Dr Delia Derbyshire

[paulsherwin]

Somewhat bizarrely, Delia Derbyshire has been awarded a posthumous honorary PhD by Coventry University: https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...posthumous-phd

I saw rather a good TV programme about her (somewhat tragic) life a few years ago, I do hope it is repeated. About time she was in the limelight, even if too late for her.

[Valvepower]

Hi,

Personally, I feel it’s well deserved even if posthumously. It could be said Delia is the Grandmother of electro rock.

A few years ago, there was a 45-minute play about Delia's life called Blue Veils and Golden Sands on Radio 4 – It appears not to be available as this is all I can find

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jvh7

Found the Play on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_HzyUiKnU

Delia used the Jason AG-10 signal generator as part of an early ‘synthesizer’

Terry

[paulsherwin]

It's only the concept of a posthumous doctorate that's a bit bizarre. She did some amazing work at the BBC, but she seems to have been a troubled soul. There's a good Wikipedia article for anyone unfamiliar with her life and work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delia_Derbyshire

[camtechman]

She got a mention on the BBC's "Friendly Radio" 50th anniversary of BBC Local Radio beginning. It was an audio documentary prog that was transmitted on 05/11/17 on all local BBC stations. They mentioned she had been asked to produce a station ident tune.

[paulsherwin]

The Radiophonic Workshop produced jingles and idents for all the early (1967-1970) BBC locals. I don't know the extent of DD's involvement but she was certainty working there at the time.

[joebog1]

She was a master of the art!!
I have been a fan since I first watched Doctor Who sometime in the sixties.
I have one only LP, An Electric Storm !!
Its quite weird though, although I do like side one OK.

Nice piece of news Paul!! Full marks.

Joe

[Brigham]

Not before time!

[Argus25]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

She did some amazing work at the BBC, but she seems to have been a troubled soul.

Brilliant people can often have the more persuasive demons.

[Diabolical Artificer]

Honorary doctorate's whether posthumous are not are to my mind an odd phenomenon, often given to unlikely candidates like dictators, actors and that bloke on the telly.

Yeh, an Electric Storm, Here come the fleas, though not for the feint hearted whilst tripping.

It's always puzzled me why DD is feited as the doyenne of electronic music when she mainly used tape recorders and stuff from the kitchen and didn't think much of the early synth's. Still an extraordinary woman, can't have been easy with all the masoginistic engineer's in white lab coat's.

Here's a good doc for all DD fans - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2dvGQ32q8g

Andy.

[Brigham]

It's probably a bit like Alcock and Brown flying non-stop over the Atlantic, using something not really designed for that purpose.
They achieved more than the average ticket-buyer of today.

[Nymrod121]

Originally Posted by Argus25

Brilliant people can often have the more persuasive demons.

I would be very happy to spend a couple of hours with you in a pub discussing *that* one
Guy

[cliff2903]

After reading the Wikipedia article I've realised I must have walked past her house a thousand times on the way to school, I'm not going to let the fact that she'd moved to London 5 years before I was even born spoil it for me.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
While on the subject of electronic music.
I listened to and recorded, years ago, a radio documentary about the evolution of the Radiophonic Workshop, which featured Daphne Oram, Delia Derbyshire, Desmond Briscoe, et al. It's interesting listening, and I still dig it out occasionally.
It was called: 'Wee Have Also Sounde Houses'. I don't know if it's available anywhere.
I was told that another member, Brian Hodgson, was a distant relation of mine but, alas,I never met him.
Cheers, Pete.

[Oliver35]

'Wee also have Sound Houses' is available on YouTube, and the BBC still hold a radio documentary about Derbyshire on their website, called 'Sculptress of Sound'. Both excellent, although I don't remember Derbyshire appearing on the Oram programme.
I think what makes Derbyshire's output remarkable is not only the ways in which she exploited the limited technology available to her, but also her highly analytical and inspired gift for composition- I find her music far easier to listen to and appreciate than Oram's, for example, remarkable though Oram was, especially from the point of view of technical vision.

Oliver

[camtechman]

As per my previous post #5, here's the clip posted on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6A2AZ0omdM

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
The version of 'Wee Have Also Sound Houses' currently on YouTube, and mentioned, by Oliver is a different one to the programme I recorded back in the 90s.
I wonder if it was remade for another occasion, or another (overseas?) listenership?
Cheers, Pete