DR WHO COMPOSER DIES

Doctor Who composer Dudley Simpson dead at 95 – conductor who wrote music for BBC series in the 60s and 70s dies at home in Australia

The musician composed music for around 290 episodes of the hit sci-fi show

A COMPOSER who wrote music for Dr Who has died aged 95.

Dudley Simpson, who wrote the music for the BBC series between the 1960s and 1970s, passed away at his home in Australia on November 4.

The 95-year-old composed music for around 290 episodes of the hit sci-fi show.

He worked on Dr Who during William Hartnell's stint as the First Doctor in Planet of Giants in 1964.

Simpson even appeared as a conductor in the Fourth Doctor story The Talons of Weng-Chiang in 1997.

But his role came to an end when John Nathan-Turner became producer of the show in 1980.

Simpson's last broadcast work on Doctor Who was for The Horns of Nimon.

The talented composer learned piano as a child living in Melbourne before serving in New Guinea during World War II.

He then studied orchestration and composition at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Simpson started his career as an assistant conductor and pianist before later becoming musical director for the Borovansky Ballet Company.

He then moved to the UK where he was principal conductor at the Royal Opera House for three years.

The musician retired in the 1990s and returned to Australia - but helped celebrate Dr Who's 50th anniversary in 2013.

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