WASO’s Principal Cellist shares his experience of recording Williams’ iconic films scores with the composer.

WASO had just played Lord of the Rings Part One and I was leaning on my cello case outside Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre waiting for my lift home when I was approached by an excited family who had just enjoyed the performance. They had been overawed by the experience of seeing the movie with a full-size symphony orchestra playing the music live in front of the screen. They raved about the whole event and subsequently turned out to be keen to find out about upcoming concerts at Perth Concert Hall and elsewhere. Hopefully by now they will have sampled the traditional concert hall repertoire, but the story illustrates the importance of film music as a way of introducing people to the joys of hearing a symphony orchestra in full flight.

My releationship with one film composer, John Williams, goes back 20 years. From March 1977, I was Co-Principal Cello of the London Symphony Orchestra, during which time we recorded the music for over 100 films, including the Star Wars, Superman and Raiders trilogies. Without doubt, the recording of these nine...