Modern symphony orchestras and their musical directors, when assembling their season schedule, make a point of mixing things up.
For every concert featuring the work of classic composers, there is a performance spotlighting contemporary music.
Sean O’Loughlin, the Victoria Symphony’s principal Pops Series conductor, is very familiar with the latter, having guided the orchestra for non-traditional shows with film-centric themes ranging from Star Wars and Wizard of Oz to last spring’s wildly popular The Best of Queen.
Fans of popular film theme music are in for a treat Jan. 25-26, when O’Loughlin and company take to the Royal Theatre stage to tackle Shaken, Not Stirred. The title, for those intimate with James Bond lore, is a direct reference to a line commonly quoted in bars by the fictional British Secret Service agent through that film anthology.
The orchestra will play the dramatic themes from such Bond favourites as Thunderball, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Skyfall as well as the anthemic themes from the Mission Impossible and Pink Panther series. The performances will be buffeted by the addition of Toronto-based tenor David Curry, who Symphony regulars will remember from last season’s Pops Series opening concerts, Broadway and Bernstein.
The two shows run Saturday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $35 and are available online at rmts.bc.ca, by phone at 250-386-6121 or at the Royal Theatre box office.
If you enjoy the Pops Series, upcoming dates include:
• March 28-29, Music of the Emerald Isles – A concert featuring all things Irish, featuring Celtic fiddler and Riverdance alumna Maria Millar;
• May 9-10, Cirque Goes to the Theatre – An amazing combo of aerial and ground acrobatics from members of Cirque de la Symphonie, performed with the accompaniment of the orchestra playing classical and film music.
– Don Descoteau
editor@mondaymag.com
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