Joe Fuller: Entertainment

Heroes & Aliens at the Dome, in classical music form

Here is a perfect concert for me to discuss, with my predilection towards crossover appeal and people being introduced to classical music. Heroes and Aliens are coming to Brighton. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra are performing an evening of epic galactic soundtracks, and the title itself screams crossover, prompting ideas of vast sci fi landscapes scored dramatically, and yes, epically. The word might be overused but it certainly does apply here.
The BSO have impressed me in many ways over the last few years in their Dome performances. They often perform themed evenings like this one, in 2014 I awarded five stars to their ‘An English Idyll’ evening for example, which featured stunning violin from Tasmin Little. I was also impressed that they employed Radio 3’s charismatic Petroc Trelawny to present the evening. Kudos then to the BSO for trying different things to spice up performances and stand out from the rest of the orchestra crowd.

The programme couldn’t possibly start with anything more crowdpleasing: John Williams’ Star Wars main titles. I saw The Force Awakens at a midnight screening and the biggest cheer of the evening greeted the opening fanfare. The live version can only be even more thrilling. For the old-school fans, there will also be Stu Phillips’ theme for the original Battlestar Galactica, Jerry Goldsmith’s Alien score and the Doctor Who theme.
It’s not all brassy bombast however if that’s not your cup of tea. James Horner’s Apollo 13 score is more contemplative and enigmatic, and there are recent pieces such as Michael Giacchino’s ‘Enterprising Young Men’ from 2009’s Star Trek.
John Williams understandably crops up a lot, with the E.T. Suite, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman and more being performed, so you’ll be in for a treat if you’re a fan of any of those.

Regardless of how one feels about the sci-fi themed evening (I personally love sci-fi for the philosophical ponderings, the supernal atmosphere and cinematic excitement), you can rest assured that the performance will be impressive. Pete Harrison conducted an evening of Hollywood Blockbusters in 2013, and our own Andrew Connal praised his “expansive links” and noted the enthusiasm of the orchestra and audience. The short pieces should make for a fun, varied evening, and the sci-fi theme perfectly reflects the transcendental power of classical music.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Heroes and Aliens, Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, £10-£27.50, kids £1, www.brightondome.org, 01273 709709