Melanie Pappenheim

Melanie Pappenheim (born 1959) is an English soprano singer and composer, notable for her vocal work with various British cross-disciplinary composers, with avant-garde theatre companies and on soundtracks (notably for several films and the 2005 revival of Doctor Who).

Pappenheim is a frequent collaborator with contemporary composer-performers Simon Fisher-Turner, Orlando Gough and Jocelyn Pook) and is also a member of their respective musical projects.

She has been a long-term member of Pook's 10-piece ensemble, appearing on record and in concert as one of the ensemble's three vocalists. As part of the Ensemble, she has contributed to the soundtracks of Hollywood blockbuster films, Eyes Wide Shut and Gangs of New York. She also does the vocal work on the majority of Pook's music, appearing on the album Deluge (later reissued as Flood) and Untold Things.

Pappenheim's work with Simon Fisher-Turner has included contributions to the soundtracks of two Derek Jarman films. Turner has compared Pappenheim's work ethic to that of Jarman's, in that there is a great understanding between them without much communicating. (His actual quote was, "She just does what she likes...".)

Pappenheim has been a member of Gough's 16 piece choir The Shout since 1998.

In 2009, at the invitation of producer Giles Perring, Pappenheim recorded for the album 'Poets and LIghthouses' by Tuvan singer Albert Kuvezin.

She has regularly performed Paul Clark's score 'Here All Night' - a words and music collaboration with Beckett specialists Gare St Lazare - in the UK and USA.

Pappenheim has garnered critical and popular acclaim for her work on Doctor Who due to the ethereal vocals she provided for the Doctor's leitmotif – which the producers described semi-seriously as "President Flavia (from The Five Doctors) singing out of the time vortex". As a result, many of the show's fans refer to her as "Flavia".

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