I am more than willing to admit that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. (I am a Hufflepuff in case anyone was wondering.) I have read all of the books at least four or five times and seen the movies more times than I can count. With that, over fall break, I had the opportunity to go and experience the South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert” at South Bend’s very own Morris Theater in which they performed the original score composed by John Williams. I have seen all of the movies and memorized the music, so I knew when the instruments were supposed to come in, and I can say this with confidence: The symphony did not disappoint.
Upon arriving at the historic theater, I spent most of the time before the show looking up at all of the beautiful scenery and artwork that made up the theater’s ceiling. In addition to this, I had the honor of listening to the symphony warm up. It was so amazing to me to see all of these super talented musicians live in concert under the direction of guest conductor Ron Spigelman as the movie played, the symphony filling in the role of the soundtrack. At some points, you could almost forget that this wasn’t the actual recording.
I was easily able to differentiate between the different instruments that were playing. One of the things that I enjoyed most was listening to the different timbres and how they blended together perfectly. Listening to the percussion mix with the brass and wind instruments, it was (no pun intended) music to my ears.
I know from playing some of John Williams’s music before that it is not an easy task. Music Director Alastair Willis commented on his appreciation for the symphony’s performance: “It is hard. You know, in a studio you can record it 1,000 times or whenever the director is happy. In concert, you only have one shot, and Ron Spigelman did a good job making our orchestra sound great.”
Spigelman also commented, saying, “The most difficult part is to make sure it all syncs to the film the way the original soundtrack does, and with nearly 90 musicians and only two rehearsals, it can be challenging simply because it is live, and there is no room for error. I have to be very clear and concise in the way I conduct, which is why I try to memorize it so I can look at the screen and the orchestra to make any adjustments to the tempo we need to sync it to the film.”
While it was disappointing that I did not get my acceptance letter into Hogwarts at 11 years old, this was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, and it truly will never be forgotten.
