The orchestra filed in one by one carefully taking their seats within their relevant sections: strings at the front, woodwind & brass in the centre, and percussion at the back. With their positions now filled, the silence only added to the anticipation. After what seemed an eternity, the conductor Anthony Gabriele entered the stage. With all eyes on him, he took to the podium and with a slight wave of his wrist, the Prelude/Main Title March began…
The roar of the applause greeting the end of the Main Title March filled the Royal Albert Hall and beyond. The audience now knew what they were in for this evening: every face a smile, full of excitement. The music instantly transported us back to the experience of first seeing Superman the Movie on the Big Screen!
The slow build of The Planet Krypton introduced JOR-EL (Marlon Brando) with a teasing glimpse of the evil trio Zod (Terence Stamp), Non (Jack O’Halloran) and Ursa (Sarah Douglas) before they are imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, not to be seen again till their miraculous escape in Superman II.
The sombre tones of Destruction of Krypton conveyed the same dread as JOR-EL tries to convince the elders of the impending destruction of the planet. Leading on to the triumphant Star Ship Escapes, as KAL-EL narrowly escaped the impending doom of Krypton…
Each and every composition beautifully played by the orchestra added so much more depth to the stunning visuals on screen. There really is something special about experiencing a movie with a live orchestra.
A truly SUPER evening. It will be hard to go back to watching the movie on the small screen again.
images courtesy of Aaron Price, Andy Hanton, Craig Sutor, Graham Alexander Holden & Kristian Lovell.
"A Truly Magical, Emotional Experience of The Quintessential Superman And The Godfather of All Superhero. Movies"
"The most memorable evening meeting new friends, watching the film and listening to the orchestra took this movie to a whole new level!"
"I've been anticipating this concert for years and when tickets went on sale about three years ago, my hype levels went through the roof. Eventually, after delays due to Covid, we finally sat in the Royal Albert Hall and I felt 5 years old again, only with a much bigger emotional punch as the live score was played so beautifully by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. John Williams score is up there with the greatest movie soundtracks and you hear details in the music than really resonate when being performed live, that you may miss on cd or vinyl, or when watching Superman on tv. Some tracks always bring a tear to my eye, such as Clark saying goodbye to Ma Kent as he prepares to head North and seeing Chris and Margot together is bittersweet, knowing they're no longer with us, but their onscreen chemistry is perfection. I think I could read the minds of all the fans watching and listening to the event. We were all mesmerised and I really hope we get another chance to do it all again! Superman In Concert is one not to miss!"
"Seeing Superman: The Movie in Concert is very difficult to put into words that effectively express how it made me feel. How can you express that visceral reaction to seeing Christopher Reeve catch Lois Lane and saying "I've got you." to the glorious brass section of John William's Superman theme. It was not the first time I had a tear that night and it wasn't the last. The power of Christopher Reeve and John William's together. Super."
