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Manchester honours the woman behind the spooky music of Doctor Who Manchester honours the woman behind the pioneering music of Doctor Who
(35 minutes later)
The godmother of British electronic music who helped to create one of the most recognisable of TV theme tunes and pioneered the genre through her work in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is to be commemorated in an inaugural one-day celebration of her work in Manchester. The godmother of British electronic music who helped to create one of the most recognisable TV theme tunes of all time and pioneered the genre through her work in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is to be commemorated in an inaugural one-day celebration of her work in Manchester.
Delia Derbyshire Day, which will take place at Band on the Wall on Swan Street this Saturday 12 January, is the first substantial public exploration of her achievements as composer and musician. They include the realisation of Ron Grainer's original Dr Who theme tune. Delia Derbyshire Day, which will take place at Band on the Wall in Manchester's Northern Quarter this Saturday 12 January, is the first substantial public exploration of her achievements as composer and musician. They include the realisation of Ron Grainer's original Doctor Who theme tune.
The event will include the showing of Cara Blake's award-winning documentary The Delian Mode, an expert panel discussion on the scope and influence of her work and the concert premiere of three specially commissioned works by the Delia Darlings. Attendees will also be treated to previously publicly unreleased archive material.The event will include the showing of Cara Blake's award-winning documentary The Delian Mode, an expert panel discussion on the scope and influence of her work and the concert premiere of three specially commissioned works by the Delia Darlings. Attendees will also be treated to previously publicly unreleased archive material.
It is both a timely nod to this year's 50th anniversary of Dr Who and the extensive Delia Derbyshire attic archives, which are on permanent loan to the NOVARS institute at Manchester University on Oxford Road for research from BBC Radiophonic Workshop archivist Mark Ayres. The tapes of her recordings were delivered to the university in unlabelled cereal boxes in 2007 after being found in her house following her death in 2001. It is both a timely nod to this year's 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and the extensive Delia Derbyshire attic archives, which are on permanent loan to the NOVARS institute at Manchester University for research from BBC Radiophonic Workshop archivist Mark Ayres. The tapes of her recordings were delivered to the university in unlabelled cereal boxes in 2007 after being found in her house following her death in 2001.
A true seamstress of sound, she turned organic and everyday material into some of the earliest modern British electronic compositions. Yet although her work was played in the majority of British homes and minds during her three decade career with the BBC she never became the true household name that she rightfully deserved. A true seamstress of sound, she turned organic and everyday material into some of the earliest modern British electronic compositions. Yet although her work was played in the majority of British homes and minds during her three decade career with the BBC she never became the true household name that she rightfully deserved to be.
Her career has inspired untold numbers of musicians such as Aphex Twin and Orbital and has seen her music sampled in the work of the likes of Pink Floyd and The Timelords (aka The KLF). Initially employed as a trainee studio manager in 1960, she asked to be moved to the newly created Radiophonic Workshop. This was considered a bizarre choice as it was a department to which workers were generally assigned rather than volunteering themselves, but it was the start of a studio romance. Her career has inspired untold numbers of musicians – such as Aphex Twin and Orbital – and her music has been sampled by the likes of Pink Floyd and the Timelords (aka the KLF). Initially employed as a trainee studio manager in 1960, Derbyshire asked to be moved to the newly created Radiophonic Workshop. This was considered a bizarre choice as it was a department to which workers were generally assigned rather than volunteering themselves, but it was the start of a studio romance.
Fascinated by "concrete" sounds, those recorded and modified electronically, she used voices, white noise, everyday sounds picked up from microphones and musical instruments to make her soundscapes. She cut, mixed and spliced the analogue tapes used to record her efforts and employed studio equipment to loop and distort them as well as experimenting with square wave oscillators to help build intricately-timed rhythms to form the base of her pieces. Fascinated by "concrete" sounds, those recorded and modified electronically, she used voices, white noise, and everyday sounds picked up from microphones and musical instruments to make her soundscapes. She cut, mixed and spliced the analogue tapes used to record her efforts and employed studio equipment to loop and distort them as well as experimenting with square wave oscillators to help build intricately-timed rhythms to form the base of her pieces.
She delighted in the opportunity to be a founding pillar of the Radiophonic outpost which was created initially to satisfy demand for producing forward-thinking music to accompany new types of programming during the early 1960s. Electronic musician and sound engineer Caro C (Caroline Churchill), one of the women behind Delia Derbyshire Day and the associated Delia Darlings musical project, classifies her music as being basically She delighted in the opportunity to be a founding pillar of the Radiophonic outpost which was created initially to satisfy demand for producing forward-thinking music to accompany new types of programming during the early 1960s. Electronic musician and sound engineer Caro C (Caroline Churchill), one of the women behind Delia Derbyshire Day and the associated Delia Darlings musical project, classifies her music as being basically "synthesised without the synthesisers".
synthesised without the synthesisers. In a long article explaining the genesis of the theme tune, Mark Ayers explains:
Derbyshire not only made her mark on increasing numbers of BBC productions but directed and participated in groundbreaking projects under a variety of pseudonyms - a requirement for Radiophonic Workshop staff who were not credited under their own names. She worked with colleagues to organise one of the earliest electronic music concerts in London under the joint alias Unite Delta Plus, while her personal favourite was Li De La Russe, the name she used to help produce the incredible White Noise album An Electric Storm. She also helped set up the Kaleidophon Studio which in conjunction with composer Guy Woolfenden arranged the score for the notable Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth in 1967. There being no "synthesisers", the Workshop needed a source of electronic sound. They found this in a bank of twelve high-quality test tone generators, the usual function of which was to output various tones (square waves, sine waves) for passing through electronic circuits for testing gain, distortion and so on ... Each sound in the Doctor Who theme was individually created using these instruments, and recorded to magnetic tape ... Now the fun really started. They had all the sounds, all the notes, and now had to create the music. So each individual note was trimmed to length by cutting the tape, and stuck together in the right order.
On first hearing the theme Derbyshire had arranged, Grainer asked: "Did I really write this?" She replied: "Most of it."
Derbyshire not only made her mark on increasing numbers of BBC productions but directed and participated in groundbreaking projects under a variety of pseudonyms - a requirement for Radiophonic Workshop staff who were not credited under their own names. She worked with colleagues to organise one of the earliest electronic music concerts in London under the joint alias Unite Delta Plus, while her personal favourite was Li De La Russe, the name she used to help produce the incredible White Noise album An Electric Storm. She also helped set up the Kaleidophon Studio, which, in conjunction with composer Guy Woolfenden, arranged the score for the notable Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth in 1967.
Delia Derbyshire Day 2013 from Delia Darlings on Vimeo.Delia Derbyshire Day 2013 from Delia Darlings on Vimeo.
Way ahead of her time in regards to her craft, she prospered in an industry that still today exhibits a relative dearth of women. Notably, she was derided by major recording label Decca Records,who replied to her 1959 studio job application by stating that Way ahead of her time in regards to her craft, she prospered in an industry that still today exhibits a relative dearth of women. Notably, she was derided by major recording label Decca Records, who replied to her 1959 studio job application by stating that "the recording studio is no place for a woman".
the recording studio is no place for a woman. This use of avant-garde work within the mainstream had the effect of introducing more and more people to her work, although most remain unaware of the extent of her contributions to electronic music and popular broadcasting theme tunes. The reliance on pseudonyms meant that she was never fully given the recognition she was due, even for her work on the Dalek-busting theme.

This combining of avant-garde work within mainstream spheres had the effect of introducing more and more people to her work, although most remain unaware of the extent of her contributions to electronic music and popular broadcasting theme tunes. The reliance on pseudonyms meant that she was never fully given the recognition she was due, even for her work on the Dalek-busting theme.
Despite being revered by the relative few who knew her true identity she quit her role at the BBC in 1973 after becoming disillusioned with the direction the genre seemed to be heading, including the increasing reliance upon electronic synthesisers. After a short stint at the Electrophon studio she left the industry entirely. She only made a professional return shortly before her death in 2001, when she collaborated with Sonic Boom on their experimental audio research.Despite being revered by the relative few who knew her true identity she quit her role at the BBC in 1973 after becoming disillusioned with the direction the genre seemed to be heading, including the increasing reliance upon electronic synthesisers. After a short stint at the Electrophon studio she left the industry entirely. She only made a professional return shortly before her death in 2001, when she collaborated with Sonic Boom on their experimental audio research.
Derbyshire Day has attracted £10,000 and £5,000 funding respectively from Arts Council England and PRS along with an Arts Council Montreal grant to enable Canadian filmmaker Kara Blake to fly over to talk about her documentary on Derbyshire. It has also earned the support of Manchester University's David Butler, who helped bring her archives to the city, and the Delia Derbyshire estate.Derbyshire Day has attracted £10,000 and £5,000 funding respectively from Arts Council England and PRS along with an Arts Council Montreal grant to enable Canadian filmmaker Kara Blake to fly over to talk about her documentary on Derbyshire. It has also earned the support of Manchester University's David Butler, who helped bring her archives to the city, and the Delia Derbyshire estate.
Caro, who came across Derbyshire in 2007, enlisted musicians Ailís Ní Ríain and Naomi Kashiwagi to help raise awareness of her work and its physical presence in Manchester through the Delia Darlings collective. She says of Derbyshire's work:Caro, who came across Derbyshire in 2007, enlisted musicians Ailís Ní Ríain and Naomi Kashiwagi to help raise awareness of her work and its physical presence in Manchester through the Delia Darlings collective. She says of Derbyshire's work:
It was a lot more free, daring and experimental sonically than what you hear nowadays. Listening to her archives I got really humbled by how graceful the sound was, especially her production efforts, in a pre-synthesiser age. She had to create tones and overtones without relying on advanced machinery. I think we've lost that grace in a lot of modern music-there's too much technology and processes. It warps the original ideas. It was a lot more free, daring and experimental sonically than what you hear nowadays. Listening to her archives I got really humbled by how graceful the sound was, especially her production efforts, in a pre-synthesiser age. She had to create tones and overtones without relying on advanced machinery. I think we've lost that grace in a lot of modern music -there's too much technology and processes. It warps the original ideas.
Caro cites her favourite Derbyshire compositions as Blue Veils and Golden Sand and the Delian Mode, calling them Caro cites her favourite Derbyshire compositions as Blue Veils and Golden Sand and the Delian Mode, calling them "sublime and very ambient pieces which I can hear echoes of in Aphex Twin's Ambient Works. He gets somewhere near that grace in the album but I don't think it's very often that this happens nowadays."

sublime and very ambient pieces which I can hear echoes of in Aphex Twin's Ambient Works. He gets somewhere near that grace in the album but I don't think it's very often that this happens nowadays.
Talking about the Delia Darlings, she reveals that they intend to continue their inspiration's preoccupation with the avant-garde by collaborating with artists who specialise in diverse genres.Talking about the Delia Darlings, she reveals that they intend to continue their inspiration's preoccupation with the avant-garde by collaborating with artists who specialise in diverse genres.
I didn't think it would be that interesting to have three electronic artists on the project as Delia's work was so experimental. I wanted people who had creative angles and were dedicated to their craft.I didn't think it would be that interesting to have three electronic artists on the project as Delia's work was so experimental. I wanted people who had creative angles and were dedicated to their craft.
Delia darlings Tour N England JAN 2013 from Delia Darlings on Vimeo.Delia darlings Tour N England JAN 2013 from Delia Darlings on Vimeo.
The Delia Darlings will be taking celebrations of her work to other parts of the north this month in a mini tour that includes Newcastle, Sheffield and Liverpool to showcase her talents. The group are unsure where the project will lead them next but Caro has expressed hope that Derbyshire Day becomes a regular event - or even a national holiday in tribute to this most undervalued nurturer of electronic music. The Delia Darlings will be taking celebrations of her work to other parts of the north this month in a mini-tour that includes Newcastle, Sheffield and Liverpool to showcase her talents. The group are unsure where the project will lead them next but Caro has expressed hope that Derbyshire Day becomes a regular event - or even a national holiday in tribute to this most undervalued nurturer of electronic music.
Tickets for Delia Derbyshire day are £12 for the full day (Symposium and Concert), Symposium only £6 and £7.50 for the evening concert and can be bought at http://bandonthewall.org/events/3762/. More information can be found at: www.deliaderbyshireday.wordpress.com Trawling YouTube for the Timelords, White Noise and many others will enjoyable eat into your day... Tickets for Delia Derbyshire day are £12 for the full day (symposium and concert), symposium only £6, and £7.50 for the evening concert, and can be bought at the Band on the Wall website. More information can be found at: www.deliaderbyshireday.wordpress.com Trawling YouTube for the Timelords, White Noise and many others will enjoyably eat into your day ...
Chloe Glover is a freelance writer, blogger and journalism student at Salford University. She also writes for the Salford Star and Quays News and is a volunteer at the Working Class Movement Library. Chloe Glover is a freelance writer, blogger and journalism student at Salford University. She also writes for the Salford Star and Quays News and is a volunteer at the Working Class Movement Library