SOUNDS OF HOLLYWOOD COMING TO OPERA HOUSE
SONGS from some of modern cinema’s most beloved films will be performed at the National Opera House next month by the Wexford Sinfonia and 160 students from across the county.
‘Music in Movieland (and beyond)’, which takes place on Saturday, March 21, will feature original arrangements of, among others, Somebody to Love (Bohemian Rhapsody), A Million Dreams (Greatest Showman) and Circle of Life (The Lion King), all composed by Liam Bates.
Helping to bring these performances to life will be student choirs from Bridgetown College, St Peter’s College, Presentation Secondary School, Loreto Secondary School Wexford, CBS Wexford, and Gorey Community School.
Anne Ó Lionáin of the Wexford Sinfonia discussed some of the other scores audiences could expect on the night, ‘We’re going to have Mr Blue Sky from ELO, the theme of Game of Thrones, the theme of Pirates of the Carribean, Shallow from A Star is Born, and songs from Imagine Dragons.
‘Liam Bates is the conductor, he orchestrated all the pieces from scratch, he’s very devoted to the local community and the musical education of young people.’
Some of those young people include four members from the same family who will all be part of the orchestra. From Rosslare, the Mercer family consists of Katie on viola, John on the french horn, Grace on the oboe, and Claire on the cello.
And they were part of the extensive rehearsals sessions which took place in The Presentation School last weekend. Led by Liam the Sinfonia practised for 12 hours over two days, working hard to ensure the sounds of Hollywood were ready for the Wexford stage.
Founded by Richard Miller the Wexford Sinfonia has already spawned two professional musicians and Hannah Miller, Richard’s granddaughter, will look to continue that heritage by performing at Carnegie Hall later this month.
But for Anne the Wexford Sinfonia is about encouraging everyone to perform and bringing members of the community together.
‘With this concert we wanted to show orchestral music doesn’t have to be elitist, it can be all kinds of music. We wanted to reach out to the community, we’re keen on working with students and giving them an opportunity to sing with an orchestra,’ she said.