Meeting opportunity: Morricone at Royal Albert Hall (April 10)

We didn't found Mark Rayen. He bought a ticket for seat Front Circle 143, but it was someone else when I asked. The Belgian person was Elins boyfriend who had to cancel due to work.

We (well, at least me) annoyed people with that today (and perhaps yesterday as well) by practising the instrument in all available sounds in public.

haha, we even look kinda cool

Jim, Timmer, Anthony, John and Thor, it was awesome meeting you guys for the first time. I had a great time and would love to do it again

Concerning the concert, it was amazing. The orchestra and chorus really gave it all they got and there was barely a dull moment. Of course The Mission and the western bunch was brilliant, but I was blown away mostly by the opening track, a total atonal attack on the senses (but so goddamn cool, it seems it was "Icaro Secondo) and a piece I didn't heard before, namely from the film Maddalena

The vocal during this track was brilliant like only Morricone could do it

Anyway thanks again guys for the wonderful companionship, until next time

Elin and Bregt, thanks of course for all the rest

Good to see that everyone had a great time - and that the concert was so good. Obviously, as soon as I watched the YouTube clips Martin linked to goosebumps raised on my arms and I wished I had have gone.

Hope everyone had a safe journey home.

Hi guys,

Although I'm really tired I want to chip in about how I experienced my first Ennio concert and meeting the maintitles gang.

I had no big expectations about this trip, which allowed me to be completely surprised/enthralled by all the positives and not to be attached to things going slightly less easy (those of you that attended already know of the little transport issues Thomas, Bregt and I had getting to London, well they continued all the way back, but never mind that).

Anyway, even though the Belgian/French/English transport system tried to delay us as much as possible, we did get to the meeting point in time, and I did get a chance to meet Timmer, Antony and Jim, and then slightly later Thor. It was a blast. Although I haven't been very active on the boards, and only became a member of this forum after procuring my tickets for this event, I felt immediately welcomed with open arms.

I love to be in the surroundings of people who are at least as crazy about soundtracks as I am, so let me asure you, yes that was the case, and yes, I had a great time.

I loved the hanging around in the pubs, the walking around London looking for pubs and the talking about favorite composers, how to go about treasure hunting at Glastonbury festival and performing Top Gear stunts.
And no, that information will not be available to anybody who wasn't present at this meeting.

About the concert itself I can say it started with a little 'warm up movie' of about 30minutes, followed by a break, an introduction to Ennio and then an outrageous applause and standing ovation by the 5600 people present in the complete filled Royal Albert Hall when the Maestro himself entered the arena.

He started out with the least accessible piece of music (not immediately my favorite, but still interesting to hear), but from then on I just loved it. Even pieces I knew but didn't care for that much (like Come Maddalena) turned out to be rocking when played live.

Before the second break he played his Western combination and it just transported me back in time, to my childhood listening to this music with my parents and sister, unaware that this was score music, just loving it as music being played and loved by my entire household. It was a moving experience, remembering that time full of innocence and childish ignorance, but also so very open to and accepting of the emotion in the music.
And for ten minutes I was that six year old again...
That is an experience I'm never going to forget, and that I will take with me from this concert.

Of course, the second part of his concert (including the Mission) was beautiful and touching as well. The parts where the 110 choral voices soared at full power, were just awe inspiring, and the public was just loving every second of it.

And yes, we were lucky. We got the chance to listen to three encore pieces (I still don’t understand those people that choose to leave even before the first encore, but that’s just me I guess).
Afterwards, the remaining Maintitles gang reunited and went for a final drink together before going are merry ways. So on Sunday Bregt, Thomas and I were left to our own devices (and a failing London Underground network). But we did get to see a squirrel next to St-Paul’s cathedral, we got to listen to a beautiful choir in St-Paul’s and had a look around in the Covent Garden area, before having to get to the train station to catch the Eurostar.

All in all, I wish the Maestro another decade of creative musical writings and performances (and count me in to attend some of them).
I also want to thank all of you who were present for giving me the feeling of being adopted into a nice (although slightly crazy) family of Maintitles friends and be sure I’ll stay on the boards lurking and/or posting (hopefully more the latter than the former) and hopefully see you soon.

Elin

Did you guys find lockers in the end?

What a cool gang!

I enjoy hearing the different accounts, and I'm very envious. Sounds like an awesome experience.

You're also lucky that you got to hear "Icaro secondo" as the first morriconians in the world, even if it wasn't an easy listen. Hopefully someone will upload it to youtube so I can hear what it's all about.

What was that warm up movie about? Was it like a montage of clips scored by Ennio, or was it a kind of documentary?

*heads off to listen to the youtube clips

Peter

No, we stashed our bags at the luggage room, and took them to the pub again after the concert was finished, that's why we parted too soon from Thor later that evening, because the bags just kept annoying us

ah well, next time we'll have better luck

Yep, Come Maddalena was played. It was exciting, rhythmic and fun. The vocal in between was the climax of his build up, it was excellent played live.

Covent Garden was nice, but it would have been lovely if that soundtrack ship would have still been there

sadly we could'nt get any autographs, but truth be told is, we didn't actually try. Luckily it compensated for the fact he was there conducting, because as you say so, how many more time will we be able to see him live?

But we all said it at the end, even if he's 82, 83, he doesn't look that old at all. He was jumping and waving like he was 50, meaning he looks to be in excellent condition

The photo with the kazoos is priceless! Bregt, place it somewhere in the site's pages, what do you think? the about us or the community page?

Can there be somewhere where we can have photos from older meetings posted too? I'm sure that we have some around somewhere from other meetings.

I don't think it was. I did see a guy running around taking pictures from Ennio (seemed semi-professionel).

Before the concert I looked around a bit (trying to spot Bregt, Thor and Jim) but didn't notice any video camera's (and I'm guessing they would be clearly visible for such a concert).

So I'm afraid it will live only in our memories and inferior you tube postings

Elin

Is that in June? It would be nice to meet with Martin again.

Keep us informed on the details.

I see that there's an overnight train/ferry London-Amsterdam that could be useful - and relatively cheap.

Haven't called them, but that's what's on the website.