Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (Australia & New Zealand Tour 2014)
The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (Australia & New Zealand Tour 2014) saw the concert go on tour for the first time and comprised twelfth through eighteenth performances of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. It was performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Plenary Hall, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia; the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia; and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at TSB Bank Arena, Wellington, New Zealand between 31 January-22 February 2014.
Overview[[edit] | [edit source]]
The concert was announced on 5 August 2013 by BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand.[1][2] It was conducted by Ben Foster and hosted by Peter Davison, who was announced on 17 December 2013.[3][4]
In Melbourne, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus and soloists Antoinette Halloran (soprano), Paul McMahon (tenor) and Greta Wilkinson (child soprano); in Brisbane, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra was accompanied by the Brisbane Chorale and soloists Antoinette Halloran (soprano), Iain Henderson (tenor) and Lauren Elvery (child soprano); and in Wellington, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra was accompanied by soloists Anna Pierard (soprano), Oliver Sewell (tenor) and Mia Vinaccia (child soprano).
There were seven performances:[5]
- Melbourne
- 31 January 2014 - an evening show at 7:30pm.
- 1 February 2014 - a matinee at 2pm and an evening show at 7:30pm.
- Brisbane
- 8 February 2014 - an evening show at 7:30pm.
- Wellington
- 21 February 2014 - an evening show at 6:30pm
- 22 February 2014 - a matinee at 2pm and an evening show at 6:30pm.
There were several monsters present on stage and walking around the audience, including:
- A Silent
- A Weeping Angel
- An Ice Warrior
- The Mummy
- The Queen of Years and The Chorister
- 2 Ood
- 2 Silurians
- 2 Vampire Girls
- 2 Vigil
- 2 Whisper Men
- 5 Cybermen: 2 Rise of the Cybermen design, 2 Nightmare in Silver design and a Wooden Cyberman
- 3 New Paradigm Daleks: A Supreme Dalek (White), a Strategist Dalek (Blue) and a Drone Dalek (Red)
There were sixteen individual pieces in all. Eight pieces performed, followed by a twenty-minute interval, then another eight pieces.
Some pieces followed the names and themes of their CD release counterparts, while others were extended pieces that used an overarching theme or initial name and piece to lead into other pieces.
Promotional statement[[edit] | [edit source]]
Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is a musical celebration of the iconic BBC series, featuring Murray Gold’s captivating music, accompanied by specially edited sequences of Matt Smith’s performance as the Eleventh Doctor on the big screen.
A host of monsters including the spine-chilling Silence and the awe-inspiring Daleks and Cybermen will add to the electric atmosphere.
The 2014 show will feature all-new content - including the latest music from the 50th anniversary episode and Christmas special The Time of the Doctor. It will also feature a look back at some of the previous Doctors, music from the last five decades, plus performances of some audience favourites.
Programme[[edit] | [edit source]]
| Act One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Piece | Runtime | Notes |
| The Madman with a Box | 2'52" | "The Madman with a Box". First performed at the 2010 Proms. |
| I Am The Doctor | 4'59" | "I Am the Doctor" & "Words Win Wars". First performed at the 2010 Proms, but uses the shorter 2013 Proms edit. |
| The Companions | 6'56" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "Rose's Theme", "Martha's Theme", "Donna's Theme", "The Life and Death of Amy Pond" & "Amy's Theme". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| Cyber Shard | 4'44" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "The Dream of Cyberia", "Cyber Army", "The Speeder" & "Up The Shard". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| Abigail’s Song | 4'40" | "Abigail's Song (Silence is all you Know)". First performed at the DWSS (Melbourne). |
| Classic Doctor Who Medley | 7'58" | First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| The Final Chapter of Amelia Pond | 6'20" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "New York New York", "Together or Not at All (The Song of Amy and Rory)", "Goodbye Pond" & "Little Amy". First performed at the DWSS (Sydney), but uses the shorter 2013 Proms edit. |
| The Rings of Akhaten | 5'28" | "The Long Song" & "Infinite Potential". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
Interval (20 mins)
| Act Two | ||
|---|---|---|
| Piece | Runtime | Notes |
| All the Strange, Strange Creatures | 3'35" | "All the Strange, Strange Creatures" & "Locked On". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| The Impossible Girl | 3'38" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "Clara in the Tardis" & "Clara?". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| First There Were Daleks | 5'30" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "The Dark and Endless Dalek Night", "They are Everywhere", "A Probe in the Snow", "Dalek Parliament", "Remember Me" & "Towards the Asylum". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| The Name of the Doctor | 7'36" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "To Save The Doctor", "Whisper Men", "Glasgow", "I am Information", "Trenzalore", "Pain Everlasting" & "The Wedding of River Song". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| Fifty | 14'23" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home", "Song for Fifty" & "Song for Four / Home". New piece making its debut performance. |
| The Time of the Doctor | 8'32" | Suite containing either all, or excerpts of, the following cues: "The Message", "Rhapsody of War", "The Dance of the Naked Doctor", "Papal Mainframe", "The Crack", "Back to Christmas" & "Never Tell Me the Rules". New piece making its debut performance. |
| Vale Decem | 3'18" | Encore piece. "Vale Decem". First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
| Doctor Who Theme | 1'39" | Encore piece. 2012 arrangement. First performed at the 2013 Proms. |
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Tickets for the Symphonic Spectacular went on sale on 9 August 2013 in Australia and on 30 August 2013 in New Zealand.
- Initially the concert was only scheduled for four performances in Australia, but on 25 August 2013, three performances in New Zealand were announced.[6]
- There were two video messages from Tom Baker.
- The Wellington performances opened the 2014 New Zealand Festival.[7]
- It was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who.
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- MSO Chorus
- Queensland Symphony Orchestra
- Brisbane Chorale
- NZSO
- Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- ↑ DOCTOR WHO SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR TO TOUR AUSTRALIA. Doctor Who (BBC Worldwide) (5 August 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular to return in 2014. Doctor Who News (5 August 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ PETER DAVISON TO HOST DOCTOR WHO SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. Doctor Who (BBC Worldwide) (17 December 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ Peter Davison to host Symphonic Spectacular. Doctor Who News (17 December 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ Peter Davison to host Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. BBC Media Centre (18 December 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular to land in Wellington. Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage (25 August 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
- ↑ DOCTOR WHO SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR. New Zealand Festival. Retrieved on 23 July 2020.
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