With this weekend’s UK premiere of Howard Shore’s complete score for The Two Towers live with Peter Jackson’s film in mind, I thought it would be good to have a look ahead to other live film and music events taking place in the UK this year.

While The Two Towers at the Royal Albert Hall is sold out, there’s still a chance to get tickets for the third and final UK premiere in the series as Ludwig Wicki and the London Philharmonic Orchestra return to the hall on September 28^th and 29^th to present The Return of the King.  We’ll have a full report on The Two Towers early next week, so keep an eye out.  In the meantime visit www.royalalberthall.com for details of the next stunning live music and film spectacle.

May 7^th finds a unique collaboration between Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory as the pair present the premier of their new score for the 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc in Bristol.  The film, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer was thought lost until someone discovered in a cupboard at a Norwegian Mental Institute of all places!  The eclectic score will be conducted by Charles Hazelwood at Bristol’s Colston Hall on Friday May 7^th, live to film.  Visit www.colstonhall.org for more information.

London plays host to more delights in the summer months, with the Philharmonia Orchestra taking on a performance of the original soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Royal Festival Hall on June 25^th.  Stanley Kubrick’s unusual masterpiece will be screened courtesy of the BFI and Warner Bros. with the iconic music of Richard and Johann Strauss, not to mention Gyorgy Ligeti taking centre stage.  The southbank will also see the a performance of Philip Glass’ new score for The Fall of Icarus on July 3^rd and 4^th.  Marin Alsop will conduct the London Philharmonic in a programme that also includes John Adams’ ‘Dr. Atomic Symphony’.  More information and ticket prices can be found at www.southbankcentre.co.uk.

Finally, and later in the year, will be a presentation of Hitchcock’s early classic Blackmail, which has been treated to a brand new score by British composer Neil Brand.  The BBC Symphony Orchestra will do the honours at London’s Barbican Centre on Halloween night.  It’s sure to be a scinitillating evening, so don’t miss it – or indeed any of the aforementioned events.

With many thanks to Flip Jansen at Movies In Concert – You can find out up to the minute information about live film music events across the globe by visiting www.moviesinconcert.nl...

Michael Beek