Music: Ben Locket
Conductor: Terry Davies
Performances from live orchestras accompanying films have never been so popular but tonight’s offering from The Orchestra of Opera North brought something a little different. A concert billed at the over 5’s, under the baton of Terry Davies the audience full of families were delighted to be introduced to Magic Light Pictures’ animated version of Roald Dahl.
Davies pitched the introduction perfectly to the young audience, many of whom were probably at their first ever orchestral concert. An engaging conductor who communicated well with the audience, he introduced the woodwind and percussion sections in turn and turned the audience into one huge percussion section. We were treated to a solo by the contrabassoon, showcasing the differing tones and moods the instrument can produce. Davies went on to demonstrate the power of music in creating different moods, showing how music alone can change the meaning of an animation. This worked extremely well, capturing the attention of the audience young and old and leaving us wanting more. The perfect introduction to the orchestra.
Magic Light’s short film was released in 2016 and blends a selection of stories from Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. The film is in two halves. The first includes Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Three Little Pigs with the Wolf being the key character throughout and ends on a cliff hanger. The second half adds Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk to the mix.
The rousing music by Ben Locket was Oscar nominated and was awarded Best Original Score at the Sapporo Film Festival so it’s unsurprising it’s been selected to be performed by orchestras.
As ever the orchestra gave a flawless performance but what really stood out is that they all looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves. The animations were funny, gruesome, and enjoyable and with the added bonus of the orchestra it made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Reviewed on 12th December 2023.
The Reviews Hub Score
Engaging and exciting
