Jump to content

UK Star Wars Saga Concerts with the CBSO in October & November


mahler3

Recommended Posts

Following on from the Belfast Ulster Orchestra performance back in March, there are 2 further Star Wars Saga concerts which i'm producing for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra taking place on October 16th at Symphony Hall, Birmingham:

https://cbso.co.uk/event/star-wars

And 23rd November at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall.

http://www.trch.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29998

This is the running order and I hope you can make it if you're not too (in a galaxy) far, far away.

Star Wars Main Theme

*Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Suite* =

Flag Parade

Anakin's Theme

Adventures of Jar - Jar Binks

Duel of the Fates with Chorus

*Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones* =

Across the Stars

Yoda's Theme

The Imperial March

*Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith* =

Battle of the Heroes with Chorus

*Interval*

2nd Half:

*Episode 4: A New Hope* =

Here they Come!

The Cantina Band

Princess Leia's Theme

The Throne Room

*Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back*

The Asteroid Field

*Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi*

Luke and Leia's Theme

Parade of the Ewok’s

The Forest Battle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following on from the Belfast Ulster Orchestra performance back in March, there are 2 further Star Wars Saga concerts which i'm producing for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra taking place on October 16th at Symphony Hall, Birmingham:

https://cbso.co.uk/event/star-wars

And 23rd November at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall.

http://www.trch.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29998

This is the running order and I hope you can make it if you're not too (in a galaxy) far, far away.

Star Wars Main Theme

*Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Suite* =

Flag Parade

Anakin's Theme

Adventures of Jar - Jar Binks

Duel of the Fates with Chorus

*Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones* =

Across the Stars

Yoda's Theme

The Imperial March

*Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith* =

Battle of the Heroes with Chorus

*Interval*

2nd Half:

*Episode 4: A New Hope* =

Here they Come!

The Cantina Band

Princess Leia's Theme

The Throne Room

*Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back*

The Asteroid Field

*Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi*

Luke and Leia's Theme

Parade of the Ewok’s

The Forest Battle

Thank you so much for this information! Very kind of you to share.

Is the concert focused on the music or is there going to be people (and I don't mean to be rude) walking around in costumes whilst the orchestra & choir perform? Because it really spoils it when this happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The concert is very much music focused, yes. No characters will be walking around during the concert performance. Perhaps pre-concert and during the interval though, like Belfast.

Thanks for your interest and you're not being rude, I agree with what you're saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curious that Yoda's theme and Imperial March are moved to the first half out of chronological order when everything is else presented by Episode. But I guess this is to balance out the concert programme's halves.

I wish we had SW or JW concert, or film music concerts in general here in Finland. British Isles seem to have thriving film music concert life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The concert is very much music focused, yes. No characters will be walking around during the concert performance. Perhaps pre-concert and during the interval though, like Belfast.

Thanks for your interest and you're not being rude, I agree with what you're saying.

Thank you very much!

This is shaping up to be best day of my life! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Curious that Yoda's theme and Imperial March are moved to the first half out of chronological order when everything is else presented by Episode. But I guess this is to balance out the concert programme's halves.

I wish we had SW or JW concert, or film music concerts in general here in Finland. British Isles seem to have thriving film music concert life.

Exactly, it's also to give the programme some variety so the music can flow and isn't too back to back bombastic.

The Imperial March works particularly well for Episode 2 as we all remember it's welcome addition during the finale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another reason I can't wait for this is Michael Seal (Conductor) actually rehearses all the music with the orchestra, you can tell when its being performed in the concert. He's brilliant, as are the CBSO. I've seen some orchestra's play Star Wars music and it sounds like its a first reading of the piece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael Seal is brilliant and unlike some conductors he actually wants the audience to hear and experience it as they know and love it, not with any audacious changes in tempo etc.

I should also add that Marc Silk is going to be a tremendous host.


We just had a very similar SW concert in Milano last week and it was absolutely phenomenal! The thing most people don't realize is that hearing Williams' music live is something huge. His music really takes a whole different level and magnitude that no recording will ever give you.

So, best of luck for these concerts! I'm sure they'll be bloody brilliant.

Many thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael Seal is brilliant and unlike some conductors he actually wants the audience to hear and experience it as they know and love it, not with any audacious changes in tempo etc.

I should also add that Marc Silk is going to be a tremendous host.

We just had a very similar SW concert in Milano last week and it was absolutely phenomenal! The thing most people don't realize is that hearing Williams' music live is something huge. His music really takes a whole different level and magnitude that no recording will ever give you.

So, best of luck for these concerts! I'm sure they'll be bloody brilliant.

Many thanks!

He certainly is, really can't wait now! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael Seal did a great job. He conducted one of the concerts I attended. The other one was led by Dirk Brossé who conducted Goldenthal's Final Fantasy score as well as Star Wars: In Concert tour. So he knows the material very well.

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting that the "grand finale" in that video uses the Gerhardt ESB Suite version of the Imperial March with the opening from Carbon Freeze functioning as an intro to the march itself. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They didn't spoil anything, really. They were around in the concert lobby to pose for pictures with the audience before and after the concert and they entered the stage only for the encore piece, as seen in the video. The whole concert otherwise played really like a true symphony concert, without any kind of distraction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They didn't spoil anything, really. They were around in the concert lobby to pose for pictures with the audience before and after the concert and they entered the stage only for the encore piece, as seen in the video. The whole concert otherwise played really like a true symphony concert, without any kind of distraction.

It's always the Imperial March that gets sacrificed in the concerts i've attended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They didn't spoil anything, really. They were around in the concert lobby to pose for pictures with the audience before and after the concert and they entered the stage only for the encore piece, as seen in the video. The whole concert otherwise played really like a true symphony concert, without any kind of distraction.

It's always the Imperial March that gets sacrificed in the concerts i've attended.

It's a crowd pleaser and a great excuse to march some storm troopers on stage (alas!).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also this coming up in London:

Saturday, 10 October 2015, 7.30pm

Halle Orchestra

John Williams
A life in cinema

The programme includes
music from:
Star Wars
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Jurassic Park
E.T.
and many more!

Stephen Bell
conductor

See more at: http://www.halle.co.uk/2015-16season.aspx#sthash.WGYSJi37.dpuf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is also this coming up in London:

Saturday, 10 October 2015, 7.30pm

Halle Orchestra

John Williams

A life in cinema

The programme includes

music from:

Star Wars

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Jurassic Park

E.T.

and many more!

Stephen Bell

conductor

See more at: http://www.halle.co.uk/2015-16season.aspx#sthash.WGYSJi37.dpuf

Its in manchester that one, great venue and orchestra.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

There is also this coming up in London:

Saturday, 10 October 2015, 7.30pm

Halle Orchestra

John Williams

A life in cinema

The programme includes

music from:

Star Wars

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Jurassic Park

E.T.

and many more!

Stephen Bell

conductor

See more at: http://www.halle.co.uk/2015-16season.aspx#sthash.WGYSJi37.dpuf

Went to this last night. Was a great concert, the Hallé were in great form - particularly the trumpets who were on point all evening. Highlight for me was "Dartmoor 1912" being played beautifully by the principal flautist, as well as the rare JFK making an appearance, again with perfect trumpet performance on the solo.

Jurassic Park was for me played much better last night than under JW's command when I last heard it at the Hollywood Bowl last year. Played at the proper, original tempo.

Anyway, the lineup was eventually as follows:

IMG_2324.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks like a great programme with few more modern pieces sprinkled around the fan favourites! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still nothing from Dracula, Images, Sleepers or The Fury!

Alas no. Three of those would be appopriate for a Halloween type of concert. :)

And has anyone besides JW himself performed music from Sleepers in concert?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yeah, I meant fast. Strike that, reverse it. Remember, I'm off my game here. I don't listen to John Williams anymore, I was diagnosed as insane and my JWFan card was revoked after I thought some stock music used in a car commercial was from the Force Awakens score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yeah, I meant fast. Strike that, reverse it. Remember, I'm off my game here. I don't listen to John Williams anymore, I was diagnosed as insane and my JWFan card was revoked after I thought some stock music used in a car commercial was from the Force Awakens score.

There there. You are going through a rough patch, that's all. Soon you'll be back identifying real JW music from commercials like in the good old days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone heard the "London Concert Orchestra"? Hoping to go to this with some friends, as I'll be in London at the time. But can't find out anything about them and a bit apprehensive about how well they'll do.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=18370

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone heard the "London Concert Orchestra"? Hoping to go to this with some friends, as I'll be in London at the time. But can't find out anything about them and a bit apprehensive about how well they'll do.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=18370

The only information I found about them is that it is a London based ensemble (well duh!) under the Raymond Gubbay promotion company. According to the BBC 3 listing of UK orchestras this and other Gubbay orchestras (seven in all!) were formed to enable him to present his popular classical galas across the country. They are based on pools of local freelance musicians.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it was excellent and well worth a day off from work and the long trip to Birmingham. I enjoyed this concert much more than the Star Wars In Concert event at the O2 a few years ago, as the focus was entirely on the music and it was in a proper concert hall (and one of the finest in the world to boot) without artificial amplification. I pity any John Williams fan who has never had the chance to hear and see this music played live by a great orchestra like this.

The orchestra and choir seemed to really enjoy performing the music and it was telling how many of the choir returned to watch the second half when their voices were no longer required. I also loved the Princess Leia hairdos sported by a few of the female members of the CBSO chorus and the CBSO clarinettist! Cantina Band sounded so true to the original, with nine members of the orchestra taking us back to that hive of villainy on Tatooine.

I met one of the Sandpeople in the foyer afterwards. What is the correct singular of Sandpeople? Is it Sandperson? It is not something that I have previously had to consider.

:lsvader:

P.S. I took a few photos but cannot get them to upload on Photobucket with my new computer. If any of the mods want them e-mailed to add to this thread I would be happy to do so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way, did anyone here go to the Royal Northern Sinfonia's Star Wars concert at the Sage in Gateshead on the same evening? It's a shame it was on the same evening as the CBSO's concert. It looks like the orchestra had fun, with several members dressing up as characters from the films.

Here is the oboe section...

:o:D

Royal-Northern-Sinfonia-Star-Wars.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I met one of the Sandpeople in the foyer afterwards. What is the correct singular of Sandpeople? Is it Sandperson? It is not something that I have previously had to consider.

Sandpeople always ride single file to hide their numbers. Perhaps that means they're never on their own. No need for a singular.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it was excellent and well worth a day off from work and the long trip to Birmingham. I enjoyed this concert much more than the Star Wars In Concert event at the O2 a few years ago, as the focus was entirely on the music and it was in a proper concert hall (and one of the finest in the world to boot) without artificial amplification. I pity any John Williams fan who has never had the chance to hear and see this music played live by a great orchestra like this.

The orchestra and choir seemed to really enjoy performing the music and it was telling how many of the choir returned to watch the second half when their voices were no longer required. I also loved the Princess Leia hairdos sported by a few of the female members of the CBSO chorus and the CBSO clarinettist! Cantina Band sounded so true to the original, with nine members of the orchestra taking us back to that hive of villainy on Tatooine.

I met one of the Sandpeople in the foyer afterwards. What is the correct singular of Sandpeople? Is it Sandperson? It is not something that I have previously had to consider.

:lsvader:

P.S. I took a few photos but cannot get them to upload on Photobucket with my new computer. If any of the mods want them e-mailed to add to this thread I would be happy to do so.

They nailed the material on Friday. I was expecting it to be good, but it dwarfed the Star Wars in Concert thing that toured!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.