Though classical music mightn’t be for everyone, a good movie soundtrack certainly is, with pieces by John Williams, Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer and more becoming arguably more iconic than the films they originate from.
This November, The Metropolitan Orchestra (TMO) will be returning to Riverside Theatres once again with Hollywood in Concert – bringing these songs to life for listeners of all ages to enjoy.
According to Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, the show is too special not to bring it back year after year.
“It’s just proven to be such a popular event with the community,” she said.
“It engages with the audience in a really lovely way, that quite a lot of other concerts mightn’t. There’s a palpable energy in the audience.”
Of all their venues, Williams said that Parramatta is a favourite, adding that she couldn’t wait to return.
“We absolutely love the Riverside Theatres,” she said.
“Of course, Riverside is about to be renovated and become bigger and better again, so it’s really nice for us to be able to present some final concerts in there before the big renovation. It’s very exciting what’s happening in Parramatta, that’s for sure!”
The concert takes audiences on a journey through soundtracks from all different types of movies, from familiar pieces, to lesser known pieces, and others which though were written prior to the films, significantly grew in popularity as a result of it.
The concert includes Danny Elfman’s ‘Batman’ and ‘Spiderman’ themes, as well as music from ‘Mission Impossible’, ‘Back To The Future’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘The Mission’, and more.
But, over time it’s become clear that anything by John Williams is always a favourite, with the composer’s catalogue including ‘Star Wars’, ‘Jaws’, ‘Jurassic Park’, and ‘Indiana Jones’.
“You can start the opening bar, and you hear a collective gasp from the audience. They know what it is, and there’s such excitement,” she said.
“There’s few composers that have that instant reaction and connection, and is just so easily identifiable.”
Having put the show together herself, Williams said she loves them all.
“I think this particular program is one of our best,” she said.
“They’re all magical pieces of music.”
The uniqueness of the program is the reason why the audience is so vast each year, ranging from regular concert-goers, to movie lovers and families.
“I think there are a lot of people who don’t go to an orchestral concert because there’s a lot of barriers, whether it’s, they don’t know the rules, what should they wear, when should they clap – all of those things that make it feel not acceptable to the average person,” she said.
“We are all about trying to break those barriers, so in putting on programs like this, we definitely do reach an audience who may not normally come. Then, they come, and they think, ‘Actually, this orchestra thing is pretty good!’.”
No matter your background, Williams promises a good time.
“It is an exhilarating concert from front to back,” she said.
“Every piece, they will be captivated by, even if they don’t know the piece.”
Hollywood in Concert will be on at Riverside Theatre on Saturday, November 2. Tickets start at $35. For more information or to book, visit http://www.riversideparramatta.com.au.
Cassidy Pearce is Parra News' entertainment journalist and beauty columnist. She is a graduate of the University of Technology Sydney.