Who is the greatest BigFinish composer?

Anyone that is familiar with my reviews will know that I love discussing the scores for each audio adventure - especially when it’s David Darlington, because his work so often reminds me of the music for Command & Conquer!

I was wondering if anyone had a favourite composer when it comes to the audios?

Feels like there is a lot less variety these days - tending to either be Blair Mowat or Howard Carter.

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I would second Howard Carter as a nomination, I always enjoy his work. Honestly, you know you listen to too much BF when you go hmm this sounds like it was composed by x and then you’re right :sweat_smile:

Also, a recent one that really got me was Sam Watts doing the music for Beyond Bannerman Road - he did the original SJA music and used a lot of the same cues in the audios and it trampled all over my heart <3

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I feel like I do that with one composing duo in particular: Richard Fox and Lauren Yason.

I know their catalogue is mainly centred within the ‘Companion Chronicles’, but I implore you to listen to the music they did for ‘Equilibrium’. God it’s good!

AAAAHHHH! Those sets are on my to-do list. Looking forward to them a lot!

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I’m gonna throw my own selection into the ring here, with a composer I became aware of thanks to ‘The War Master’ audios.

Robert Harvey

Won me over in one fell swoop. His score for ‘Anti-Genesis’ was just utter perfection!

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I don’t know about calling anyone “the greatest”, but I’m a huge fan of Robert T Harvey’s scores, especially the stories in Marc’s arc he did. Really, really wish they’d get him back for the 5DAs.

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What do you know, just as I was typing my praise for him!

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If you haven’t heard the War Master sets, I can highly reccomend them. Harvey usually - not always, but usually - composes for the even numbered sets.

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Agree again - honestly, most of the music in the audios is really good, and most of the composers for the more recent series’ are brilliant. I really like it too when they get a chance to interview composers and sound designers in the BTS segment, I always find those thought processes interesting.

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I love the scores. I will admit to not know who does some of my favourites. The Missy score is great. Has that fun and bouncy feeling.

As I’ve said in another thread, I think BF are missing out on releasing soundtracks. I know I would get them. Digital only, £7.99 for each box set soundtrack.

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The sad thing is that they used to do this, right at the beginning of the Monthly Range.

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Yeah. I had a couple. Sadly, I had to get rid of them a few years ago.

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I’ve listened to the first 5 War Master sets! I fell off after that though, and now I’ve shifted to CDs I don’t want to jump back on to have only the high numbered ones. :sob:

I do wish Howard Carter did music suites more often than he does and that we’d get more regular composers, Carter is good but I notice things can start to feel a little samey.

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Ioan Morris!! Especially in the late Gallifrey range! I was honestly really disappointed that they switched to Howard Carter for War Room. As much as I love a lot of Howard’s stuff, I feel these days a lot sounds much the same. Music makes a range really distinctive, and Gallifrey for a long time had that particular Ioan Morris touch thats just unparalleled across most ranges. Finding all the leitmotifs is really fun:) i also do think Blair Mowat is a close second!

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Yes!! Enemy Lines is one of my favourite soundtracks, Ace’s little sting is just perfect

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Fore me, it’ll be Lauren Yason and Richard Fox, who worked mostly on the Companion Chronicles as well as a lot of Monthly Range stories like A Death in the Family. They did a lot of sound design as well and their efforts were always stunning. And who can forget the songs from The Scorchies?

Although shoutout to a few other favourite soundtracks—The Architects of History by Jamie Robertson, The Stones of Venice by Andy Hardwick, and The Wormery by Jason Loborik. They’ll be more that I’m forgetting—Big Finish have so many good composers on hand!

Oh I also adored the music from the Lost Resort! That’s it, I’m done!

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I couldn’t comment on any composers, but Jamie Robertson does a very good theme for the 8th Doctor as does David Arnold

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I barely remember the story itself, but The Star Men from the monthly range has an incredible score by Steve Foxon. It really gives it an 80s sci-fi movie feel.

Also I really like the music they use in the Torchwood audios, but there seems to be a real lack of tracks, and they just use the same handful in almost every story.

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Im a very big fan of the score for Chase the Night from s9 of the 4th Doctor Adventures, really evokes that E-Space feel

The bassist in my band has done a collaboration album with Ioan Morris. He has his own music outside of Big Finish. :slight_smile:

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Borna Matosic did the music for the second half of the Eleventh Doctor Chronicles and I thought it was quite good:

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