Hull Phil to play film classics in first concert of the season
‘MUSIC EVERYONE CAN ENJOY’: Simon Chalk
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Iconic characters from the world of fiction will come head-to-head in a concert at Hull City Hall this month.
Heroes and Villains from Hull Philharmonic Orchestra on November 24 brings a mix of popular film classics sprinkled with modern themes, new discoveries and a stirring tribute to war heroes.
In a programme to suit broad age groups and musical tastes, the first concert of the orchestra’s 2024/2025 season includes spaghetti western characters The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, outlaw Billy the Kid, the mesmerising anti-hero Count Dracula and the ultimate super-hero, Superman.
Opening with the heroic Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, the audience will also hear a Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman by Joan Tower, written to celebrate risk-taking, adventurous women.
The moving Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams – featured in the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan – will be complemented with another piece to remember victims of war, Poppies, by local composer Sam Mavor.
Following the success of last November’s family event, the concert will again be held on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm, making it accessible and appealing to a wide audience, with children being invited to dress as their favourite hero or villain.
Simon Chalk, who took over as musical director and conductor of the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023, said: “Hull has made a real commitment to promoting music across every local community and, as the city’s orchestra, we want to build on that by bringing our audiences music that everyone can enjoy.”
A proud “Welsh lad from the valleys”, Simon trained in conducting and violin at the Birmingham Conservatoire and has appeared in more than 70 countries with numerous professional symphony orchestras and smaller ensembles. He is committed to using music to engage and inspire, and to attract people into the concert hall who may have never seen a live orchestra before.
The full programme comprises: Aaron Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man and Billy the Kid Ballet Suite; John Williams, Hymn to the Fallen from the film Saving Private Ryan, and the Superman March from the film Superman; Wojciech Kilar, Suite from the film Dracula; Sam Mavor, Poppies, and Ennio Morricone, Moment for Morricone – a medley of themes from Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Tickets are available here and are priced from £10 to £31 with concessions available.