As a big film fan yourself, it must be good fun performing such iconic music from the movies and sharing all the related facts and figures with the audience?
I’ve always loved music from films and would be one of the sad people who sit right to the end of the film credits in the cinema to find out either who wrote the music, or who arranged or orchestrated the music, and also who performed the music. We started A Night at the Movies in 1994. Initially, I wrote to a well-known BBC film presenter to engage him to come and introduce the concert. When he sent me a very nice reply but declining, I thought I’d give it a go myself, so have been introducing the concerts to audiences ever since. With the advent of the internet, it became much easier to find facts, figures, and trivia than having to buy a succession of movie guides and reference books.
The first film score that made a real impact on me was that of Miklos Rosza’s score for Ben-Hur (the film always seemed to be on at Christmas on one of the three channels then available!) We’ve performed music from Ben-Hur on several occasions (and recorded it too) and I enjoy it immensely every time.
Since 2000, CPO has also performed the Family Prom at every year of the Welsh Proms. How important are concerts like these in introducing people to classical music from an early age?
I remember the thrill of hearing a live orchestra for the first time when I was in school, and a group of us were taken to a concert at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall. And after that, I just wanted to keep going to concerts, and I did, and I hope that we can provide the same experience for our young audience at the Family Prom.
What can we expect from this year’s Family Prom on Sunday 23 July at St David’s Hall?
The theme of this year’s Family Prom is dance! We’re performing pieces ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre (the theme to TV’s Jonathan Creek) to music from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and a spectacular finale of Puttin’ on the Ritz!
What have been your absolute favourite moments over the last 35 years?
There have been many memorable moments, some of which I’ve mentioned like the orchestra’s inaugural and first St David’s Hall concerts, and the concert at the Elise de la Madeline in Paris. I also remember our first performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture at the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl. We only had enough theatrical explosions for the performance itself, not for the rehearsal, so we didn’t really know what to expect. It was absolutely terrifying! The loudest indoor explosions you could ever imagine. The audience loved it and were on their feet cheering before the final chord!
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra (Photo credit Gareth Bull)
CPO has always prided itself on delivering diverse and exciting repertoires. What pieces do you love performing? Conversely, are there any that are a bit of a nightmare to play?
I think that the fact we have always played a diverse range of music – from symphonies by Mahler, Bruckner and Shostakovich on the one hand to music by Eric Coates and Arthur Sullivan on the other – is a testament to the commitment of the players and the wish to play a wide variety of styles. There is no such thing as easy music. Everything requires dedication and care to give as good a performance as possible.
The orchestra has a faithful following that continues to flock to your concerts year on year. It must be great seeing so many familiar faces and newcomers each season?
We are very lucky and we see familiar faces in our audiences time after time at our concerts. Many are friends and family members who require our particular thanks for understanding that Friday Night is CPO rehearsal night! New audience members are always welcome though and we hope that members of our audience who come to see a particular genre like film music will also give a chance for some of our more challenging repertoires.
I remember when we performed Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony in 2008, which was an incredible experience for the orchestra and our large choir that raised the roof of St David’s Hall in the final movement.
One lady in the chorus told me subsequently that she had dragged along her 16-year-old son to the concert. Not only had he not heard Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony previously, he’d never been to any orchestral concert and knew nothing about classical music. Rock and Heavy Metal was all he knew.
After the performance, with great trepidation, his mum asked her son what he had thought of the concert, to which he replied just one word…..”Awesome!”
After all these years you remain as committed and passionate for the orchestra as ever, which is reciprocated by your loyal and talented membership. What is the secret to CPO’s success?
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has been my life for 35 years, and I am extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together. From that first concert, only three others are still here with me…Jill Francis-Williams (the leader), Lesley Clarke (clarinet) and Dai Williams (horn…and Jill’s husband!) Many, many others have played with the orchestra since that first concert in 1982, some perhaps for one or two concerts, some for a few years while living in Cardiff, but there are others who have played and stayed, and have become the heart of the orchestra. Their enthusiasm and commitment enable Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra to rise to the challenge of performing diverse, popular and ambitious programmes to our audiences everywhere.
Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra’s 35th Birthday Concert is at St David’s Hall on Saturday 15 July at 7.30pm. To book your seats, please visit www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
or call the Box Office on 029 2087 8444.
Update 30 December 2017: Since we posted this interview we are pleased to announce that Michael Bell has been awarded an MBE for services to Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra, congratulations Michael.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
