'Doctor Who' electronic music man Tristram Cary moves to Adelaide University's Elder Conservatorium in 1974
Tristram Cary become one of the pioneering European composers of electronic and electro-acoustic music.
Image courtesy Tardis.fandom.com
Best known for his Doctor Who television series scores,Tristram Cary was appointed senior lecturer with the Elder Conservatorium of Music at Adelaide University in 1974. In his late 40s, he had already achieved prominence in the United Kingdom and internationally for his composing.
The son of British novelist Joyce Cary, he learned about electronics with the navy during World War II. After the war, Cary completed his degree and became a founder of Electronic Music Studios (EMS) with Peter Zinovieff and David Cockerell. They designed a contemporary classic piece of electronic equipment – the VCS3 Putney synthesiser, regarded as the first portable, commercially available synthesiser, used by Pink Floyd, LedZeppelin, Brian Eno and Hawkwind, among others.
Cary also became one of the pioneering European composers of electronic and electro-acoustic music, at London’s Royal College of Music. His compositions included many film scores, including the Ealing comedy The Ladykillers (1955), prizewinning works for radio drama and the iconic Doctor Who series among his television scores. Cary decided to make the momentous move to Australia so he could focus on composing concert works. He reasoned the relative security of an academic salary (as opposed to the balancing act of his freelance career) would provide him with the thinking space and creative independence for concert works.
He brought his electronic music synthesiser to be part of the Adelaide University teaching studio. In Adelaide, during the second half of his life, he produced major works including: Contours and Densities at First Hill, for orchestra (the John Bishop memorial commission for 1976); Scenes From a Life, for orchestra (a Symphony Australia commission for 2000, to mark his 75th birthday); String Quartet No.2 (1985); I Am Here (1980), for the preeminent contemporary work singer Jane Manning; and many others.
The downside of being in Adelaide for Cary was a sense of dislocation. He felt overlooked by the musical establishment in the United Kingdom (such as commissioning agencies, orchestras, and the BBC). Australia’s recognition of his achievements included the 1977 Albert H. Maggs composition award, the Medal of the Order of Australia and 2005 lifetime achievement award from the Adelaide Critics' Circle for his contribution to music in England and Australia. He was also inducted into the South Australian music hall of fame.