Movie Magic: The Music of Zimmer vs. Williams
This December the RSNO and RSNC bring music from the movies to life with an evening celebrating the classical soundtracks of John Williams and Hans Zimmer
Those in-between Christmas and New Year days are some of the best of the year; you rarely have any idea what day of the week it is – which doesn’t matter – and you get to spend most of your time with loved ones on the couch watching classic films made for days like these; films like Star Wars, The Lion King, Batman Begins and timeless Steven Spielberg greats like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park (insert Alan Partridge air punch here, iykyk).
But those films would be nothing without their classical soundtracks, scored by two of the greatest film composers of all time – John Williams and Hans Zimmer. It’s actually impossible to think about those films without recalling the music, and we guarantee that right about now you’re either singing the theme from George Lucas’s iconic space opera, or Spielberg’s prehistoric masterpiece. Giving us a reason to get out the house this festive season, on Friday 29 December, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and the RSNO Chorus are going to be bringing those very songs to life, with an epic concert – The Music of Zimmer vs. Williams – at the Usher Hall.
Led by conductor Michael Bawtree, the RSNO and RSNO Chorus will expertly manoeuvre their way through a beautifully curated programme of musical movie highlights from the pair. Music on the night from Williams will include pieces from the aforementioned Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as Saving Private Ryan, while Zimmer's will take you on an aural deep-dive through his work on emotional scenes in The Lion King and Batman Begins, as well as orchestral beauties from Pearl Harbour, Top Gun: Maverick and The Da Vinci Code, some of which was filmed just down the road in Roslin. So head to the Usher Hall this winter for what is sure to be a night of classical music like no other.
The Music of Zimmer vs. Williams takes place at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 29 Dec, 7.30pm. Tickets start at £21.49 (including booking fee), available from usherhall.co.uk