Friday the 26th of October saw the Royal Albert Hall play host to a night celebrating the iconic work of one of the most adored film composers of all time, John Williams.
Credit: (c) Christie Goodwin for the Royal Albert Hall
When the London Symphony Orchestra gathered on Friday night to play the work of John Williams, they were doing so without the maestro himself. Following an illness, John Williams was not able to conduct the evening as was initially planned. In stepped his friend Maestro Dirk Brosse, a man more than qualified to conduct such an evening. In the knowledge that John was listening in on Classic FM, the orchestra under Brosse’s guidance was invigorated, playing for their absent maestro with all their experience and skill.
Through a program that took us through some of William’s most famous work, the 5,000 strong audience was treated to a night of pure movie music bliss. With the main theme from Star Wars kicking off the proceedings, there was no doubt we were in for a night of exceedingly joyous celebration of a composer who clearly means so much to everyone in the hall, from the crowd to the musicians themselves.
Credit: (c) Christie Goodwin for the Royal Albert Hall
With beautiful movements from Harry Potter and E.T. seeing out the first half, the second half made the performance all that more affecting and profound. Throughout the course of the performance, individuals of the orchestra would introduce pieces with personal stories of John, adding a great deal of genuine feeling through the sharing of experiences with Williams.
This enhanced sense of feeling made for an emotionally charged second half, driven home by an exquisite performance from Schindler’s List. This was more than reinforced by the performance of a new arrangement of Han & Leia’s theme. Arranged so that the star-struck lovers’ theme now comes with an extra layer of melancholy in its motifs, it is impossible not to read such an affecting arrangement as a reaction to Carrie Fisher’s passing.
Credit: (c) Christie Goodwin for the Royal Albert Hall
The show came to a triumphant end with the Throne Room theme from the original Star Wars leading into an encore featuring ‘Yoda’s Theme’ and the ‘Raiders March’. There was no way anyone who loves John’s worked could have walked out of the Hall last night without the biggest smile on their face. Listening to the London Symphony Orchestra play John Williams’ music live is nothing short of a privilege. A joyous and emotional experience celebrating the work of quite possibly the greatest living composer in the world today.
A Celebration of John Williams was reviewed on Friday 26th October at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
