Films that have been screened in London with a live score

There are a variety of types of film-music concert (see latter part of this post for a list of the different varieties) and a particularly immersive and surprising one is when an orchestra performs the entire musical score of the movie live to the picture. The musical component of the soundtrack on the film can be switched off so all other sound effects and speaking parts are audible (and in all the ones I've been to they also use subtitles so you won't miss anything anyway) and replaced by the live orchestra and sometimes choir too. It's fantastic.

I don't know the history of these but they suddenly appeared as events a few years ago. I've been to small-scale ones (65 Days of Static doing their alternative live score for Silent Running, Notting Hill's Electric Cinema house band featuring a guest visit from Bond, Stargate and Independence Day composer David Arnold doing the score for short silent films) and massively large scale things at the Royal Albert Hall with Titanic and Star Trek Into Darkness.

The large scale ones aren't cheap, prices generally start at just under £30 for a fairly distant view from the screen and if you're in the main arena it's about £50/60 per seat (plus attendant travel and feeding costs) but it's not a cheap thing to put on and it's a fantastic experience. One of the most magical and surprising things for me was actually happened just before one of the films began, when the orchestra played the music for the studio logo ident for 20th Century Fox, amazing - I'd just not expected it. One of my favourite studio idents is Universal and one of my favourite films is Jurassic Park, however seeing that live you'd not get the ident music as the film begins with the opening sounds and music of the film (literally just given myself goosepimples typing that). Jurassic Park is available as a film that can be screened with a live score I'm just not aware of any listings in London as yet but it looks like it's going to happen somewhere in November 2016.



Before the film screenings at the Royal Albert Hall the composers are usually interviewed in the Elgar Room (upstairs) by Tommy Pearson, so it's always worth looking out for that as RAH don't always add it to the same page.

Anyway enough blether from me - here's a list of films that are to be performed in London in 2016 and a list of films that have previously been performed in London (and might be performed again). An excellent site where you can get information about new concerts is Movies in Concert (I set up an RSS to Twitter feed for it, @moviesinconcert).

If you know of a concert I've missed please let me know (this list is just for London, where I live, but I'm only too happy to link to a list of these in other cities or countries).

2016
Silent films with live music: beggars of life - 7 March 2016, Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room)
 - this one features Neil Brand and the Dodge Brothers
Raiders of the Lost Ark - 9-12 March 2016, Royal Albert Hall
Western music in concert - 11 March 2016, Royal Albert Hall
Gladiator - 25-26 May 2016, Royal Albert Hall
Amadeus - 14 October 2016, Royal Albert Hall
ET The Extra-Terrestrial - 28 December 2016, Royal Albert Hall

Vertigo - [date to be confirmed], Southbank Centre
"A new year­-long series, Film Scores Live, culminates in a weekend dedicated to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, including the London premiere of the live score to Vertigo."

Read more at http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/philharmonia-orchestra-virtual-reality

2015
Titanic - 27 April 2015, Royal Albert Hall
Not so silent movies - 7 June 2015, Electric Cinema. David Arnold was the special guest with the house band, creating a live score for some silent films - it was pretty funny :)
There Will Be Blood - 19 August 2015, Southbank Centre
Planet of the Apes - 28 August 2015, Southbank Centre
Ratatouille - 28 October 2015, Royal Albert Hall
Frozen - 29 October 2015, Royal Albert Hall
Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage - 1 November 2015, Royal Albert Hall
The Godfather - 2 November 2015, Royal Albert Hall
Alice in Wonderland - 12 December 2015, Royal Albert Hall
Casablanca - 14 December 2015, Southbank Centre

2014
Silent Running - 27 April 2014, Village Underground - with 65 Days of Static providing their alternative score
Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness - 29-31 May 2014, Royal Albert Hall

I am a bit excited about David Arnold's film music concert next week

David Arnold's next concerts will be in 2015, so far Liverpool, Manchester and London mentioned, in this tweet (and replies).

---

In 10 7 1 day's time I'm going to get to hear some much-loved film music belting out from an orchestra on the stage at the Royal Festival Hall, woohoo! I hope he enjoys it too, even though it might not be obvious :)

Quote of the evening from @DavidGArnold ,in the bar after the show: 'I am very happy, but for some reason joy does not travel to my face'.
— Mark Kermode (@KermodeMovie) July 9, 2013

That was after an orchestra had treated us to a bit of his Stargate and Sherlock music, at one of a series of concerts celebrating Mark Kermode's 50th birthday (it was fantastic!).

David Arnold: live in concert - tickets
Sunday 6 July 2014, 8pm
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre



"What do Independence Day, James Bond, Sherlock and the London 2012 Olympic Games have in common? 

Award-winning composer and songwriter David Arnold makes his London concert debut. He has been nominated for, and won, numerous Grammy, Ivor Novello, BMI, Saturn, World Soundtrack and BAFTA awards for his music.

His work has featured on the soundtracks to Independence Day, Stargate, the James Bond films, The Chronicles of Narnia, Godzilla, Hot Fuzz, Paul, The London 2012 Olympic Games and Sherlock.

David performs and sings alongside London's premier orchestral musicians and band."

David Arnold: Independence Day, Stargate, Stepford wives, Casino Royale, Quantum of solace, The world is not enough, Last of the dogmen / David Arnold (& Michael Price): Sherlock


The people who decide what films are shown on TV might have joined in the fun too as quite a few of the films that David scored are also showing in the next few days.




Download a concert flyer: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4000104/DavidArnold_A5flyer.pdf





Independence Day
Saturday 28 June, 1pm, Film4
Friday 4 July, 6.15pm, Film4




Stargate
Sunday 29 June, 2.40pm, 5*



Quantum of Solace
Wednesday 2 July, 10.45pm, ITV2
Thursday 3 July, 8pm, ITV2



"The music throughout the vid is 'Time to get out' by David Arnold. Music right at the end is 'Another Way To Die' by Jack White & Alicia Keys."

BBC Frozen Planet: Philharmonia Orchestra doing a live-score at Royal Festival Hall with George Fenton

Wow this sounds lovely - an evening of watching HD footage from the BBC's Frozen Planet series with an orchestral accompaniment, conducted by George Fenton who composed the score. Not bad at all.

I went to hear George Fenton being interviewed at the Royal Albert Hall last year, by Tommy Pearson (who will be interviewing another composer, Michael Price, this coming Monday - Michael co-composed the music for the BBC's Sherlock). 

BBC Frozen Planet in Concert

Philharmonia at the Movies, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank

Sunday 4 May 2014, 7.30pm (£15-£55, 50% concessions)

There's a nice Vimeo trailer ad to accompany it.


BBC Frozen Planet in Concert from Philharmonia Orchestra on Vimeo.