At the first of two sold-out shows under the banner “Hans Zimmer Revealed”, the German composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist steered a 76-piece orchestral juggernaut through an astounding concert performance that brought vividly to life a selection of the soundtracks he has composed for films including Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King (for which he won an Oscar) and many others.

It began with the maestro, centre stage, picking out the piano theme to Driving Miss Daisy and gradually expanded to incorporate first his band then the orchestra. A choir was next revealed — 24 heads looming from a pool of darkness, each illuminated by individual spotlights — and the giant ensemble moved on to Crimson Tide, a forbidding swell of strings and voices with a dark, gothic undertow. Red spotlights shone from the side and a mist rolled in. As they moved seamlessly into the percussive bombardment of Angels and Demons, white lights flickered and flashed in perfect sync with the explosive movements of the drummer Satnam Ramgotra and an eight-piece percussion section stationed at either side of the stage. It was a perfectly choreographed musical battle zone.

The show was rich in musical detail, with players including Govan Guthrie (guitar), Yolanda Charles (bass) and Mel Wesson (synthesizers) all acknowledged frontrunners in their fields. The sound was of the highest fidelity. And with Zimmer energetically leading the way on piano, acoustic guitar and, briefly, a banjo, everyone in the cast was fully immersed in the performance. The lighting added a final layer of theatrical magnificence. Designed by Marc Brickman (acclaimed for his work with Pink Floyd and David Gilmour) it was a beautiful, intricate symphony of visual delights.

Johnny Marr arrived to add some high, textured guitar parts to Man of Steel and sprinkle a touch of celebrity stardust on the latter part of the show. During an encore of Inception, Marr conjured a siren-like cadence from his guitar while the percussionists embarked on a final, thunderous rhythmic interchange and shards of light floated down like space debris from above. A final, tinkling piano motif from Zimmer alone and the circle was closed. Fantastic.

Article by David Sinclair