 " The Doctor 's Theme Season [ sic ] Four " is an orchestral and choral arrangement of the Doctor 's leitmotif from the first series performed by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales . The original theme was a minimalist solo performed by Melanie Pappenheim . Davies and Collinson described the music as " President Flavia [ from The Five Doctors ] singing out of the Time Vortex " and was intended to be used when " things get too Time Lord @-@ y " . An instrumental of the new arrangement was used at the end of " Forest of the Dead " , when the Doctor tries to save River Song ( Alex Kingston ) from death . The rearrangement — and first full prolific use of the cue since " The Parting of the Ways " — specifically represents Rose 's return and the four @-@ series story arc 's cyclic nature . 
