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It was the task of the London Concert Orchestra and conductor Paul Bateman to capture the power, emotion and wonder of such classics as Gladiator by the mesmerising Hans Zimmer and Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park by the one and only John Williams.
Introduced and presented by Robert Powell, famous for his roles in Jesus of Nazareth and Holby City, the concert began with the Mission Impossible theme. A lively rendition that got the audience excited and warmed up the orchestra. The LCO played with the confidence and style that you would come to expect from such a prestigious group. More than that, however, they shifted with ease in between the different pieces which meant each theme was given the respect they all deserve.
Before the concert began, I was most looking forward to one piece: The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship theme. On any day it has the ability to move and inspire but performed live and so well was a real treat. Another personal favourite of mine is Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack. It contains so much raw power in its unique composition; everyone cheered at the end of this piece.
The large orchestral themes that were performed on the night were all exemplary. The LCO, however, offered something else. A single guitarist gave a performance of The Deer Hunter theme; a haunting and quite beautiful song. Another change came in the form of St Trinians. Bateman himself ran to the organ to perform a duet with the very talented pianist and the rest of the orchestra descended into school games and pranks, including paper aeroplanes and party poppers. It is easy to see how the LCO have formed such a bond when you see how much fun they have on stage.
The LCO played four of John Williams’ works, a real credit to such a talented and prolific career. Bu the greatest asset of this concert was not just the quality of the pieces they played, but the impressive balance they achieved between different themes and the ease in which they moved from style to style. This can be seen in their performances of Danny Elfman’s Batman theme and the impeccable Dances with Wolves. Other gems of the night that need mention include Barber’s Adagio for Strings (used to perfection in Platoon), Chariots of Fire (everyone knows what I am talking about) and some classics from World War Two films like Dam Busters and 633 Squadron.
Blockbusters! was a fantastic night for anyone, let alone someone obsessed with film. The quality of the piece selection was coupled with the charisma with which they were performed. It was also very entertaining to see Robert Powell’s sobriety lessen as the night wore on!
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