During the second concert of Het Nederlands Filmorkest (The Dutch Film Orchestra) that I attended, they announced a new concert program for June, focussing on British films. After attending two excellent concerts by them, I found myself back in the big movie theater in Ede for their Fully British program.
In the first half of this program, we could listen to a wonderful collection of music from all kinds of movies that have ties with the UK. This part contained some familiar music from Sherlock Holmes and The Chronicles Of Narnia or the gorgeous melodies of Dario Marianelli’s Pride and Prejudice and Michael Kamen’s Robin Hood, which I had never heard live before. Some other pieces were new to me, like the music from the iconic Disney movie 101 Dalmatians or from England’s number one spy, Johnny English. The last cue from this half is also worth mentioning since it showcases what makes Het Filmorkest such a fantastic orchestra. If there is one movie franchise with strong ties to England, it is the Harry Potter franchise, but instead of going for the better-known Harry Potter cues, they opted to play a suite from the less familiar Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix with music by Nicholas Hooper. It is also the score on which host Dominic Seldis was one of the recording musicians with his double bass. Unfortunately, Seldis was not present at the concert itself, but the organizers showed short prerecorded clips of him, during which he introduced the pieces performed that night.
The second half was focused entirely on the other number one British spy, and we were treated to all kinds of music from the James Bond movies. This part started with a medley from all kinds of Bond themes composed by John Barry, like Thunderball, From Russia With Love, Diamonds are Forever and some more outstanding music from this great composer. After this orchestral suite, it was time for the three vocalists, Noa Blom, Floris Groeneweg and Gabrielle Waal, to shine, as they sang a medley with some of the iconic James Bond songs, including Moonraker, Live and Let Die and Goldfinger. The concert ended with a medley from the latest Daniel Craig movies. This suite was half instrumental, but it also contained a lovely performance by the vocalists of the famous Skyfall and No Time To Die songs.
In my previous concert report, I wrote about film music concerts in the Netherlands being quite safe, with most often only familiar, iconic pieces. I do have to nuance that statement a bit, because Het Nederlands Filmorkest exists. When you attend their concerts, you can see that their passion for film music as an art form is genuine, and that they balance entertainment with introducing the audience to lesser-known film music exceptionally well. I have seen three of their concerts and haven’t heard a single piece on their programs twice, which is a rarity in the Netherlands for film music concerts. Their passion also shows in the effort they put into the movies they show during their concerts, which are edited to the music in such a way that there is a balance between the music and the dialogue from those scenes. I do not care much about those clips in the background myself because their music is entertaining enough on its own, but I can see the appeal to many in the audience who do appreciate them and want to come back to their next concert, which will be in January. I will check my schedule to see if I can make it because their concerts are unique, fantastic, and worth attending.
Concert information
Where: Pathé – Ede, the Netherlands
When: June 22, 2024
Orchestra: Het Nederlands Filmorkest conducted by Sander Vredenborg
Vocalists: Noa Blom, Floris Groeneweg and Gabrielle Waal
Host: Dominic Seldis (online)
Program
- Sherlock Holmes
- The Chronicles Of Narnia
- Robin Hood
- Pride & Prejudice
- 101 Dalmatians
- Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix
- Johnny English
Intermission
- James Bond Orchestra Medley
- James Bond Title Song Medley
- Moonraker
- Goldeneye
- Tomorrow Never Dies
- Daniel Craig Medley
- Live and Let Die (Encore)
