Delia Derbyshire's legacy displayed at Coventry Music Museum

[dutchman]

From Thursday December 10, visitors at the museum can find out more about how the Coventry legend left her musical stamp on the world



Over the last few years, Coventry-born Delia Derbyshire has begun to be recognised for the massive part she played in the development of electronic sound as a musical instrument.

I would go so far to suggest, that if she were alive now, she would be looking at the triple Ds: Dame Delia Derbyshire. Sadly that’s an imponderable that we will never know.

TV programme after TV programme has been made on Delia, children too are aware of her, not just of her realization of The Doctor Who theme, but because she has featured on children’s TV, including Absolute Genius, alongside other geniuses like Brunel, Newton and Da Vinci, that’s how highly regarded she is.

Nearly all of her archive now belongs and resides at The University of Manchester, even though she was born and brought up in Coventry.

She said in her own words as a child of The Coventry Blitz it was the sound of the air raid sirens and the crackling of burning buildings that opened her ears to ‘found sounds’.

Apart from her induction on The Coventry Music Wall of Fame and various events at The Tin at The Canal Basin, Coventry has never really celebrated her in any great official capacity.

All that now changes, as The Coventry Music Museum opens a permanent display dedicated to the lady herself.

From Thursday December 10, visitors will get the chance to learn more about this true Coventry legend, as the museum reconstructs a part of The Radiophonic workshop, the place where Delia, The Sculptress of Sound, often used everyday objects to create unique musical works, including the famous Doctor Who theme.

In the display, the museum is gifted to have various items that belonged to Delia herself.

Her personal tape recorder is on show, as are her personal copy of the Doctor Who theme, all loaned by her partner Clive Blackburn, who will also open the exhibition.

Her control desk has been lovingly recreated by Geoff Holden and his team. The display has been designed by myself with the help of Nigel Meffen, Lindsey Joplin and Julie Chambers.