Science and Health

DD113144

Science and Health score

In 1964, Delia created a 57-second signature tune for a BBC radio series 'For Schools - Health and Science', which she named Science and Health, "a succession of tumbling chords, descending with an elegance beyond almost anyone else."

The programme was actually called 'For Schools - Health and Science', not 'Science and Health'. The Radio Times listing initially only credits the programme as "compiled by Michael Smee." Later in the series, the Radio Times provided a fuller credit. "Reproduction 4: Bringing up children by Michael Smee Series produced and edited by Elizabeth Kilham Roberts"

The Producer named in the tape library is Mrs E H Kilham Roberts. Elizabeth Kilham Roberts had a background as a chemistry graduate and science teacher and joined the BBC during WWII as an administrator.

Science and Health appeared on BBC Radiophonic Workshop 21 with the subtitle "Mike's Choice", where the sleeve notes state:

A Signature tune for a Radio sex education programme rejected by the producer on the grounds that it was "too lascivious" - hence the subtitle

Part of Science and Health was reused for Ziwzih Ziwzih OO-OO-OO

[In making Ziwzih Ziwzih OO-OO-OO] I used just this one bar repeated which had [previously] been rejected from a science and health program for being too lascivious for the schoolchildren. It was like a science program... it was supposed to be about sex, but under another name. And then the producer had the nerve to turn down my music, saying it was too lascivious. It was just twangy things with electronic pick-ups, and I just used a single note and then did little glissandos on it and pitched it and treated it.

It is not totally clear whether the Producer of the infamous "lascivious" comment was Kilham Roberts or Smee. The subtitle used on BBC Radiophonic Workshop 21 could be read as ironic, but it seems more likely that the credited Producer and ex-teacher Kilham Roberts, who was from an older generation, not the actor Michael 'Mike' Smee, was the prude.

In a draft version of the script for the Reeling and Writhing play, scriptwriter Nicola McCartney has the following dialogue about the event:

DESMOND BRISCOE
The Producer of that education programme -- that Science and Health series --
he called me. He says they can't use the tapes you sent up. 

DELIA DERBYSHIRE 
He can't use them? 

DESMOND BRISCOE 
No... He says that the sound arrangement/ 

DELIA DERBYSHIRE 
/ Music. 

DESMOND BRISCOE 
Theme... 

DELIA DERBYSHIRE 
Music. 

DESMOND BRISCOE 
Is too lascivious for eleven-year-olds. 

DELIA DERBYSHIRE 
Too "lascivious"? 

DESMOND BRISCOE 
... Yes. Can you believe it? I said, "For goodness sake, man,
it's a programme about sex education!" 

He laughs. She stops working and is very silent.

Lyrics

The following lyrics were planned by Delia, fitting the melody of the piece

I wanna be loved by you
I'm gonna be true to only you
-or-
I'm gonna be true to you
I wanna be loved by only you

but the versions released on disc are purely instrumental.

Score

Here it is, typeset using Sibelius as PDF and MIDI files: Science and Health (score)

Papers

• DD113144: Manuscript side 1 dated 15/7/64 with lyrics
• DD113202: Side 2 of DD113144, seems not to be for S&H
• DD123034: "S. & H. + a better bass line"

Spectrogram

Availability

• Released on BBC Radiophonic Workshop 21
• Released on Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Volume 1: The Early Years
• In the BBC Sound Archive on tape TRW 6152: "Science and Health"
• TRW 6435: "Hot Line from London" is said to be a copy of TRW 6152.