After its success earlier in the year in Melbourne, the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is to be performed at the Sydney Opera House over the 15th-16th December 2012.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday 24th September at 9:00am, but there is an "Insider" early-bird 20% discount booking that opens tomorrow morning, which can be received by signing up to a free enews list (note: there was a time limit for 6:00pm on the 18th for this in Australia, that has since passed).

Full details and how to book can be found via the Sydney Opera House website.

BBC Radio 4 is to investigate the history of electronic music in Britain, in a new documentary featuring interviews with many past Doctor Who contributers.

A Sound British Adventure is being broadcast next Tuesday, 14 August, at 11.30am. It is presented by comedian Stewart Lee and looks at how, following the end of World War II, a group of electronic pioneers used their army surplus kit to create new sounds and music.

The programme looks at the work of the first commercial electronic music studio in Britain, which was started in 1969 by Tristram Cary, who also wrote incidental music for 48 Doctor Who episodes between 1963 and 1972. It examines the make do and mend approach in the industry which led to Cary's partner, Peter Zinovieff, developing synthesizers from a shed at the bottom of his garden in Putney.

Also interviewed is long time Doctor Who contributor Brian Hodgson, who worked on 321 episodes of the classic series, creating special sounds, most famously the sounds of the TARDIS. In the programme he tells about 1960s experimental and electronic festivals, including The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave (1967) at which The Beatles' electronic piece Carnival Of Light had its only public airing, as well as discussing how the BBC Radiophonic workshop broke new musical ground with Doctor Who.

Experts in the history of electronic music, including author and Doctor Who musician Mark Ayers give the boffins' view and Portishead's Adrian Utley explains why the early forays in electronics are still relevant today.

The programme can be heard on FM in the UK and around the world via the BBC Website.

The BBC have released a series of photographs marking the anniversary of the formation of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in April 1958.

 The Workshop was heavily involved in the creation of sounds and music for the classic series of Doctor Who. It is best known for the realisation of Ron Grainer's opening music to the series. Delia Derbyshire, one of the Workshop's composers, took the score and created the unique sound by creating every note on quarter inch tape and then splicing the whole lot together to achieve one of the most iconic theme tunes on British Television.

The workshop provided most of the sound effects used on the series, including the sound of the TARDIS materialising, which was achieved by scraping a key along the strings of an old piano.

The Workshop closed in 1998.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is performing the music of Murray Gold, at two concerts taking place in Cardiff next Monday evening, 12th March.

The Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster, will performing a live soundtrack to a special screening of last year's Christmas Special, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

The concerts, which take place at 6pm and 7.45pm, are free to attend and will take place at the 350 seater BBC Hoddinott Hall, part of the Wales Millennium Centre based in Cardiff Bay.

Tickets can be booked through the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Audience Line on 03700 10 10 51.

This Saturday will see the performance of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, taking place at the Plenary Hall, MCEC in Melbourne and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

The two hour concert will be presented by actor Mark Sheppard, and conducted by Doctor Who stalwart Ben Foster, with composer Murray Gold on piano. Choral aspects of the performance will be by the Concordis Chamber Choir, led by Chorus Master Andrew Hunter, with solos undertaken by Antoinette Halloran (soprano) and Tobias Cole (counter-tenor).

There will be two performances taking place, one at 2:00pm and the other at 7:00pm. At the time of writing both performances are sold out.

Publicity

Ben Foster featured as a guest on ABC Melbourne 774 to discuss the concert and his music career; the interview can be downloaded from their website. Meanwhile, Mark Sheppard talked to ABC Hobart 936 about his prolific career, which is also available for download.

A photocall for the concert took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, featuring a Dalek, Cyberman and Silent.


Gold was also interviewed by the Australian, chatting about his career in television and films.

This roundup contains four fan-made music videos that have recently been released.

The soundtrack to Doctor Who Series 6 will be released in the UK on 5th December 2011.

The 2 Disc set from Sliva Screen features music composed by Murray Gold to accompany the sixth full Doctor Who series since the programme returned in 2005.

Final details of the release including the track list are still to be confirmed. The CD is now available to pre-order on Amazon.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is to present the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular next February as part of the celebrations for the grand re-opening of the Hamer Hall venue at the Melbourne Arts Centre.

The concert, similar to the format seen at the two Proms concerts in London, will feature music from the television series, combined with classic clips and live monsters.

More details will be available nearer the event.

(newslink: Herald Sun, Sydney Morning Herald)

As part of Record Store Day on April the 16th 2011, Silva Screen have made available an exclusive limited 7" vinyl release of the soundtracks from the 1960's Dalek films, Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.. The CD version, featuring the restored soundtracks was released in October 2009.


The soundtrack will be available to buy from your local record shop. See list of participating stores.

Silva Screen have released the cover art and tracklisting for the soundtrack to A Christmas Carol. The album was originally due to be released in the UK on 21 February but has now been delayed until 21 March.


The music is composed by now Doctor Who composer of choice Murray Gold and performed by the excellent BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Crouch End Festival Chorus. The album will be released both physically (SILCD1360) and digitally (SILED1360). The TV episode was broadcast on Christmas Day at 6pm and featured Matt Smith as The Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond and Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams. They were joined by Michael Gambon as Kazran Sardick and Katherine Jenkins as Abigail Pettigrew.