Book now to celebrate the works of legendary film composer John Williams, and get your Star Wars fix before the release of The Last Jedi
The Concert is a great opportunity to prepare for the new movie. Photo: Jason Trbovich
The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra is hosting a Star Wars-themed night on December 8 at St. David’s Hall. The concert is a celebration of the legendary film composer John Williams, with a particular focus on his work for the Star Wars franchise, in anticipation of the release of Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi this December.
The concert will also focus on Williams’ music from other films, such as Saving Private Ryan and Jurassic Park. The Star Wars celebrations will start in earnest in part 2 however, with pieces ranging from A New Hope’s main title theme to Rey’s theme from The Force Awakens. The concert will also feature a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher with a performance of Princess Leia’s theme.
Williams’ work has been celebrated by many, and the concert’s conductor Michael Bell is no exception. “We’ve performed a lot of John Williams film music over the years” said Bell “and it is music that the orchestra love playing, and I love conducting.” Bell sees the concert as a tribute to John Williams, who had his 85th birthday this year.
Film music has always been a passion of the Cardiff Philharmonic. Photo:Jon Pountney.
Since forming the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra in 1982, Bell was determined to include film music in their programmes, and so the orchestra performed John Williams’ soundtrack for Star Wars for the first time in 1985. They have since performed a variety of film scores over the years, ranging from 1930s classics such as The Bride of Frankenstein to Harry Potter and Star Wars.
This year’s performance is a follow-up from last year’s sellout A Night at the Movies concert. The 2016 show was the largest audience for an orchestral concert at St David’s Hall in twelve years. Tickets for this year are already selling fast, so Star Wars fans had better hope that the force is with them.