The Doctor, The Music and The Conductor

Two concerts gave Doctor Who fans the opportunity to watch the 2011 Christmas special while the BBC National Orchestra of Wales played the soundtrack live. The concerts were introduced by Jason Mohammad and were held as part of the Roath Lock opening weekend. Hundreds of excited fans ensured a full-house at Hoddinott Hall - the perfect venue as this where the soundtracks for Doctor Who episodes are actually recorded. They were able to relive the excitement and poignancy of The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe with the added drama of a full orchestra.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who have provided the soundtrack for Doctor Who since the show returned to our screens in 2005, take just 6 hours to record enough music to fill an episode. This is no mean feat, but then again, the orchestra are ably led by the brilliant conductor Ben Foster, who was at the helm of both performances last night.

Some of the musicians were wearing headphones, not so they could listen to BBC Radio Wales, as Jason Mohammad jokingly suggested , but so they could hear a click track - a series of audio cues which means the orchestra are totally in sync with the accompanying video.

At times the big screen projection gelled so well with the performance it was easy to forget the musicians were there. But then the Doctor came to the rescue and the music swelled in a crescendo that delivered a timely reminder that there was a full orchestra right in front of the audience!

Many agreed that the orchestra added an extra dimension to the episode; the jokes were even funnier, there was even more tension in the drama and the Doctor's triumphs were even more inspiring. And looking around the audience at the end of the performance, there weren't many dry eyes in the house as the Arwell family were reunited in the climactic final scenes of The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe.