Seventh Day of Advent

- December 7th -

One of the greatest contributions that Doctor Who has made to the festive season is, without doubt, the wonderful Murray Gold-penned ‘Song For Ten’.

In the commentary to The Christmas Invasion, writer Russell T. Davies states that his brief to Murray Gold was that he wanted something that sounded as though it belonged on Phil Spector’s Christmas album.

It’s placement in the actual episode is spot on, with the main thrust of the story neatly wrapped up and the commencement of Christmas festivities in the Tyler household seriously getting into full swing.

The Tenth Doctor is ’born’ to this track; to the song’s opening strains he chooses his outfit in the TARDIS wardrobe, and it’s here that both Rose Tyler and the audience really see this new incarnation for the first time.

It’s a wonderfully magical moment, and inter-cut with the characters sitting down to Christmas dinner, pulling crackers, wearing paper hats, and the like, it’s the first truly Christmassy moment in Doctor Who since The Daleks’ Masterplan episode The Feast of Steven back in 1965.

Without doubt one of the main contenders for Greatest Moment of all time in Doctor Who along with Most Christmassy Moment in Doctor Who, to boot.

Should be compulsive viewing in the run-up to Christmas…not just that bit, but the whole episode!

There are two version of this song - one is the original broadcast version (the best version in my opinion), the other is the longer album version, rerecorded with vocals by The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon.

Song For Ten - Original Broadcast Version