Matt Smith’s performance with the little one from the audience was heartwarming and delightful; it reminded me of the way Tom Baker effortlessly connected with young fans during his tenure. Just when I thought I could not be more impressed with him, he proves me wrong yet again.

Roger, I think you are right – New Who music, while fantastic, does lack that sense of strangeness which many scores had in the ‘classic’ series.

Celine, wow, it sounds like you had a brilliant time. Everyone knows Doctor Who in the UK, it’s everywhere!

Yeah, I did. Saturday (sitting) and Sunday (staying). Coming from France for it, I thought I could as well go twice.
I talked to so many people (mentioning the oodcast here and there !), and saw so many amazing cosplays, and Sunday, I saw the Doctor come out of a trapdoor just next to me. It was the most amazing and awesome thing that happened to me concerning Doctor Who.
But I wanted to say, I really, really loved being in a country where everyone understood the joke of my daleks disguised as salt and pepper shakers tee shirt, even non completely whovian people in the street. And where people are queuing really politely and respectfully of the place of everyone. And, of course, I loved waiting on Sunday and talking to so much whovians people, families, friends, younger and elder. I knew Doctor Who is quite a thing, in England, but I never thought it would be SUCH a big thing. There was a family where the father was dressed as an ancient Doctor, the mother as his assistant, and the two sons, around 11 and 13, dressed as Nine and Ten.

So, back to the music. I actually saw some of the old episodes, but more like Laura, only a few, and not always completely. So I can’t really compare the musics, and I didn’t listen to cassette for ages, so… But being in the Royal Albert Hall and listening to this whole orchestra playing was an experience full of huge emotions, almost to much, sometimes. And I’m listening to it again and again since Monday…
I really hope you will go, one day, maybe next year if we are lucky, or in two years, because it ‘s worth it. And I’m sure the Littlest Doctor would absolutely love it, and look awesome in his cosplay.
What’s for sure is that I will definitely be there.

I won’t mention the earlier stuff, as you’ve covered it excellently Andy. But the late 80s, which was also mentioned in that documentary, brought the move into a more poppy score, which I remember very vividly. The score for Battlefield, which I watched again recently was great – quite modern at the time but without going too far down that route and retaining a lot of the suspense when it was needed – especially the arthurian scenes. Mark Ayres is very modest in that programme too: his score for Ghostlight is really very evocative, and I think he did The Curse of Fenric too, which is really good.

I ought to put a vote in for the soundtrack to Silver Nemesis though. It was loud – and quite pointlessly so in places – but was just about the only thing to hold together in that story… I’m still stupidly excited that’s coming out on DVD – essential plank of my childhood gaming that was. Just imagine the thrill of asking Ace to blow up that spaceship with some that Nitro 9 she wasn’t carrying. Marvellous lunchtimes…

Sadly the idea of listening to incidental music is a geekdom too far for me, but if you’re a musical person then maybe it carries an extra resonance (I recently bought JMJ Oxygene on CD and was instantly transported back to the early 80s lying in my bedroom on a Saturday night being transported to magical distant worlds).