Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Blockbusters, Pete Harrison conductor (conductor)

‘You gets what you pays for’, and Hollywood pays lots, so this rich compilation had plenty of tremolo strings, crisp brass and a generous selection of excellent percussion. The orchestra were clearly enjoying themselves, as was the conductor whose expansive links shared his enthusiasm with the audience. Perhaps there was one too many of the big tunes, with their bluster and rush. I rather preferred the music for ‘Up’ and the virtuoso ’cello piece from ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. The loudest applause was for the encore, the theme from ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’, and we all went home happy.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 9 March 2013

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