Over
the weekend I went to see Video Games in Concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall. I was telling a friend of a friend about this and they said "Video
game music? What, so like the Pac-Man theme?" I gave my friend the why
are you friends with this person look. But it did raise an interesting
point. As gamers we are exposed to so many beautiful art forms that are
overlooked by so many people. Video games now are a masterclass collection of
artwork, writing, acting, animation and music that so many people miss out on.
Seeing a full orchestra, accompanied by a wonderful choir, in a beautiful
venue, was so refreshing. Video game music is finally being given the reverence
and respect it deserves.
Walking
into the venue I noticed something that really stood out. The audience was such
a wide mixture of ages. I think I expected a load of people in their 20's with
God of War t-shirts drinking red bulls. Those people were there, but also there
were parents and grandparents bringing their younger family members. Along
with groups of people who have probably never even played a game, but just love
beautiful, well written orchestral music. This was an event where everyone was
welcome, and everyone came together to appreciate video game music not just as
soundtracks from their favourite games; but as intricate and moving works of
art in their own right. Eìmear Noone says it best in her program notes "Every
time a new title is released, with a new genre-bending magical score to
accompany it, I see more clearly a world where this miraculous, singular art
form is given the credit it deserves.' And Eìmear, the RSNO and the
choir certainly proved that to be true!
Here is a
little context for Eímear if you are not
familiar with her or her work. Eimear Noone has composed and conducted work in
26 film and video game titles. These include Overwatch, Hearthstone,
Diablo, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and World of
Warcraft. She also toured as a conductor with The Legend of
Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and made history in 2020 by becoming
the first female conductor to perform at the Academy Awards ceremony. She is
also the presenter for Classic FM's gaming music show, High Score (which
I had no idea existed but I am definitively going to listen every week because
that sounds like a great show and the title is a phenomenal pun!). There are so
many more achievements that I have not listed here, but you get the point - we
were very lucky to have her in Glasgow!
From the
moment she walked on stage Eímear conducted the
crowd as expertly as she conducted the orchestra. She told jokes, anocdotes and
talked so passionatley about the games and their music. She told the audience
that this is 'their music' and to treat the night like they are watching their
favourite band and followed that by saying "if you like something, let us
know!". Giving the audience permission to ignore the pomp and circumstance
and instead cheer and celebrate each song, turning the evening into a true
celebration of video game music, with people cheering and clapping whenever a
piece of music was played that they loved.
Eímear conducted the orchestra with passion
and love and this was then reciprocated by a group of musicians who shared that
passion and love for the scores they were playing. Also I cannot speak highly
enough of the choir. This choir was made up of the RSNO Youth Chorus and
Changed Voices. The Youth Chorus were children aged 7 to 18, who were truly
spectacular. Not only was the choral singing beautiful and moving, but the
soloists were so amazing that I thought the audience would never stop clapping
and cheering after their performances. Also Changed Voices sounded incredible,
particularly on the 'Halo Trilogy', blasting out that iconic monk chanting!
Changed Voices are a group aimed at helping young boys whose voices are
changing maintain healthy singing techniques, which I think is so important.
The set list had such a wide mixture of genres that
there was something there for every video game fan. From the intense,
adrenaline pumping score of Hades to an orchestral version of
the Pokemon Theme! I will include the set list below so you
can see just how fantastic the range of music was:
Some stand out moments for me where Uncharted II,
Halo and Nintendo: Reimagined. But the best piece of music for me was the
'Celtic Link: Orchestral Fantasy'. This was a medley of Zelda music that Eímear
felt had a real Celtic feel to it. The reason this was my favourite part is that my favourite
game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker and it
holds such a special place in my heart. I remember playing it for the first
time on my Gamecube 20 years ago and feeling a sense of adventure that is
indescribable and causes me to well up when ever I hear any of the music from
that game. When the Windwaker theme started playing I was transported back to
the sense of wonder that I haven't felt in two decades! The great thing about
the set list is that everyone had those moments at different points in the night
depending on what generation they were from and what genre spoke to
them. There was music from games I have not played and hearing their score
actually encouraged me to try them out.
The whole concert ended with a very long and passionate standing ovation that shook the walls of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and lasted several minutes! Every single person in that venue regardless of age, social background, gender, ethnicity had just had a moving, unforgettable experience of expertly written music passionately performed. The show united people and at the end of the day that is what video games are about, bringing people together to share what they love.
Let me know your favourite piece of video game music, or if you came along to the concert let me know your favourite moments in the comments below!
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