Miz 139 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 https://www.thsh.co.uk/event/star-wars#tab0=details Main Title • The Flag Parade • Anakin's Theme • The Duel of the Fates • Across the Stars • Cantina Band • Battle of the Heroes • Here They Come • Princess Leia's Theme • Throne Room • The Asteroid Field • Yoda's Theme • The Imperial March • Parade of the Ewoks • Luke and Leia • The Forest Battle • March of the Resistance • Rey's Theme • Scherzo from X-Wings • Jedi Steps Many pieces I thought I'd never hear live, so I think I will go for this! Incanus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 "Here They Come!" is up there with my favorite Star Wars concert arrangements but it's almost never programmed it seems to me. I'd love to see it performed live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Asteroid Field never gets played live either, does it? I would love to hear that live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo 3,709 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Very similar program to what we had in Dublin in May! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,630 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 6 hours ago, MrScratch said: Asteroid Field never gets played live either, does it? I would love to hear that live. It was performed like 100 times in the last 6 years with the Star Wars In Concert tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Tom said: It was performed like 100 times in the last 6 years with the Star Wars In Concert tour. Eh, I never saw that... it came around here years ago and was performed in our local sports arena. I wasn't interested, it's not the same as a traditional concert hall. And as much as I love LTP concerts, for some reason I really dislike when movie themes are performed to video montages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 I'll finally be able to say one or another if I enjoy LTP concerts. Seeing my first one Saturday next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miz 139 Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 Tickets booked. About to hear some real cherished pieces come alive! Oh, and Across the Stars. ¬_¬ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_vader 533 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 I saw CBSO perform this program (minus the Force Awakens) in October 2015, they did a fantastic job. Well worth seeing, also the hall is brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 56 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: I'll finally be able to say one or another if I enjoy LTP concerts. Seeing my first one Saturday next. Which one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 Sorcerer's Stone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,901 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 12 hours ago, MrScratch said: Asteroid Field never gets played live either, does it? I would love to hear that live. I have heard JW play it at the Bowl. Sadly it is a concert arrangement rather than the film version which has a less impressive opening and closing. Hopefully here you'll get to hear the film version. crumbs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,326 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I love the opening! Definitely agree about the ending though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 294 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 5 hours ago, Disco Stu said: Sorcerer's Stone! The Quidditch Match is killer live. Let us know how liked the whole experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Hey, I might be going to this. Heard CBSO playing Williams 3 times now and it has always been a treat. The inclusion of TFA music is a big yes. Plus I'd like to finally visit the Birmingham symphony hall. Heard good things about it. Karol aj_vader 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeallen01 2,133 Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 On 19/10/2017 at 5:51 PM, crocodile said: Plus I'd like to finally visit the Birmingham symphony hall. Heard good things about it. I was there the other week for La La Land in Concert. A gorgeous Hall, with great sound and seating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 While not in any way related to this event, I decided to post it here as there is no point in creating another thread. Just came back from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus concert presenting the music from all seven Star Wars films. The programme was as follows: Main Title The Flag Parade Anakin's Theme Duel of the Fates Across the Stars Battle of the Heroes Here They Come Cantina Band Princess Leia's Theme The Throne Room and Finale (interval) The Asteroid Field Yoda's Theme Parade of the Ewoks Luke and Leia The Forest Battle March of the Resistance Rey's Theme Scherzo for X-Wings Jedi Steps and Finale Encore: The Imperial March Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahler3 478 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 How did the Sam Douglas voice over work? Was it a "Our story continues...." approach? I'm sure the music sounded superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 He was reading the title crawls for each film and then some bits and bobs in between, essentially narrating each film's plot. It worked better in some areas than it did in others. But I guess it was fine overall. Of course, I was most excited about The Force Awakens segment and it did not disappoint. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahler3 478 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Yes, absolutely agree - I actually enjoy it more in concert than on the album or in the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I understand you guys also decided to play the end credits version of Jedi Steps, right? The other version is amazing but it would have been a rather strangely ominous ending to the concert. Unless, of course, you then mirror Lockhart's album and jump right away into end credits. But then, the great thing about the film version is that it gives you a binary sunset rendition of the Force theme, something that always felt like a painful omission within SW concert repertoire. The presentation of The Imperial March at the very end of the programme might seem odd but it got a good laugh as the conductor was essentially dragged back onto the stage in the company of Vader and Palpatine to perform this "forced" (pun!) encore. The members of the orchestra dressed up for the second half. So you had Jawas, Darth Maul and Darth Vader performing on percussion. One woodwind player came on staged in Jabba costume and that was another big laugh of the evening. There were several Reys, Jedi, Rebel pilots etc. In fact I think almost all the members of the orchestra were dressed up. Kids loved it. By the way, @mahler3, are pieces like Han Solo and the Princess, The Little People Work and Jabba the Hutt actually available to perform? Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahler3 478 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I wanted the classic Force Theme horn solo in there, like you say it's such a glaring omission to us true SW / JW enthusiasts. I also love the arrangement of the Jedi Steps / End Credits as it doesn't just simply repeat the individual movements, it expands and segues them together with additional material. The Throne Room had to end the concert (I chose The Forest Battle in 2015 you may recall, and as much as I love it the book-end melodrama of Throne Room is hard to beat). Han Solo, Jabba and Little People are currently unavailable for performance. Hoepfully they'll be available soon, especially considering the new Live to Picture productions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miz 139 Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 Well I have to report in that this was a stunning concert, the best I've ever been to. The Birmingham Symphony Hall is the most splendid concert hall I've seen, and the acoustics were flawless. The orchestral power was contained and conveyed brilliantly, and when quiet the sound was rich and warm. I sat top and centre (higher than in the picture), and had a great view - better than my experience in the Royal Albert Hall, whose scale I now believe to be too large. This concert had a minimum of frills - no introductions except for a deep voiceover in the dark between odd tracks, spelling out the chronological story with mixed success (try paraphrasing the plot of the prequels, they sound awful!). The conductor was vibrant and hardworking, really drawing out every performer and getting the most out of the orchestra and the music. Concert-goers will know that a joy of hearing familiar music live is seeing how the orchestra creates our beloved music, but also the changes in sound mix that allow us to experience the music, and its technical excellence, in new ways. Just what you want from this playlist: Main Title/End Credits was the classic opener, played flawlessly at the thrilling tempo demanded by the original, which I know not all concert performances can handle. A bombastic start was duly followed by The Flag Parade, in a concert arrangement I hadn't heard before. Full of boisterous interludes and flighty passages (sounding more scattered than the tonal writing we typically hear in The Phantom Menace, and the film presentation of this piece, and more akin to The Force Awakens action). The brass gave this an attitude and verve I hadn't heard and the quality of the performance excited me for the rest of the concert, as it was not about to let up. Anakin's Theme showcased the rich, coherent sound they could express in slower movements, then the ~80-strong choir stood for Duel of the Fates. A special piece to hear live, this was full of more powerful percussion than usual, but the propulsive force and tempo of the piece was executed brilliantly. Across the Stars started to reveal the talent of the soloists, then the choir returned for Battle of the Heroes. As we know, it strikes a more jagged tone than Duel of the Fates, but they nailed it. Then (and I forget the specific order), onto the familiar classicism of 'Episode IV'; Here They Come dived headlong into action, giving space to all the orchestra and handling deftly the crescendos and drops, and the range of pitch, in this classic piece. Princess Leia's Theme again showed us the control and poise of the soloists, passing the theme around without putting a step wrong. Cantina Band was another treat, played in dim 'bar-like' lighting, featuring a guitar and possibly another odd instrument I couldn't identify. Throne Room/End Titles was performed with as much confidence as you'd now expect from an orchestra knocking out these pieces so skillfully; however it surprisingly segued into the Celebration End Titles from Revenge of the Sith, with the slow Force theme and fabulous 'Tatooine' bridge. A satisfying piece to close the first half. In the second half, around half the members of the orchestra came back in Star Wars costume. From Rey, hooded Jedi and Rebel pilots to Darths Maul and Vader (who joined lit-eyed Jawas on percussion at the back), the unassuming affair raised cheers from the audience. The best was a bulbous Jabba waddling on stage, giving a wave, then going to sit in the wind section to play flute! Asteroid Field was yet another treat to hear in its concert form, the tempo handled excellently, the percussion on point and the brass coming forth in broad strokes. Yoda's Theme was a pleasant interlude, followed by the fantastic Parade of the Ewoks. It was brilliant to see odd percussion being played, and played hard, and the piece took on far much more character live (here in a slightly different concert presentation with a differing intro). Luke and Leia, now my favourite romantic theme of Johnny's, was another testament to the hall's warm sound, this orchestra's coherence, the soloists skill, and really brought forth this layered and melodically-fascinating theme. The Forest Battle set the conductor alight, tested the players' skills, and thrilled us with a pumping and powerful opening leading to the percussive Ewok sections and bombastic finale. Music from The Force Awakens, newly-heard live for most, I suppose, kicked off smartly with March of the Resistance, which drew my eye and ear to the hard-working brass section. Rey's Theme will surely become a classic, and it was nice to see celesta (I think) in the opening and closing. Scherzo for X-Wings was played as hard as you would hope, keeping the original's tempo and expressing well the tension between order and chaos in Williams' modern action writing. Finally, Jedi Steps and Finale captured the initial mystery, and then handled expertly the thematic changes through the credits, to the touching and quiet ending. The celesta closing of the main theme seemed born to cap a thrilling fans' concert like this. Of course, there was one piece missing, and a Palpatine, Vader and stormtroopers came out for the encore, which was a thunderous approach to the Imperial March, as confident, flawless and enriching performance as any throughout the evening. Jay 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Yeah, it was a pretty fun evening. You forgot to mention the 20th Century Fox fanfare. What do you mean by Celebration End Titles? This is a standard Throne Room and Finale concert suite. It has been around for ages. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Wow, sounds like a cool show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miz 139 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 22 hours ago, crocodile said: Yeah, it was a pretty fun evening. You forgot to mention the 20th Century Fox fanfare. What do you mean by Celebration End Titles? This is a standard Throne Room and Finale concert suite. It has been around for ages. Karol I didn't know the proper name for it. The interlude of a quiet Force theme, followed by the 'Tatooine' bridge (that is, the fanfare we hear when the droids' capsule spins toward the planet), and into the finale music, I first heard at the end of the soundtrack for Revenge of the Sith. Has it been a performance piece since before then? Oh yeah, 20th Century Fox fanfare! I forgot, but it was actually a thrilling and sound choice of opening, and (as with all of the concert) so tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 20 minutes ago, Miz said: I didn't know the proper name for it. The interlude of a quiet Force theme, followed by the 'Tatooine' bridge (that is, the fanfare we hear when the droids' capsule spins toward the planet), and into the finale music, I first heard at the end of the soundtrack for Revenge of the Sith. Has it been a performance piece since before then? Oh yeah, 20th Century Fox fanfare! I forgot, but it was actually a thrilling and sound choice of opening, and (as with all of the concert) so tight. Yeah, that section was always a part of Throne Room and Finale concert suite. There is no other version available for concert performances. This is one of the earliest recordings from 1978. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Skywalker Symphony was the first time Williams himself recorded the arrangement, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,973 Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Yeah, I believe so. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.459884143de07d00ab43e5cfcc831c7d.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now