 2001. Construction proceeded in tandem with a major archaeological investigation of the site of the extensions. Deep excavation around the original core of the building allowed
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5124-481: The Conservatorium Orchestra to Melbourne and to New Zealand. The conservatorium was home to Australia's first full-time orchestra, composed of both professional musicians and conservatorium students. The orchestra remained Sydney's main orchestra for much of the 1920s, accompanying many artists brought to Australia by producer J. C. Williamson , including the violinist Jascha Heifetz , who donated money to
5246-822: The Conservatorium — the Greenway Building — is located within the Royal Botanic Gardens on Macquarie Street on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district . It also has teaching at the main campus of the University in Camperdown/Darlington, at the Seymour Centre and eventually the Footbridge Theatre. The Greenway Building is also home to the community-based Conservatorium Open Academy and
5368-716: The Conservatorium. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The Conservatorium building is of aesthetic significance at a State level as it is a notable exemplar of the Old Colonial Gothick Picturesque style of architecture in Australia. In addition it is the only surviving example of this style of architecture designed by Francis Greenway. Its strong symmetry, battlemented parapet walls, squat towers, pointed arch and square headed openings, label moulded over windows make
5490-468: The Dalek ray-gun and TARDIS materialisation sound effects. Rapidly rising and falling strings were added to create a counter-melody alongside the main motif. The sting once again served as the lead-in to the theme, but Gold omitted the "middle eight" from both the opening and closing credits. Gold has said that his interpretation was driven by the title visual sequence he was given to work around. Gold created
5612-553: The First British Festival of Popular Song, which received the score of no points from the judges and, the following year, "Don't Cry Little Doll" (1957) (also written with David Dearlove), which reached fourth place in the British Eurovision entry decider heats. Grainer's most dramatic pre-success music involvement was with Before The Sun Goes Down, a TV play which caused audience panic and questions to be raised in
5734-460: The Mitchell Library is not a construction plan, but seem to show it in its finished state. It depicted the towers as accommodation for servants, plus a dairy next to one of the coach houses and accommodation for a dairy maid, cowman and lodge keeper. Architect Henry Kitchen was highly critical of the stables in evidence to Bigge on 29 January 1821 saying it was extravagant whilst not providing
5856-573: The NSW Government under William Holman allocated £22,000 to the redevelopment of the stables into a music school. The NSW State Conservatorium of Music opened on 6 March 1916 under the directorship of the Belgian conductor and violinist Henri Verbrugghen , who was the only salaried staff member. The institution's stated aims were "providing tuition of a standard at least equal to that of the leading European Conservatoriums" and to "protect amateurs against
5978-502: The RAAF entertainment unit. In the official report on his audition performance the only music piece mentioned by title was Ravel 's Bolero, a seemingly simple instrumental riff which holds the listeners' attention in a similar manner to Grainer's later themes and signature tunes. Grainer had only a few months performing for his fellow airmen, for in July 1944, a 44-gallon drum fell on his leg while he
6100-554: The Radiophonic Workshop's modular " Delaware " synthesiser (named after the Workshop's location at Delaware Road). The "Delaware" arrangement, which had a distinct Jew's harp sound, was not well received by BBC executives and was abandoned. The master tapes were given to a fan at the 1983 Longleat celebrations by Hodgson and were never returned. The episodes that used it were redubbed with the 1970 Derbyshire arrangement, but lacking
6222-1208: The TV series Maigret . When Maigret was given the Ivor Novello "Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio" award in 1961, commissions from a wide range of genres poured in: Goon Show silliness ( It's a Square World , 1961), one-off pilots ( Comedy Playhouse ), documentaries ( Terminus , 1961), kitchen sink drama ( A Kind of Loving ), quirky domestic sitcoms ( Steptoe and Son 1962), classic serials ( Oliver Twist 1962), teen films ( Some People 1962), late night satire ( That Was The Week That Was , 1962), outpost angst ( Station Six Sahara , 1962), ballet ( The King's Breakfast , 1963), science fiction ( Doctor Who , 1963), psycho killers ( Night Must Fall , 1964), children's adventure stories ( The Moon Spinners , 1964), patriotic biography ( The Finest Hours , 1964), big-budget musicals ( Robert and Elizabeth , 1964), unusual love stories ( Boy Meets Girl , 1967), acclaimed dramas To Sir, with Love (1967), allegorical social commentary ( The Prisoner , 1967) and crime-caper movies ( Only When I Larf , 1968). Grainer also worked with
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#17328527501646344-523: The Third Doctor's arrangement for the last two serials of that year. During the Fourth Doctor era, the "middle eight" was heard on only four episodes during his first six seasons – The Invasion of Time parts 3, 4 and 6 and The Armageddon Factor part 6. In 1972, there was an attempt by Brian Hodgson and Paddy Kingsland , with Delia Derbyshire acting as producer, to modernise the theme tune using
6466-481: The University of Sydney resulted in a recommendation that "negotiations with the NSW State Government about permanent suitable accommodation for the Conservatorium be pursued as a matter of urgency." As in 1916, a wide range of sites were considered, many of them controversial. In May 1997, 180 years after Governor Macquarie laid the foundation stone for the Greenway Building, State Premier Bob Carr announced
6588-607: The Winds." He noted that he wished to erect a new Government House and Offices in the Domain as soon as the Barracks was complete at the expense of the Police Fund. The then Secretary for the Colonies, Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst , soon responded, writing on 30 January 1817 that he needed to see a plan and estimate of costs before he could approve the erection. In 1817, Macquarie resumed
6710-488: The accommodation needed. He described it as an "incorrect attempt in the style of the castellated Gothic" with an area 174 feet by 130 feet housing 28 horses, [plus coach houses cow house and servant's quarters. The stables were complete in February 1821. Greenway is better known for his Georgian designs but he also created a number of buildings in the Gothic model. Of these, Forts Philip and Macquarie, Dawes Point Battery and
6832-454: The after effects of a high consumption of alcohol by the shift miners. On one such occasion a stray bullet flew through the roof of their home and almost hit the 11-week-old Ron as he lay on his bed. Because of Mt Mulligan's physical isolation, encouraging a sense of community was vital. This was achieved by regularly holding dance and social functions. These public entertainments became very important for bolstering local morale, especially after
6954-654: The age of 9, as part of the Aloomba school team, Grainer won second prize for solo violin at the inaugural Cairns and District School Eisteddfod. This is the first newspaper mention of him giving a music performance in public. In early 1933, Grainer's family moved to Cairns where, apart from school work at Edge Hill State (1933–1934) and Cairns High (1935–1936), he commenced a serious study of music theory and interpretation. His family relocated south to Brisbane in 1937 where Grainer completed his secondary school education at St Joseph's College, Nudgee , matriculating in 1938. He enrolled at
7076-408: The album are two versions of the theme: the 44-second opening version, as arranged by Gold, and a longer arrangement that includes the middle eight. Often erroneously cited as being the same as the end credits version, this second version is in fact a new arrangement and recording. Gold also created another new arrangement of the theme which was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales during
7198-399: The building an aesthetically distinctive example of Old Colonial Gothick Picturesque style. The substantial size of the building for a stable, the use of the picturesque style and its location on the edge of the Governor's Domain demonstrate the ambition of Governor Macquarie in creating order and style in the town of Sydney. Once complete and lacking its accompanying new Government House, it
7320-451: The colony in 1810 using that building as his Sydney residence. On 18 March 1816, he reported that he had postponed any changes to convert Sydney Government House into adequate accommodation. He noted the poor condition of the building saying that "All the Offices, exclusive of being in a decayed and rotten State, are ill Constructed in regard to Plan and on Much too Small a Scale; they now exhibit
7442-449: The colony to report the effectiveness of transportation to NSW as a publishment for criminals. He was soon examining Macquarie's program of public works and his policy of fostering former criminals to fill positions of authority. Bigge objected to the construction of the stables in October 1819 but noted that the work was so far advanced that to halt it would be a waste. An 1820 plan held at
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#17328527501647564-433: The conservatorium made a major contribution to what researcher Roger Covell has described as " the most seminal years in the history of locally produced opera...". Although the most prominent musician to have held the post of director, Goossens' tenure was not without controversy. Under the direction of Rex Hobcroft (1972–82), the Conservatorium adopted the modern educational profile recognised today. Hobcroft's vision of
7686-613: The cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Being the only surviving example of Francis Greenways design in the Old Colonial Gothic Picturesque style makes the Conservatorium of Music an rarity. It also appears to be the only extant stable block in the Sydney CBD which survives from the Macquarie period. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Conservatorium
7808-471: The cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The Conservatorium is of State heritage significance as its potential archaeological resource has not been exhausted despite extensive investigation. The results of archaeological investigations to date have revealed much about the early history and activity of the colony and many artefacts uncovered are displayed and interpreted in the new building. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of
7930-407: The end credits of this episode, the previous arrangement was still used. This arrangement was revised further for " The Bells of Saint John ", featuring a more prominent bassline and removing the electronic beeps during the opening fanfare. The end credits were updated to use this version of the theme, now featuring the main melody repeated twice, in place of the fanfare. The ending of the opening theme
8052-414: The federal government's new Australian Broadcasting Commission . In 1935, under Edgar Bainton (director 1934–48), the Conservatorium Opera School was founded, later performing works such as Verdi 's Falstaff and Otello , Wagner 's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Die Walküre , and Debussy 's Pelléas et Mélisande , among others. Under Sir Eugene Goossens (Director 1948–55), opera at
8174-439: The first child of Margaret Clark, an amateur pianist, and Ronald Albert Grainer, a storekeeper and postmaster. For the first eight years of Ron's life the Grainer family lived in Mount Mulligan , a small town built around the extraction of coal from three seams which lay beneath a 400-metre-high sandstone monolith, located 100 km west of Cairns. Apart from the industrial noise and dust, the family sometimes had to contend with
8296-464: The first episode, An Unearthly Child ). The theme is written in the E minor phrygian mode . The theme has been often called both memorable and frightening, priming the viewer for what was to follow. During the 1970s, the Radio Times , the BBC's own listings magazine , announced that a child's mother said the theme music terrified her son. The Radio Times was apologetic, but the theme music remained. Derbyshire created two arrangements in 1963:
8418-433: The first was rejected by the producers, but was released as a single. The second arrangement, a slightly modified version of the first, was used on the first episode of the programme. The two 1963 arrangements served, with only minor edits and additions requested by the producers, as the theme tune up to 1980 and the end of season 17 . The most notable of these edits were addition of 'electronic spangles', and tape echo , from
8540-401: The frequent waste of time and money arising from unsystematic tuition". The reference to European standards and the appointment of a European director was not uncontroversial at the time, but criticism soon subsided. By all accounts, Verbrugghen was hugely energetic: Joseph Post , later himself to be director, described him as "a regular dynamo, and the sort of man of whom you had to take notice
8662-411: The full theme tune begins under the trailer for " Victory of the Daleks ". This is the only episode with this arrangement to feature the 'middle eight'. A leaked playlist for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony suggested that the theme would be performed, but this did not occur. The theme and title sequence was revised yet again for the 2012 christmas special, " The Snowmen ", to coincide with
8784-671: The great disproportion of the Establishment of the Government, may be advantageously improved into a Government residence.' On 30 June 1825, Earl Bathurst permitted Governor Ralph Darling to erect a new Government House or to convert the Stables into one though the estimates of costs would have to be sent to Britain for approval. Late in 1825, Brisbane had loaned the stables to the Australian Agricultural Company to temporarily house its livestock after it arrived. There are
8906-431: The initial 'sting' replaced by a crashing explosive sound. Producer John Nathan-Turner stated that the new music, logo and title sequence were to signal a fresh start to the programme. This was the first version of the theme since the little-used 1973 Delaware version to incorporate the "middle eight" into the opening credits (as well as the closing, although the closing credits saw them extended slightly). McCulloch's theme
9028-498: The instrumental group The Eagles , who recorded a number of his themes. Most of these projects required considerable research, group discussion, and creative team effort. They are only a small sample of work completed by Grainer from 1960 to 1968. He once indicated he felt a "trifle wistful" that so many people just associated him with the Doctor Who theme, the only tune in his extensive portfolio that had its sound dynamics realised by someone else – Delia Derbyshire of
9150-443: The key of E minor . Most versions of the theme – including the current arrangement by Murray Gold – have retained the use of the original key, with exceptions being Peter Howell ( F♯ minor ) and Keff McCulloch 's ( A minor ) arrangements. Although widely listed in reference works, and many series soundtrack albums, under the title "Doctor Who Theme", its official title is "Doctor Who", although its initial sheet music release used
9272-573: The key users represented by the Principal and Dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the Principal of the Conservatorium High School, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust and many others. As at 15 July 2009, the Conservatorium of Music is of State Heritage significance because the former Government House Stables is a notable example of Old Colonial Gothick architecture. It
9394-565: The land by relying on its natural resources including the rich plants, birds, animals and marine life surrounding the Harbour within what is now the City of Sydney local government area the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the "Eora". There is no written record of the name of their language spoken and currently, there are debates as to whether these people spoke a separate language or
9516-399: The main melody was played on an ARP Odyssey Mk III , the second on an EMS Vocoder 5000, and the "middle eight" and the brass section on a Roland Jupiter-4 . The 1980 arrangement added the sting to the opening theme as well, while the "middle eight" was included in the closing theme arrangement of all episodes. Howell's theme is in the key of F♯ minor . The full version mix also contains
9638-447: The moment he entered the room". Enrolments in the first year were healthy with 320 "single-study" students and a small contingent of full-time students, the first diploma graduations occurring four years later. A specialist high school, the Conservatorium High School was established in 1918, establishing a model for music education across the secondary, tertiary, and community sectors which has survived to this day. Verbrugghen's impact
9760-416: The music had to be "mixed". There were no multitrack tape machines, so rudimentary multitrack techniques were invented: each length of tape was placed on a separate tape machine and all the machines were started simultaneously and the outputs mixed together. If the machines fell out of sync, they started again, maybe cutting tapes slightly here and there to help. In fact, a number of "submixes" were made to ease
9882-503: The needs of accommodation be met while preserving views to the site. Technological solutions such as separating the building shell from the surrounding sandstone and resting much of the extensions on rubber pads allowed the special acoustic needs of the Conservatorium to be met despite its proximity to the Cahill Expressway and the underground railway line. The work won an Australian Award for Urban Design Excellence in 2002. In 1915
10004-540: The new Government House from 1837 finally ensured that another building overshadowed the stables. After the erection of the New Government House, the stables were used to accommodate staff and horses. Panoramic views form the top of the Garden Palace Exhibition building taken in 1881 by Charles Bayliss are the only known views of the internal courtyard and layout of the stables. Additions were made to
10126-447: The new credit sequence, with an added stutter/pre-echo to the bassline at the start of the theme, a shortened introduction and part of the main motif repeated to fade at the end of the titles. The "middle eight" was no longer used in the opening sequence. Over the closing credits, parts of the tune were duplicated as required for the theme to end with the credits, rather than fading out as it had previously. The "sting", an electronic shriek,
10248-496: The north side in the late 1870s or early 1880s. By about 1910, the building's role as a horse stables and staff accommodation was ending due to the increasing use of motor cars. In 1912 the government declared the building would become a museum whilst the Minister for Public Instruction suggested it as an Academy of Fine Arts but the proposal turned into a specialist Conservatorium of Music. From 1913 to 1915, work to convert it into
10370-417: The now-deprecated form "Dr. Who". The original 1963 recording of the Doctor Who theme music is widely regarded as a significant and innovative piece of electronic music, recorded well before the availability of commercial synthesisers. Delia Derbyshire (assisted by Dick Mills) of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop used musique concrète techniques to realise a score written by composer Ron Grainer . Each note
10492-480: The opening bars was absent for the first time since 2010, and more of the electronic elements were removed or replaced (but the percussion and bassline were made more prominent, and the bass slides were re-instated as well) . The 'middle eight' section was also reinstated, for the first time since 2010's " The Beast Below ". For the 2013 Christmas special, " The Time of the Doctor ", the theme used throughout series 7 part 2
10614-542: The original Derbyshire theme music. Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music ( SCM ) — formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music , and known by the moniker " The Con " — is the music school of the University of Sydney . It is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia, founded in 1915 by Belgian conductor and violinist Henri Verbrugghen . The heritage-listed main building of
10736-418: The planets." The last of Grainer's TV themes, It Takes A Worried Man, was broadcast on 21 October 1981, and featured a closing credits film clip of the series hero gradually losing pieces of his torso and face until all that is left are his eyes. Grainer died from a spinal tumour on 21 February 1981. Only three compilations of Grainer's output have been released commercially. 1969's Themes Like — (RCA)
10858-439: The pre-introduction scene on an electric guitar. The theme music received another revision in 2018 for Jodie Whittaker 's first series as the Doctor , this time by new composer Segun Akinola . Akinola's version of the theme incorporates several elements of previous versions of the theme, including the melody line from the original 1963 version and cliffhanger "sting" introduced in 1970, remixed with newly synthesised elements and
10980-506: The principal music education institution in the State from 1916 onwards and continues to fulfil its role in the building originally modified for this purpose. The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history. The Conservatorium of Music is of State heritage significance through its association with Governor Lachlan Macquarie who commissioned
11102-503: The process – a combined bass track, combined melody track, bubble track, and hisses. Grainer was amazed at the resulting piece of music and when he heard it, famously asked, "Did I write that?" Derbyshire modestly replied, "Most of it." However the BBC, who wanted to keep members of the Workshop anonymous, prevented Grainer from getting Derbyshire a co-composer credit and a share of the royalties. The theme can be divided into several distinctive parts. A rhythmic bassline opens and underlies
11224-433: The range had become a stable. It then held 30 horses plus the stallions in the octagonal Towers. He estimated the cost of the stables to be £ 9,000. In a letter to the Australian of 28 April 1825, he identified Thornbury Castle as his model. A relative of Macquarie's wife, Archibald Campbell , had been a pioneer of the Gothic architectural style in the late 18th century when he erected Inveraray Castle and it may have had
11346-518: The same way. Debney is the only composer that receives screen credit during the movie, with the by-then-deceased Grainer not being credited on screen for composing the theme. Debney at one point was almost asked to compose a new theme due to licensing issues regarding the Grainer composition. When Big Finish Productions began to produce Eighth Doctor audio plays in 2001 (beginning with Storm Warning ), they approached composer David Arnold , who produced
11468-510: The second episode of Patrick Troughton serial The Faceless Ones (1967) onwards (although it was originally made for preceding serial The Macra Terror , a production error led to the previous arrangement still being used; this also occurred in episodes 4 and 5 of Fury from the Deep ). During the Third Doctor 's era, beginning in 1970, the theme tune was altered. The theme was edited to match
11590-475: The series 8 soundtrack album in May 2015. As of the third episode of Capaldi's debut season, " Robot of Sherwood ", the new 2014 theme was suddenly polished further, blending in the introduction transition sound and bass elements of the 2008 version. In the fourth episode of the ninth series , the intro has an electric guitar playing throughout, which continues from the Doctor playing Beethoven 's Fifth Symphony in
11712-627: The short bassline stutter at the beginning of the music. The Delaware version was accidentally left on some episodes which were sold to Australia, and survives today in this form. (The complete version of this arrangement of the music is included as an extra on the DVD release of Carnival of Monsters ; it is also included on the CD release Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop: Volume 2: New Beginnings 1970–1980 .) The first single arising from
11834-525: The show to make the UK Singles Chart was "Dr. Who" by Mankind . The track was based on the theme music and was Mankind's only hit single. Released by Pinnacle on 25 November 1978, the song peaked at number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and ran for 12 weeks in the BBC Top 75. For season 18 , Radiophonic Workshop staffer Peter Howell provided a new arrangement performed on analogue synthesisers , and having
11956-416: The sites of a bakehouse and mill on the proposed site. On 4 July 1817, he instructed a former convict, Francis Greenway, to prepare plans of offices and stables. Work commenced on the stables on 9 August 1817. Macquarie replied to Bathurst on 12 December that he was disappointed with the lack of approval, but claimed that no construction had commenced due to heavy rains. Macquarie laid the foundation stone for
12078-499: The sound, with different pitches and notes achieved by playing the sample in different speeds. The swooping melody and lower bassline layer were created by manually adjusting the pitch of oscillator banks to a carefully timed pattern. The non-swooping parts of the melody were created by playing a keyboard attached to the oscillator banks. The rhythmic hissing sounds, "bubbles" and "clouds", were created by cutting tape recordings of filtered white noise. Once each sound had been created, it
12200-405: The stables on 16 December 1817. Though Francis Greenway was the designer, it was not solely his work. In December 1819, Greenway noted that Macquarie saw the elevation before work began, but that his wife Elizabeth Macquarie gave him details of the number of rooms needed so that he could make a suitable plan. By 1819, according to Greenway, the stables were virtually planned though the barn in
12322-420: The theme throughout, followed by a rising and falling set of notes that forms the main melody which is repeated several times. The bridge , also known as the " middle eight ", is an uplifting interlude in a major key that usually features in the closing credits or the full version of the theme. During the early years of the series the middle eight was also often heard during the opening credits (most notably in
12444-592: The theme was once again updated, this time with a mix of both the Series 11 & 12 theme tunes. For Village of the Angels , the end credits dropped the bassline, to make the theme sound more eerie than usual. For 2023, the theme was revitalised again by returning composer, Murray Gold. This rendition of the theme music returns to an orchestral sound, reminiscent of the themes from both 2005-2007 and 2007-2010. The current theme also has electronic and piano elements intertwined with
12566-479: The want of a Secure Stables for my Horses and decent sleeping places for my Servants, that I had been under the Necessity of building a regular Suite of Offices of this Description in a Situation Contiguous to and sufficiently Convenient for the present Old Government House , and also in one that will equally suit any New Government House that my Successors may he hereafter Authorised to Erect. These Stables are built on
12688-456: The well tendered surface" having earlier said "by the time the programme ended the recital badly needed blood transfusion". By the mid-1950s Grainer had abandoned his classical repertoire and live concert work with such a determined change of attitude that he claimed in a 1964 magazine interview that he had "always loathed performing". In 1952 Grainer left Australia for London with his wife Margot and 10-year-old stepdaughter Rel. He managed to find
12810-542: The work, his wife Elizabeth who strongly influenced the design and ex convict architect Francis Greenway who designed the building. On 30 March 1816 Greenway was appointed as the colony's first "Civil Architect", the forerunning position to the Government Architect. In its role as the principal music education institution in NSW for many years it has strong and significant association with noted musicians and administrators such as Henry Verbrugghen and Eugene Goossens who were Directors of
12932-433: The year of his sudden illness and death from cancer on 21 February 1981. Sunday Night Thriller, with its funeral music theme and separation of bodies credits sequence, was broadcast on 18 January 1981. On 17 May 1981, his "All Things Bright And Beautiful" influenced ambient music for "The Sound Machine" episode of Tales of the Unexpected, accompanied a central character obsessed with "Sounds I long to hear – Songs beyond
13054-520: Was a collection of his better known 1960s compositions. This was followed by Exciting Television Music of Ron Grainer (RCA, 1980), which covered the 1970s. In 1994 a career-spanning thirty-track CD was released as part of the A to Z of British TV Themes project on the Play it Again record label. Doctor Who theme music The Doctor Who theme music is a piece of music written by Australian composer Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at
13176-481: Was a landmark "folly" in a managed landscape inspiring young artists and adding a touch of romance to a colony seen by British eyes as devoid of legend and antiquity. The Conservatorium of Music continues to feature as a prominent landmark in the townscape and the Royal Botanic Gardens. It features as a focal point at the entry leading to Government House. The place has a strong or special association with
13298-425: Was added to punctuate the episode cliffhangers and serve as a lead-in to the closing theme from The Ambassadors of Death (1970) onwards, with a closing sound effect also introduced, both added by Brian Hodgson of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop . The "middle eight" thus fell out of use in the closing credits from this serial. The first three serials of season 8 reverted to the 1967 arrangement before reinstating
13420-404: Was altered to incorporate some orchestral elements from the 2010–2012 version, along with some other major changes. The 'sting' is unusually quiet in this closing arrangement, often being drowned by the last seconds of the 'next time' trailer and the start of the actual theme. A further revision of the arrangement was made for the 50th anniversary special " The Day of the Doctor ". The fanfare over
13542-646: Was being offered work again so he set up house in Keymer , West Sussex. In 1976, he and Jenny went through an amicable divorce as she had gone back to Portugal while he'd decided to remain in London. Over the next five years, Grainer had a second round of creativity, scoring the Emmy - and BAFTA -winning miniseries Edward & Mrs Simpson as well as Tales of the Unexpected (1979) and Rebecca (1979). Grainer had one notable incidental music score and two TV signature tunes debut
13664-432: Was executed by ex convict architect Frances Greenway. Greenway had a key role in implementing landmark elements of Macquarie's designs for churches and public buildings. The Stables was the first stage of Macquarie's plan for a New Government House and although this was not built, the Stables influenced the new Government House that was eventually built. After the building's conversion to the Conservatorium of Music it has been
13786-476: Was incisive but briefer than had been hoped. When he put a request to the NSW Government that he be paid separate salaries for his artistic work as conductor of the orchestra (by then the NSW State Orchestra) and educational work as director of the conservatorium, the government withdrew its subsidies for both the orchestra and the string quartet that Verbrugghen had installed. He resigned in 1921 after taking
13908-474: Was individually created by cutting, splicing, speeding up and slowing down segments of analogue tape containing recordings of a single plucked string, white noise , and the simple harmonic waveforms of test-tone oscillators which were used for calibrating equipment and rooms, not creating music. The main, pulsing bassline rhythm was created from a recording of a single plucked string, played over and over again in different patterns created by splicing copies of
14030-518: Was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 14 January 2011 having satisfied the following criteria: The Conservatorium of Music is of historic significance at a State level because when it was designed and built the building was a key element in Governor Lachlan Macquarie's grand vision to make Sydney into an attractive, well designed city. The design was a result of Macquarie's ideas with input from his wife Elizabeth and
14152-402: Was made to sound more mysterious than previous renditions but was only used for this single season of the series. Glynn's theme reverts to the traditional key of E minor, even though it is largely detuned in some episodes (perhaps as a result of a mistake in the dubbing stage). The bassline was performed on a Roland Juno-6 synthesiser, while the melody and filtered noise effects were performed on
14274-401: Was modified. Some sounds were created at all the required pitches direct from the oscillators, others had to be repitched later by adjusting the tape playback speed and re-recording the sound onto another tape player. This process continued until every sound was available at all the required pitches. To create dynamics, the notes were re-recorded at largely different levels. Each individual note
14396-457: Was officially opened on 6 April 1915. Henri Verbrugghen was appointed as director on 20 May 1915 and teaching began on 6 March 1916. The site was formerly dedicated with an area of 3 roods 20 perches for a conservatorium of music on 22 December 1916 but was revoked on 2 November 1917 for an enlarged area of 3 roods 31 perches. The Conservatorium High School commenced in 1919. After consideration of various proposals to increase accommodation,
14518-515: Was one of the reasons Macquarie was recalled to Britain. The Conservatorium building also has strong associations with Macquarie's wife, Elizabeth, an influential figure in moulding the colony into a more ordered and stylish place under her husband and with the assistance of Greenway. Since the building was converted for use as a Conservatorium in 1916, it has been the core music education institution in NSW and has strong associations with numerous important musicians. Sydney Conservatorium of Music
14640-428: Was reinstated until the new theme arranged in 2014. The arrangement of the theme was once again revised in 2014 to mark the introduction of Peter Capaldi as the twelfth incarnation of The Doctor . This version removed the opening fanfare of the 2010–2012 and 2012–13 versions, returning to the traditional opening bars with a prominent bassline, accompanied by bells and a variety of futuristic sound effects, as well as
14762-473: Was then trimmed to length by cutting the tape, and stuck together in the right order. This was done for each "line" in the music – the main plucked bass, the bass slides (an organ-like tone emphasising the grace notes), the hisses, the swoops, the melody, a second melody line (a high organ-like tone used for emphasis), and the bubbles and clouds. Most of these individual bits of tape making up lines of music, complete with edits every inch, still survive. This done,
14884-604: Was travelling in a truck; he sustained a severe injury and was admitted to the 3 RAAF Hospital, seriously ill. For a while, the air force medical team considered amputation, but Grainer eventually recovered. He was discharged from the RAAF as permanently medically unfit in September 1945. A rehabilitation course took him to the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music , where he studied under Eugene Goossens . Grainer received his teaching and performing diploma for pianoforte in December 1949. During 1950 and 1951 he began appearing in
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