Ben Foster
Foster at the 2008 Doctor Who Prom.
Foster at the 2008 Doctor Who Prom.
Background information
Birth nameBenedict Foster
Born1977 (age 4546)
Occupation(s)Composer, orchestrator and conductor
Websitewww.mannersmcdade.co.uk/composer/ben-foster/

Ben Foster (born 1977) is a BAFTA award-winning British composer, best known for his work on the BBC series Torchwood[1] and as orchestrator for Murray Gold on Doctor Who and for Marc Streitenfeld on Prometheus and The Grey.[2] He is also known for his work as the conductor for Peter Gabriel's Scratch my Back world tour and albums, and for the BBC Proms Doctor Who events.

Career

Foster studied Composition and Conducting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2000. He was awarded the Lutosławski composition prize. He is a graduate of the National Film and Television School, where he studied with Francis Shaw and Peter Howell (the latter having composed for the BBC series Doctor Who, with which Foster would later become associated).

Doctor Who and Torchwood

Since November 2005, Foster has worked as orchestrator and conductor for composer Murray Gold on Doctor Who. He also conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Doctor Who: A Celebration, which was held at the Wales Millennium Centre on 19 November 2006 in aid of Children in Need. The concert was followed by the release of the first Doctor Who Soundtrack CD which includes music from series 1 and 2 of the programme. This was released on 11 December 2006 on Silva Screen Records.[3]

Foster, alongside Elin Manahan Thomas and Peter Davison at the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular in Leeds, 2015.

On 5 November 2007, Silva Screen Records released The Soundtrack from Series 3. On 17 November 2008, The Soundtrack from Series 4, followed 10 days later by the broadcast of the first Doctor Who Prom. Foster arranged the music and conducted the BBC Philharmonic at this event, which was part of The Proms. On 24 and 25 July 2010, Foster again arranged and conducted Murray Gold's scores from Seasons 4+5 in the Doctor Who Proms, an event followed by the release of The Doctor Who 2008–2010 specials soundtrack on 4 October, and the Series 5 soundtrack on 8 November. March 2011 saw the release of the soundtrack for the 2010 Christmas special, A Christmas Carol, and on 19 December of that year, the soundtrack for Series 6 was released. Foster arranged and conducted Gold's music from Series 6 and 7, as well as some music from the classic (1963–89) years by Tristram Cary, Martin Slavin, Malcolm Clarke, Dudley Simpson, Paddy Kingsland, Peter Howell and Mark Ayres, for the third Doctor Who prom, performed at the Royal Albert Hall in August 2013, which was followed by the soundtrack releases for the seventh series and the 2011 and 2012 Christmas specials, on 9 September and 21 October respectively.

He also acted as Musical Director and Arranger for Doctor Who Live – which toured the UK in October – November 2010, conducting his 16-piece band.

Foster also composed music for the first three series of the BBC drama (and Doctor Who spin-off) Torchwood.[4]

His work on the show has earned him three nominations in the Best Music category at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BAFTA Cymru Awards. Silva Screen Records released a soundtrack album composed of his work on the first and second series in September 2008 and in July 2009 released the Children of Earth soundtrack.[5] Foster conducted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Doctor Who – A Symphonic Spectacular which took place on 4 February 2012, and 31 January 2014, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia. In December 2012 he conducted Sydney-based Metropolitan Orchestra in the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular at the Sydney Opera House.[6]

Foster left his role as Doctor Who conductor and orchestrator in 2015 and was replaced by Alastair King, who took up the role for Series 10.

Other works

As a composer, Foster's early professional work includes theme tunes to Love on a Saturday Night, The 1970's Office and The Great British Test Series all for LWT as well as a host of commercials, working for the Mcasso Music agency. Other commercials he has worked on include award winning commercials for Soundtree Music such as Sony Paint and the 2007 Sony Walkman.

Foster's resume as an orchestrator and conductor for film includes 27 Dresses, The Mummy 3, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Robin Hood, Hoodwinked Too, The Grey.[7]

In 2005 Foster re-arranged the theme tune to BBC Question Time which is currently running on BBC2.

Foster was a judge on the Blue Peter Music Makers project in 2006, a contributor to the Blue Peter Movie Makers project in 2007 and chair of the judging panel for BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008. He also contributed to the CBBC project Clash.

Ben's early work as an arranger and conductor included work for Hayley Westenra, Aled Jones, Gary Barlow, S Club 7, Boyzone, Toploader and others.

Ben has worked extensively with the singer and composer Peter Gabriel since 2009, conducting his last two studio albums with the New Blood Orchestra and touring the 'New Blood' project across the world.

He works regularly with the London Session Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and has also worked with the BBC Philharmonic, RPO, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Czech Film Orchestra.

Recent work includes the themes and music for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World (2011) and BBC Young Musician (2012). He also co-wrote the music (with Murray Gold) for Scott & Bailey for ITV1.

He composed the score and arranged songs for a biopic of Dame Shirley Bassey for BBC Two which aired in September 2011.

Foster has been credited within BBC One's 2014 drama Happy Valley closing titles as the 'Composer'.

In 2015, Foster and his brother Nick worked on the soundtrack for CITV's Thunderbirds Are Go.

In 2016, Foster and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra had composed a revamped version of the opening theme for the BBC Scotland series "Still Game".

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role
 2023  The Beatles 'Now and Then' Strings composer and arranger
2022RidleyComposer
2015–2020Thunderbirds Are Go!Composer with Nick Foster
2017–2022The Good Karma HospitalComposer
2017–2019Bounty HuntersComposer with Nick Foster
2016–2019Still GameConductor
2014–2020Our GirlComposer
2018Troy: Fall of a CityConductor
2017Spy in the WildConductor
2017SherlockConductor
2011–2016Scott & BaileyComposer
2014–2016Happy ValleyComposer
2016MarsOrchestrator & conductor
2015BananaComposer
2015Old Jack's Boat: Rockpool TalesConductor
2015Pets: Wild at HeartConductor
2014Hidden KingdomsComposer
2005–2015Doctor WhoOrchestrator & conductor
2014Dolphins: Spy in the PodConductor
2013The Last WitchComposer
2012Derren Brown: Fear and FaithComposer
2012Derren Brown: ApocalypseComposer
2012Winged PlanetConductor
2012EarthflightConductor
2011Shirley (TV Movie)Composer
2009Girl Number 9Composer
2006–2009TorchwoodComposer with Murray Gold
2009Torchwood: Inside the HubComposer
2007Mist: Sheepdog TalesComposer
2004Love on a Saturday NightComposer

Film

Year Title Role
2017Wind RiverOrchestrator & Conductor
20173 Way JunctionOrchestrator & Conductor
2016All I See Is YouOrchestrator & Conductor
2016JackieOrchestrator & Conductor
2015Snow Chick: A Penguin's TaleConductor
2015RonaldoOrchestrator & Conductor
2015PoltergeistOrchestrator & Conductor
2014NobleComposer
2014Far from MenOrchestrator & Conductor
2014After the FallOrchestrator & Conductor
2014The Theory of EverythingConductor
2014WingsConductor
201450 to 1Orchestrator & Conductor
2013Alone Yet Not AloneConductor
2013PrisonersConductor
2012Playing for KeepsConductor
2012PrometheusOrchestrator & Conductor
2011The GreyOrchestrator & Conductor
2011Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. EvilOrchestrator & Conductor
2011Hella WConductor
2010Burke & HareAdditional Music
2010IncendiesConductor
2010Letters to JulietConductor
2010Robin HoodConductor
2010Leap YearOrchestrator
2009Veronika Decides to DieOrchestrator
2009The CountessOrchestrator & Conductor
2009Glorious 39Orchestrator
2009NineConductor
2008FranklynOrchestrator
2008Is Anybody There?Orchestrator
2008Angus, Thongs and Perfect SnoggingOrchestrator
2008The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorOrchestrator
200827 DressesOrchestrator
2007I Want CandyOrchestrator & Conductor
2007Death at a FuneralOrchestrator & Conductor
2006Alien AutopsyOrchestrator & Conductor
2005The League of Gentlemen's ApocalypseAdditional orchestrator
2005The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyAdditional orchestrator

Footnotes

  1. Nuytens, Gilles. "the SciFi World". Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. "Manners McDade Management". Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  3. "BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Discography". BBC. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
  4. "Ben Foster at iMDb". iMDb. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
  5. "Silva Screen Records: Torchwood Soundtrack Release"
  6. "Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular". Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  7. "Ben Foster – IMDb". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
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