Silva Screen, out now

Blair Mowat’s score for the short-lived Doctor Who spin-off.

It’s taken a couple of years but finally we can listen to Blair Mowat’s music for the eight episodes of Class (and a couple of extra bits). The show itself had problems finding an audience, although I personally enjoyed much of it, as did my then-14 year old daughter (and her friends, giving the lie to those who said that teenagers wouldn’t be impressed) and it’s a shame that it didn’t get a chance to learn from the mistakes of the first series and come back stronger.

One of the elements that most people agree on, though, is that Mowat’s score was one of the highlights of the show. Many fans will know his work on the Torchwood audios for Big Finish (and yes, there is a nod to the Torchwood score in Here She Comes…), and he seems equally at home with the highly melodic music that characterised much of Murray Gold’s Doctor Who time and the more mood-evoking tones that we’re now getting on the show from Segun Akinola. Sometimes the difference is in whether the music is being used to push the viewer down a certain emotional path, or it’s there to heighten the atmosphere of the other elements, and both are present here.

The main album’s 43 tracks go through the series chronologically and if you’ve preordered the soundtrack, you’ll get the extra CD release with it – some tracks are too short to be on the “mainstream” album, others are rather experimental (the start of one track in particular made me jump, which wasn’t ideal when driving!). I’m sure someone will work out a track listing that puts the double album into complete order but the first stands alone very well.

Verdict: A strong combination of melodic tracks, driving rhythm and a contemporary feel makes this an enjoyable addition to the Doctor Who soundtrack collection. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Win a copy of the double-CD here