Archive
Dudley Simpson, 1922-2017
Composer and conductor Dudley Simpson died in Sydney, Australia, on November 4, 2017, at the age of 95.
One of the most prolific composers in the history of British television, Simpson was best known for his extraordinary contribution to Doctor Who, writing incidental music for more than 60 stories and almost 300 episodes between 1964 and 1980. He also composed memorable themes and scores for The Brothers, The Tomorrow People, Blake’s 7 and numerous prestigious BBC drama productions.
Dudley George Simpson was born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 4, 1922. A gifted pianist from childhood, he won an interstate radio competition at 13 and subsequently became the station’s official accompanist. During World War II he served as a warrant officer with the Australian Army in New Guinea, where his hand was injured when a truck he was driving was struck during a Japanese bombing raid. Playing the piano became an important part of his recuperation.
After the war Simpson studied orchestration and composition at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and joined the Borovansky Ballet, initially as pianist and assistant conductor. He eventually became the company’s musical director in 1957. Two years later he travelled to Britain as a guest conductor at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, subsequently becoming principal conductor of its orchestra from 1960 to 1963. His work included touring with the Royal Ballet and conducting performances featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Read more…
THOR RAGNAROK – Mark Mothersbaugh
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Thor Ragnarok is, quite astonishingly, the seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fifth in Marvel’s Phase 3 series, and the third film focusing on the character Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. Chris Hemsworth returns to the title role, and in this installment finds himself having to escape from the clutches of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), the ruler of the planet Sakaar, who has enslaved Thor, forcing him to compete in a series of gladiatorial games. Meanwhile, the city of Asgard has been taken over by Hela the Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett), Thor’s long-exiled sister, whose merciless rule is threatening to bring about the prophesized ‘ragnarok’ – the destruction of Asgard and the death of the Gods. The film co-stars Tom Hiddlestone, Idris Elba, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins, and is directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi. Read more…
HOPE AND GLORY – Peter Martin
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Hope and Glory is a semi-autobiographical film written and directed by John Boorman, which takes a look at the experiences of a young boy and his family living through the Blitz, the nightly bombing of London by the Nazi German Luftwaffe air force at the height of World War II. Despite the very serious subject matter, Hope and Glory is a quite wonderful film due to its perspective; much like Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, it is told from the point of view of a young boy who sees the world with an idealized innocence, and for whom the terrors of air raids are an adventurous game. It’s a clever and effective mix of a coming-of-age drama, a children’s action film, a social and familial comedy, and a nostalgic celebration of the resilience of wartime London, and was a huge critical success, being nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. The film starred David Hayman, Sarah Miles, Sammi Davis, Ian Bannen, and young Sebastian Rice-Edwards as the lead character Bill, and has an original score by British composer Peter Martin. Read more…
Shop at the Movie Music UK Store
Member of the
MOVIE MUSIC UK 