Orchestral variations

[PaulS]

Here are a couple of pieces I recently completed in Logic. I started out using the Garageband Symphony Orchestra JamPack, but wasn't happy with some of the sounds (particularly strings) so bought the Kirk Hunter Emerald collection, which seemed a good balance between quality and price. There are still some GB Symphony instruments in there, though, where they sounded better (some woodwind). Hope you enjoy!

The Watcher Concerto - http://www.velvet-jacket.com/music/watcher_concerto.mp3
I've always loved the regeneration music at the end of Logopolis and over the years it has grown in my head into an epic, which is something I wanted to capture in my first orchestral composition in Logic. I deliberately didn't listen to the original while working on this as I wanted to replicate the version in my head, so it's not note perfect but my interpretation of the themes - although the only consciously 'new' bit was to extend the 'companion flashback' middle section. And it's not a true concerto, I just called it that after it came out as three distinct sections.

Sontaran March- http://www.velvet-jacket.com/music/sontaran_march.mp3
This is based on two cues from The Two Doctors. After watching it on original broadcast, I loved and tried to memorise the stomping Sontaran theme (didn't have a video recorder in those days). I was surprised, on finally being able to see it again on VHS release, that this wasn't as powerful as I recalled, so for this composition I wanted to make it a real march with brass and drums. To break it up I added the 'chase' theme - another favourite cue from Peter Howell's marvellous score - and found it fitted surprisingly well with the main march. Again, this isn't intended to be note perfect to the original but how the themes have become after buzzing round my head for 25 years!

[PaulS]

Would love to hear people's thoughts on either of these pieces. Anyone?

Cheers
Paul

[ReddiShadow]

Although I've been lurking on this site since the 2008-9 Whomix Drought, I've not registered till now. So, an opinion, you say? All right, here's one:

Watcher Concerto:
Although an excellent recreation of an orchestra, if you hadn't told me it was synthesised I would have thought you'd recorded it with a small orchestra, it seems rather wishy-washy. It simply doesn't have the necessary oomph, and the distinctive melody of the Baker-Davison regeneration is sort of hidden, you wouldn't hear it was there unless you're looking for it.

Sontaran March:
Now this is more like it. This is far more appropriate to the original music, although I'm of the camp that says if it's not note perfect, say it's 'inspired by' not 'a cover of'. If you'd have said "this is what I thought the Sontaran theme from The Two Doctors should have been like", I'd have given it five stars. However, since it's supposed to be a cover, I just can't get around how different the melody is.

Although not the strongest start, I say don't give up by any means. This shows great potential, and I honestly would love to hear reworkings of themes like the opening to Remembrance of the Daleks, some of Dudley Simpson's work, or the final speech in Survival ("There are worlds out there... where the sky is burning..." etc)

[PaulS]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, ReddiShadow, much appreciated.

I'm flattered, if a little surprised, to hear you say you'd have thought the Watcher Concerto was played by a real orchestra if you hadn't known! To me it still sounds obviously synthy (I can't afford really high-end instrument samples) although it is better than my original version done purely with the GarageBand Symphony pack - now that did sound fake! Not sure I agree with it lacking "oomph", however, and the melody seems pretty clear to me, but then I know it's there.

Have to take you up on your comments about the Sontaran piece, though. Nowhere do I say it's "a cover" of Peter Howell's fantastic incidentals. As I explained, it's supposed to represent how the themes sound in my head after buzzing around there (there's a lot of room) for decades. Again, the melody, while not note perfect, seems pretty accurate to me. Where are you hearing significant difference?

Cheers
Paul