Dudley Simpson (1922-2017)
The Australian composer Dudley Simpson wrote the title music for Roger Price’s 70s’ ITV sci-fi TV series The Tomorrow People and for the BBC sci-fi TV series Blake’s Seven. I found the Tomorrow People titles completely haunting with their black and white, stop-frame graphics of flowers, embryos and hands opening.
He was principal conductor of the Royal Opera House for three years. What amazes me is that after working with acoustic instruments on early episodes of Dr Who, he took so easily to working with electronics instead for subsequent series, using machines such as the EMS Synthi 100 and the Moog Polymoog.
On his arrangements, Simpson cleverly combines acoustic instruments and electronic ones. He also composed and produced the music for sixty two episodes from the Dr Who series, including The Green Death (1973) and The Brain of Morbius (1976).
Along with Dudley Simpson I respect the work of Peter Howell for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. (You might like to listen to Peter Howell’s music for Dr Jonathan Miller’s BBC documentary series: The Body in Question [1978]. Mesmerising.)
