THUNDER BAY — Entertainment – Security at the Thunder Bay Auditorium appears to have taken an unusual turn this week.
One of the Empire’s coldest troops has been spotted patrolling the building.
The Snowtrooper may be the advance guard, but the real invasion happens on stage Saturday, Nov. 14, when the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra brings the music of a galaxy far, far away to life with Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
And the TBSO is calling in reinforcements.
Eight additional musicians will join the orchestra’s regular 31-member ensemble, putting 39 musicians on stage to perform the music of legendary composer John Williams.
John Williams Scores Get Full Symphonic Treatment
The concert will feature music from the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequel films, taking audiences through some of the most recognizable movie music of the past half-century.
Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Christmas will lead the expanded orchestra through a program ranging from the jazzy energy of the Cantina Band to the choral intensity of Duel of the Fates and the unmistakable Star Wars main title.
“There’s a reason this music has stuck with people for nearly fifty years,” Christmas said.
“Williams writes for every section of the orchestra, and he doesn’t hold anything back. When the brass comes in on that main title, people are going to feel it in their chests.”
TBSO Brings in Reinforcements
TBSO Executive Director Brittany Moat said the 39-player ensemble will be one of the largest groups the orchestra has put on the Auditorium stage in some time.
“Williams wrote these scores for a full symphonic force,” Moat said.
“Most people know them from watching the movies at home, but Saturday is a chance to feel them in the room.”
The additional musicians will help give Williams’ large-scale orchestral writing the weight and depth audiences associate with the films.
His Star Wars scores make extensive use of brass, strings, percussion and woodwinds, with recurring themes that became almost as recognizable as the characters themselves.
From the Cantina to Duel of the Fates
The program spans the first six films in the Star Wars saga.
For longtime fans, that means music connected to everything from Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader to the prequel-era battles that introduced a new generation to the franchise.
Williams won the Academy Award for best original score for the original 1977 Star Wars film, and the music went on to become one of the defining orchestral soundtracks in cinema history.
For the TBSO, the concert is also an opportunity to demonstrate what happens when music usually heard through movie theatre speakers or a television sound system is performed by musicians sitting only metres away.
That is particularly true when the orchestra reaches the franchise’s massive brass and percussion passages.
Symphony Hopes the Force Attracts New Audiences
The TBSO is also hoping Star Wars can draw people who might not ordinarily think of themselves as symphony-goers.
Moat said the expected audience could range from families with children in costume to longtime fans who first saw A New Hope in theatres in 1977.
There will also likely be people attending an orchestra concert for the first time.
That crossover is important for orchestras.
Film, television and video-game music can provide an accessible introduction to symphonic performance for audiences unfamiliar with traditional classical programming.
In this case, many people in the audience will already know the music.
They may simply never have heard it performed live by nearly 40 musicians.
The Empire Won’t Be Alone in the Lobby
The Snowtrooper spotted around the Auditorium this week apparently will not be operating alone Saturday.
Before the concert, organizers expect Snowtroopers, a Mandalorian, a giant Porg and even R2-D2 to be in the Auditorium lobby.
Concertgoers are being encouraged to arrive early and bring their phones for photographs.
Costumes are also likely to be part of the evening as generations of Star Wars fans gather for the performance.
Concert Set for Saturday, Nov. 14
Star Wars: The Complete Saga takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Thunder Bay Auditorium.
The concert is presented by Jones Insurance.
Tickets are available through TBSO.ca.
And if an Imperial Snowtrooper happens to be guarding the entrance?
Apparently, that is all part of the show.
