Audio Fidelity label plans Blade Runner SACD

Audio Fidelity, the label that successfully released the recent vinyl pressing of Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack album, has now announced they will be releasing the same Vangelis album on a limited numbered SACD.

SACDs, or Super Audio CDs are a form of high quality digital disks, similar to CDs, but with much higher sampling rate and sampling precision, resulting in potential better audio quality than a standard CD.

The Blade Runner release will be a Hybrid SACD, which means that the single disks functions both as a regular CD and an SACD, playing as a regular CD on CD players, and in high quality on SACD players. The sound will be mastered by Kevin Grey, who was also involved for the vinyl release. The exact limit of this production has not been announced.

	Label:   Audio Fidelity
	Catalog: AFZ 154

Amazon.com sold out their stock of the vinyl release in just a few days time, and the record still tops many of the world's specialist vinyl stores' sales lists, including Acoustic Sounds.

Thanks to Patrick Schouten who was the first to send us the tip on this.

Sarah Brightman sings "So Long Ago, So Clear"

"Time To Say Goodbye" star Sarah Brightman has recorded a cover version of Vangelis' "So Long Ago, So Clear" from the "Heaven and Hell" album (1975), originally sung by Jon Anderson. The track only appears as a bonus audio track on a supplementary DVD, sold with some exclusive editions of the album (found on Amazon.com), as well as on the iTunes Deluxe edition of the album, and the Super Deluxe Edition (Earth Globe housed in a Black Box) version of this release.

Thanks to Graham Carter for the heads-up.

"Trashed" available for rent as digital stream

As of today "Trashed" can be viewed at the film’s official website as a video on demand for 5.99 USD. Viewing is possible from a computer by registering with the Trashedfilm.com website and payment with a credit card. Note that the resolution of the video stream is 360p. Attempting to switch to higher resolutions does not work at this moment.

The DVD release of "Trashed" on Amazon.co.uk has been delayed for a week and will start shipping from April 29.

Word on "The Making Of..." documentary

In anticipation of the release of Vangelis' spectacular concert in Qatar, we spoke to someone who had the fortune of watching a version of the "Making Of" documentary, which will be included on the live DVD.

If no major changes are still made to the documentary it will, among other things, include interviews with Hugh Hudson, Jeremy Irons, and the son of the Emir of Qatar. Footage is included of a private jam session of the guest performers who appeared at the ethnic opening part of the event and Vangelis attending rehearsals of the children's choir. Some parts of the documentary feature new original Vangelis music, which was not heard at the concert or anywhere else before.

Mastering "Blade Runner" for vinyl

Fans who are waiting for the upcoming vinyl edition of Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack may enjoy this video showing mastering engineer Kevin Gray discussing some of the characteristics of the sound, while working on the mastering to fit this sound on vinyl.

Look!

Echoes celebrates Vangelis' 70th birthday

US daily radio music programme "Echoes" will dedicate a part of its show to Vangelis' music to celebrate his 70th birthday. The broadcast is scheduled for today (Thursday 28 March):

Blade Runner on vinyl release information

The upcoming release of Vangelis' Blade Runner album as a vinyl record (LP) is now scheduled for April 16.

	Label:   Audio Fidelity
	Catalog: AFZLP 154

At Sound Stage Direct, a shop that specializes in selling music on vinyl, Blade Runner as pre-order is already the top selling release.

Thanks to Keith Boleen for the release date.

Mythodea re-orchestration

Recent tweets by orchestrator Sylvain Morizet have aroused curiosity about the apparent re-orchestration of Vangelis choral symphony "Mythodea". Sources close to Vangelis reveil some context on what is going on.

Vangelis' 1993 composition, originally performed live almost completely on synthesizers was first orchestrated in 2001 by Blake Neely and recorded with the London Philharmonic orchestra, released on CD by Sony Classical. The 2001 orchestration was aimed at performing the work with an orchestra, but depended on a central Vangelis performance using his multi instrumental technique on his custom controlled synthesizer setup.

Now, due to serious demand in the classical music world, work is in progress on a new orchestration of the entire Mythodea composition that would allow the work to be performed by a large orchestra, without the necesity of Vangelis' central performance.

On this topic, Vangelis' orchestrator Sylvain Morizet tweeted just yesterday:

We will of course be following this topic for any new developments.

Trashed on DVD, USA edition

In adition to the upcoming UK release of Trashed on DVD (see our January 11 update), Amazon.com now also lists a US release, set for the same release date: Apil 22. Sadly there are no signs yet of any upcoming release on the HD Blu-Ray format.

Extra documentary on La Fête Sauvage / The Wilderness Party DVD / Blu-Ray

An update on the upcoming DVD release of La Fête Sauvage: The extras will also contain a 42 minute documentary film portrait of Frederic Rossif, directed by Ivan Falardi, produced in the late eighties. The audio language is Italian, while English and French subtitles will be provided.

Short topics

A new performance was added to the Kremlin Palace's schedule of the Vangelis scored Beauty and the Beast ballet: September 12, starting at 19:00.

First hints of a new Vangelis project

While fans are waiting for the long awaited release of Vangelis' concert in Qatar, it seems that recent messages on Twitter by "Beauty and the Beast" orchestrator Sylvain Morizet are the first hints of a new project Vangelis is involved in. The relevant tweets by Morizet so far:

Our sources close to Vangelis confirm that the song Sylvain has orchestrated is a new song, composed for soprano Angela Gheorgiu. This is a part of a new project currently being finalized. In addition to Gheorgiu, other important artists are involved as well.

The project is unrelated to the Qatar event, which also involved Angela's classical voice.

Check back here for more news, we will post it as soon as it comes in.

"The Collection" corrected on iTunes, etc.

As reported in our July 24 2012 update, the initial release of "The Collection" on iTunes and other online sources had a technical problem delivering badly editted tracks. We have confirmed that this problem has recently been resolved. It does however seem that at least on iTunes, the corrected version will appear only for newly made purchases.

Another round of "Beauty and the Beast" ballet videos

The Kremlin Ballet has done it again today and uploaded additional video excerpts from Wayne Eagling's "Beauty and the Beast" ballet; and music scored by Vangelis:

Additional "Beauty and the Beast" ballet videos

The Kremlin Ballet has uploaded additional videos from Wayne Eagling's ballet "Beauty and the Beast". The next performance of the ballet is scheduled on February 26:

"Beauty and the Beast" in the media

Here are a couple of links with more coverage on "Beauty and the Beast":

Photographs from premiere, rehearsals and the press conference

Some photo albums shared by the Kremlin Ballet on their Facebook page. Some links may require logging in to Facebook:

Screenings of "Trashed" at the Houses of Parliament, and Gloucestershire

On February 7 "Trashed" will get a special screening at the Houses of Parliament, London. Jeremy Irons will be joining a host of MPs and campaigners to raise awareness of dealing with global waste. The film makers have made available two tickets to the public by entering a competition at their Facebook page:

Furthermore, the film will be screened twice in Gloucestershire in February. The sceenings are part of a public awareness champaign by "GlosVain Against Incineration". "Trashed" screenings in Gloucestershire:

Enviromental film "Trashed" continues to receive praise with the latest coming from EcoWatch.org, recommending it as "must see documentary".

"Beauty and the Beast" reviews

"Trashed" in Rome and Paris

And there are more chances to see "Trashed". Make the best of them, if you can, as this score so far proved very popular among Vangelis fans.

We're a bit late for the screening in Rome, as this takes place tonight on Friday, January 25, at the Raindance Film Festival's Rome edition. According to the organizers, the screening of "Trashed" in Florence was a sell-out.

There's a bit more time for Paris, France, where Trashed will screen on February 24 and 25, at the "30e Festival international du film d'environment".

Thanks to Paul Van Kesteren for the tip about the Paris screenings.

"Earth" in Europe

Downloads of the Vangelis remastered version of "Earth" (see the January 21 update) are now also available in Italy and Germany, with more European countries likely to follow.

More links on "Beauty and the Beast"

Tonight is the official premier performance. We do expect to be able to share some more information in a new update tomorrow.

Live orchestra at ballet and Wayne Eagling radio interview

A photo from today's rehearsals of "Beauty and the Beast" was shared on microblogging site Twitter. The photo tweeted by one of the orchestrators shows the ballet dancers on stage with an orchestra spotted in the orchestra pit playing music, indicating that Vangelis' orchestral music will be played live during the performance.

Tomorrow Wayne Eagling will be appearing on Russian radio station cultradio.ru. On the prgramme Eagling along with the artistic director of the "Kremlin Ballet" Andrei Petrov will be interviewed on the topic of the ballet's Russian premiere this coming Tuesday. The radio interview will be broadcast at 13:05 Moscow time (10:05 CET time) on the programme "Personalities."

Trashed film to screen in Florence, Italy

On Wednesday 23 January "Trashed" will be shown at the Odeon Cinema, in Florence, Italy (screen time 20:30.) The screening will be for one day only and will be shown in its original English version with Italian subtitles.

2013

Plus, let's not forget the Kremlin performances of Wayne Eagling's ballet of "Beauty and the Beast", starting later this month. Originally performed in 1986 to Vangelis' music, this will now be restaged, with the original music. Vangelis is involved for some additional or updated music.

Chariots of Fire stage play comes to an end

It's a bit earlier than planned, but the current run of performances of the Chariots of Fire stage play has come to an end. January 5 saw the last performance at the Gielgud Theatre. According to the show's producers, the starting gun has fired almost 3000 times on this stage, and the actors have collectively run over 1700 Kilometers on the stage's tracks.

The good news is that plans are being developed to tour the production across theaters, somewhere this or next year.

"Sugar" label La Fete Sauvage CD review

While last year's announced releases of the Vangelis remastered Rossif soundtrack albums never actually came available, the Sugar label has recently released their own reissue of Vangelis' "La Fete Sauvage" soundtrack album. As advertised, they did their own remastering, so we were curious to check out the results. Sadly, this is an example of how not to remaster an album.

It looks like they did go back to the master tapes, but the playback rate is slightly to slow, resulting in a lower pitch and a slightly longer album. Worse, the label indulges in what is often referred to as "The Loudness War", having processed the music to deliver the highest possible output volume, their use of Dynamic Limiters has ruined the continuity of the sound, and messed up the album's higher volume portions.

Even worse than that, the engineers must have noticed that parts of this album are mono (owing to the music being recorded and mixed in mono for the movie, with no intend for a soundtrack release), yet not realizing other parts were in fact remixed and added to in proper stereo. They processed the music to give a warmer stereo feel in the mono parts, but effectively killed the proper stereo parts of the master, right back to semi-mono.

By all means avoid this release. Anyone looking for the most authentic reproduction of the '70s release should best still look for the rare Polydor CD release, made in the '80s.

Trashed reviews

Here are the four reviews we received after the opening weekend of "Trashed", in Los Angeles and New York. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! We will still post more if we receive more in the days to come.

The film started on time, and after the usual commercials, it began. The opening credits were nicely done, and overall I felt that Ms. Brady did an excellent job of keeping the pace of the documentary going with nice graphic transitions. Jeremy Irons' voice and presence lifts the film to great heights and the project is clearly blessed by his involvement. The message from the film came through clearly, and the jarring section for all of us was the section on birth defects. Quite sad to see. There was a sense of depression I felt from watching this film, and it almost begs for some bonus material on a DVD of more possible solutions to the problem. The idea of this plastic slurry in our major oceans was shocking. It seems insurmountable to address.

The music was absolutely wonderful. I hope Vangelis will release it because he seems not to want to release this style of music-clean, free-flowing themes along with some of those great fast tempo compositions (think the opening of Pasteur or some tracks from "The City"). What we could hear was great. Nothing like Alexander or El Greco. I had the same feeling when Bitter Moon came out. A different score and a different vibe than "1492" or "The Plague", but we did not get that one released either. There were some ocean scenes in this film with Vangelis music. I was in heaven.

The Q&A with Jeremy was nice. He was interviewed by a man who is involved in the issue in New York, and Jeremy said some nice things about Vangelis' involvement and how Vangelis gave this score for free.

It was a nice trip to the city, totally worth it for a chance to see a film on the big screen with a Vangelis score, with a beautiful closing theme.

Don Fennimore
www.VangelisCollector.com

More performances for Beauty and the Beast

Additional performance dates are announced for "Beauty and the Beast" on the Kremlin Palace website. A complete list of performance dates as it stands today:

Japanese TV series "Song to Soul" episode about Vangelis

This Wednesday, December 5 an episode of Japanese TV series "Song to Soul" will focus on Vangelis and the theme for "Chariots of Fire". The program will air at 23:00 (JST, local Japanese time) on BS-TBS and runs for 54 minutes.

The show explores the popularity of Vangelis' theme in the film and details the story of how it came to life. Film director Hugh Hudson and former Vangelis sound engineer Raphael Preston appear in interviews.

More buzz on Trashed

More and more positive signals are coming in about "Trashed". The movie seems to be quite something! Those who were lucky enough to view a screening are impressed by the emotional impact of the movie on a strong and important topic that concerns us all. Word on the music by Vangelis is exciting, with several sources expressing their hopeful demands for a score release.

Since at least for now "Trashed" will open theatrically only in Los Angeles and New York, making it difficult for most of us to go and see this film, we are calling for those who can go and see it to share their insights and reactions with us.

The movie opens in both cities on Friday December 14, and we'll publish your reactions shortly after that weekend. More about this when the time nears.

Special thanks to everyone who saw Trashed and shared their comments so far.

The Kremlin to restage Beauty and The Beast ballet

According to sources close to Vangelis, the Kremlin has asked Wayne Eagling to help restage his "Beauty and the Beast". The project is currently in its early stages, but if everything goes well, the ballet will be performed somewhere next year at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. The production is being prepared to be almost identical to how the ballet was initially performed at Govent Garden in London, 1986. There is also a possibility that some additional new Vangelis music will be incorporated.

More news here, when it becomes available.

Vangelis interviewed by BioMagazine

Vangelis recently gave a brief interview to Greek scientific news site BioMagazine.gr, who published it on their site.

AbuDhabiClassicFM will play selections from Vangelis' "Trashed" today

AbuDhabiClassicFM music station confirmed via Twitter that today's programme "Lights, Camera, Action!" will feature selections from Vangelis' score to Trashed. The programme is due to begin in two hours from now. Here are some local times when the broadcast is due to begin:

13:00 GMT (London, UK)
14:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, etc.)
15:00 Athens, Greece
08:00 Saturday, Eastern Standard Time (New York, USA)

Online audio feed is available at the station's website:

The programme lasts for two hours and will conclude with the End Titles to "Trashed".

Check yesterday's update for further information on how and where to tune in to the programme.

Vangelis on a compilation CD: The Classical Album 2013

On November 19, Decca releases a 2CD compilation album with tracks selected from their recent classical releases. The first CD contains "Aspiration", the second CD contains "Chariots of Fire", both from the recent new Vangelis album, "Chariots of Fire - The Play".

Sheet music

According to tweets by someone involved in the project, a new official sheet music book is being prepared for a release, in a few months time. It will contain piano transcriptions of a wide selection of well known Vangelis compositions.

Word on the music in "Trashed"

With "Trashed" having played on several film festivals, there are some Vangelis enthusiast lucky enough to have been able to view this movie. Word on the music is very positive. The music is said to be very elaborate, varied and quite refreshing. Vangelis performs the opening track in his large scale orchestral style, while many other parts boast a much more electronic feel. Some recollect the truly heart breaking passages that accompany the more poignant scenes. The end titles track is referred to as extremely delicate and tender.

Don't miss your chance to see this movie, if it screens at a festival near you.

Astronaut talks about Vangelis uplink in interview

We knew that Vangelis enjoyed an uplink to astronaut André Kuipers at the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year (see the July 21 update). Now, Kuipers talks about his passion for Vangelis' music as well as the uplink in an interview with Dutch news paper De Volkskrant, printed in their Saturday edition magazine. Here follows a translation to English from the relevant part of the interview:

When Kuipers wanted to relax in space, he would play what he calls "event enhancing music". Music that enhances the cosmic experience. Preferably the biggest pop symphonies by Vangelis.

Thus, he played the Mythodea during the approach of Dragon, the first commercial space freighter that connected to the International Space Station ISS. As soon as it was remotely possible, Kuipers, with his iPod, floated to the Cupola, the observation dome. Dragon, white, contrasted with the red colors of the Namibian desert. Kuipers made photographs and listened. "This way, I turn my own life into a movie. I do the same thing on Earth. When I'm in Peru, walking among the Inca ruins, I play Vangelis' album Mask and while I'm skiing I play Antarctica. My wife feels Vangelis is too bombastic. Sometimes I play a quiet track by him, and I don't say it's Vangelis. Then, if she likes it, I say: Haha, Vangelis!" André Kuipers smiles and says "I even talked to Vangelis, from space."

Who arranges something like that? "The European Space Agency, the ESA. On my request. Everything in space is so valuable. But you can't fully isolate the austronauts, so each Sunday I used a video link to speak to my friends and family at home. Besides that, each flight allows three 'Crew Discretionary Events'. In other words: I was allowed to video phone with other people than my family three times. The ESA would arrange this for us. I spoke to my son's class at school, I spoke to the crown prince, and I spoke to Vangelis."

So Vangelis gets a call.... "and then they say: Hi, would you like to talk to someone in the space station? Well, he would like that! So I showed him the Universe, and he talked about his new projects."

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"Hope" recording sessions

There are many signs that Vangelis has been and still is hard at work in a studio in London, preparing the release of the choral symphony "Hope", performed so beautifully, late last year in Doha, Qatar.

New Cover version album of Blade Runner

Last week, specialist soundtrack label BSX records announced their upcoming new release: Their own new recording of Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack. The music from the film, but re-performed by another keyboard player. Of course, the one question on everyone's mind: Why?!??!?! I realize that not every last minute of Blade Runner music was released on the Blade Runner Trilogy 3CD, but it came pretty close, and bootlegs do fill in the gaps for the true completists out there.

It sort of looks like they tried to bring their version as close as possible to the famous OWM bootleg CD of Blade Runner, judging by the duration of tracks like End Titles and Blade Runner Blues. But... a re-recording? Doesn't that completely undermine the point of an original soundtrack release?

While there has always been a tradition of re-recorded orchestral scores on the soundtrack market, the taboo to recreate complete electronic scores was broken only some years ago and now saeems to have become a sort of trend. Among the memorable electronic scores of the '80s that were given this sort of treatment are Tangerine Dream's Legend, Ennio Morricone's The Thing and of course Vangelis' own The Bounty.

Now, BSX records asked German synthesist Edgar Rothermich, mostly known for continuously working with Chris Franke as his assistant, engineer and producer on many albums and film scores, to reconstruct the music as accurately as possible. Judging from the sound samples available so far, he must have spent a lot of time trying to get it all right. And in a way, it's all in there. But in another, it really, really isn't. It does not feel alive, it does not have the warmth, and it does not radiate the brilliance of the original recording. This is not a replicant, this is a robot. If you don't grasp the difference between the two, you missed the core of the movie. The notes are there, but the vibe is not. Not in the performance and not in the sound. And if any of that lacks, compared to the original, then... what's the point?

Let's be frank though: The CD will probably sell out. Quite fast. This is limited to a run of 1500 copies. BSX albums almost always sell out, because of their loyal following. This one has the added bonus of a large group of Blade Runner enthusiasts who will worry about regretting missing out on anything related to the movie, if they don't act fast enough. And the price is not so bad at all.

Expected release date: September 19, sold through various specialist soundtrack sales channels, and directly at
BuySoundtrax.com.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with this information. Emmanuel Gea and Maarten van Strien were the first to reach us.

Another unheard Vangelis performance on YouTube

This week another video from the 70's leaked that shows Vangelis rehearsing music, which is almost completely unreleased to this date:

Mojo interview: Vangelis for Blade Runner 2 is "mainly up to Ridley"

Mojo published their promised Vangelis interview in their October issue, currently on sale in the UK and many other countries. The one and a half page article deals with topics like the '68 Student riots in Paris, the release of abstract works like Beaubourg and Invisible Connections and the music for the Chariots of Fire stage play.

The highlight no doubt is the question that has been on everyone's mind, about the upcoming sequel to "Blade Runner". Vangelis: "Ridley is a friend and a great director and it's mainly up to him. "

"The Collection" and "Chariots of Fire" chart updates

Just a few updates on Vangelis related chart positions... The London Symphony Orchestra version of "Conquest of Paradise" has reached its fourth week at the top of the UK Classical singles charts, maintaining its nr. 1 position. The "Chariots of Fire - The Play" album is still at 25 in the classical charts, while "The Collection" went to 55 in the UK pop charts. At the same time, "The Collection" is entered international charts reaching 79 in the Netherlands, 93 in Spain and 40 in the Belgian album charts.

Gregorian covers Conquest of Paradise

Gregorian previously covered Jon & Vangelis' "I'll Find My Way Home" on "Masters of Chant IV" and Aprhodite's Child "The Four Horsemen" from the 666 album on "The Dark Side"

Thanks to Ilias Nadareishvili - Kyrimlidis for the tip!

Videos

UK Charts

The London Olympics are over now, but the charts still feel the vibe. The London Symphony Orchestra's version of Chariots of Fire, as performed on the opening ceremony, is still nr 1 in the UK, Classical singles chart, with another version of the theme at nr 9 and Abraham's Theme at nr 18. The same track is at nr 51 in the overall singles chart, while its album "Isles of Wonder - The Opening Ceremony" is nr. 2 at the compilation albums (various artists) chart.

Vangelis' own "Chariots of Fire - The play" album is now at 16 in the classical album charts, while "The Collection" climbed to nr 29 for pop albums.

Album availability

Both new albums are released on most of Europe, while in-storea availability varies from country to country.

The better CD stores in the UK, Italy, Portugal have both albums in stock. Shops in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Ireland mostly carry "The Collection", while "Chariots of Fire - The Play" can be ordered.

In Hungary, "Chariots of Fire - The Play" can be found in some shops, but "The Collection" needs to be ordered.

For some reason, Germany has to wait until October 4 before they can find "The Collection" in stores. "Chariots of Fire - The Play" has been released, but stock differs greatly per shop.

Fans in Austria complained that neither "Chariots of Fire - The Play" nor "The Collection" are available in any Austrian shop. Nor can the store clerks order it or name a release date. Ordering via the German Amazon site (Amazon.de) is recommended for Austria.

"The Collection" should now be available also in South Africa, although stock in stores has yet to be confirmed. The United States is still waiting for a release of "The Collection", but "Chariots of Fire - The Play" was released on August 7.

Thanks to Dietmar Paul, Giuseppe Andreaza, Zoltán Horváth, Pat Gleesson, Paul van Kesteren, Foster Cullen and anyone else who reported their findings!

Complete and uncut version of The Observer interview

We have obtained the full, uncut version of the recent interview published in "The Observer". Enjoy:

Mr. Bean with Chariots Of Fire was the moment most tweeted about

Nothing generated more internet buzz last week on Twitter than Friday night's Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, so to know which part created the most buzz of that event is certainly relevant.

Quite incredible to find that the Mr. Bean act, combined with the Orchestral performance of Chariots of Fire beat any other topic that evening.

The Collection in the UK album charts

More footage of Vangelis greeting the Olympic torch

Finally, to close this topic: Some prime footage of Vangelis greeting the Olympic flame with Chariots of Fire:

Thanks to our reporters on location, the footage is much appreciated!

Chariots of Fire on Stage - our review of the play

With all the attention for its soundtrack release, Vangelis greeting the Olympic flame and nods to "Chariots of Fire" in the Olympic opening ceremony, you might almost forget there is an actual stage production to enjoy in London.

I visited the Gielgud theater on July 14 to be a part of the event and share my findings on a new page on this site. Read the Official Elsewhere review here:

Elsewhere: Chariots of Fire On Stage

Vangelis on CNN and NBC TV news channels!

News channel CNN aired a televised segment on the film Chariots of Fire that keeps inspiring athletes and the wider public. The video segment covers footage from the red carpet premiere of the digital remastered version of "Chariots of File" film in London, as well as the stage adaptation premiere at the West End. A short interview with Vangelis is shown, next to interviews from both the film and the West End actors.

Yesterday NBC interviewed Vangelis soon after the Olympic Torch Relay passed the Gielgud Theatre. The footage shows the Olympic Torch bearer as she received the good wishes of the public who gathered in thousands at the West End. Forward to the 1:00 minute mark for the segment.

WhatsOnStage about Vangelis and the Olympic Flame

Photos uploaded to Twitter

Inconveniently social media site twitter was down when the Olympic Torch passed the Gielgud theatre, however some photos did eventually appear showing a smiling Vangelis along with stage actors Jack Lowden (Edic Liddel) and James McArdle (Harold Abrahams).

Thanks to Tweeters @ChariotsOnStage, @charlie_girling, @‏DMTWestEnd, @ninacaittwohig, @SchillingDirk

Correction: Olympic torch music not live

It seems that the news media are mis-informing us on the issue of Vangelis performing live in front of the torch, today. We just got word on this from official sources: The torch will pass the Gielgud Theatre, and Vangelis will be there to witness the moment. His music will play from the speakers, but it will not be a live performance.

Our apologies for the confusion, but since the media and the olympic organizers were so clear about it, we felt we could not risk allowing the occasion to slip by.

Flame to pass the Gielgud theater

Two articles on the internet mention Vangelis will be present when the flame passes the Gielgud theater, and he might even play.

We're trying to confirm this information. Please check back later.

Both CDs released

Both "Chariots of Fire - The Play" and "The Collection" were released in most parts of Europe and some other parts of the world as well. Both can easily be ordered online, while depending on each country, the better CD shops have albums in stock. Reports on finding CDs in the bins are welcome at elsew.com@gmail.com, and we'll try to summarize here on where to look to find the CDs. Quite simultaneously, online sales for both albums have started almost everywhere.

An official domestic release in the U.S.A. of the "Chariots of Fire - The Play" CD is planned for August 7.

Problems with the online edition of "The Collection"

We have received several complaints from fans who use iTunes and purchased downloads of "The Collection", writing that the editing is sloppy. Since the CD is so carefully produced, we looked into it and as it turns out, something must have gone wrong when Warner distributed the recording to their digital online partners. So please, be aware: What you hear when you purchase downloads from "The Collection" is not what you are supposed to hear! The faulty online tracks have abrupt editing and sometimes parts of other tracks fading in or out, where the CD on the other hand provides the intended smooth listening experience.

Hopefully this problem will be fixed soon. More details here, when we find out.

Chariots of Fire remixed for medal ceremonies

Here's a big one... While we already knew that Vangelis' theme for Chariots of Fire will be used in the official opening ceremony for the Olympic Games ("quite prominently" is the word on the streets!) it has now been announced that the same Vangelis theme will be used for every medal ceremony in the Olympic Games.

Specifically for this purpose, the London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded, with personal permission of Vangelis, five new versions of the Vangelis composition. Each of these "remixes" has been assigned to a selection of the sports, and the respective version will play while the winners climb the stage to receive their medals.

To quote Kate Mansey in the Sunday Times:

Nicci Hallifax, producer of the victory ceremonies, said: "Chariots of Fire was chosen because we wanted a piece of music that would be emotive to the audience but hopefully to the athletes as well. This piece of music that everyone will recognize, it has a great story behind it and it is very British."

There's going to be a lot of Chariots of Fire on TV screens around the world this summer!

In the mean time, the remastered Chariots of Fire movie is now playing in 120 UK cinema's, the London Zoo and Olympic delivery companies should be using Vangelis' theme music, and Chariots should also feature on big screens in London's Victoria park.

More on the "Chariots of Fire" Blu-ray

Since the isolated score track is not included in every version of the Chariots of Fire Blu-ray release, questions have been raised about which version to get. It seems, for instance, that the Portuguese version does not include the isolated score track. It is so far confirmed only in the Dutch, German, UK, and Japanese editions of the Blu-ray. Probably also in the Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish editions. The best solution however, might be to obtain the UK edition, since the Blu-Ray does not come with any region protection: It will play back anywhere in the world.

Note also that not all editions come with the 4 track sampler CD, with music from the well known Vangelis movie score CD. In the UK, both versions with and without the sampler CD exist.

Thanks to all who posted Blu-ray related messages on the Vangelis discussion group on groups.yahoo.com, the former Direct mailing list.

"The Collection"

Despite the official release being 2 days ahead, "The Collection" has already been found in many CD stores since yesterday, or even the day before. Copies were found in Ireland, The Netherlands (FRS, Mediamarkt) and are probably available in other countries as well.

The CDs are housed in a transparent jewel case that folds open for access to the 2nd CD. A cardboard sleeve with pretty much the same artwork as the CD booklet covers the case. The booklet contains a short text on the qualities of Vangelis' music and career, and ties the release to the Olympic Games in London: "What better time could there be to discover - or rediscover - the vast catalogue of a composer for ever synonymous with the olympic ideal or striving for perfection?", it asks. Included are 4 photographs of Vangelis taken in the last 15 years. One seems to be new.

Tracks on the album are largely split up, only joined together when sound effects run into the next (or previous) track. The order of the tracks is exquisite, carefully adjusted to ensure a smooth listening experience.

Chariots of Fire is the original version from the movie soundtrack album, not the retouched version on the album for the stage production.

As we wrote before, there is new material to enjoy. "Line Open" for those without access to the Conquest of Paradise maxi CD single, the extended "Blade Runner (Main titles)" track, which now finally starts with the movie's actual opening, after which it segues into the regular "Main Titles" track we all know. And of course, there is the wonderful newly composed "Remembering".

It's great to rediscover music. Not because it was forgotten, but carefully recombined into a different experience. Recommended!

Thanks to Pat Gleeson, Jordi Bloem and Jan Dijkstra for reporting their CD finds.

Bells across the UK to play "Chariots of Fire" to mark Olympic opening

On the morning of Friday July 27, at 8:12, bells all across the UK will be playing Vangelis' theme tune to "Chariots of Fire", to mark the start of the London olympic games.

Kevin Walton if The Cathedral at St Albans Abbey, one of the participating bell chancellors said: "Since the tower was built by the Normans, bells have rung out to call people to worship, but also to herald events of great solemnity. ... We are delighted to share in this innovative, nationwide celebration of the games and we hope to hear bells ringing out across St Albans and the region. "

Vangelis' uplink to André Kuipers at the ISS

Several reliable sources tell the story of Vangelis having recently enjoyed an uplink to astronaut André Kuipers at the ISS: The International Space Station constantly circling the earth for scientific research and further exploration of space.

The uplink, both audio and visual, linked from Vangelis to NASA, who connected him to the station. The conversation lasted no less than 50 minutes. At one point, Kuipers gave Vangelis a virtual tour, showing him around the station. Also, Vangelis improvised on his piano, overheard by Kuipers at the space station.

André Kuipers is a Dutch astronaut working for ESA (European Space Agency), who has just returned from his second tour at the space station. During media interviews surrounding his first mission, André repeatedly expressed his love for the music of Vangelis, which inspired him before and during his travels into space.

Special screening of Trashed in London

The new Vangelis scored documentary "Trashed" is being shown to industry insiders and other lucky guests at a special screening in "The Hospital Club" in London.

Gielgud Theatre premiere footage

Facebook riddle solved

A new Vangelis page appeared on Facebook some two weeks ago, called VangelisOfficial. This confused fans, as Vangelis starting a Facebook page seems very unlikely. The page now explains itself, as being maintained by, and representing Warner Music, not Vangelis or his team. Warner is currently releasing the 2CD compilation album "The Collection".

It will be good to have a source of info on Vangelis' connection with Warner. Check here:

Isolated score in Japan

We received confirmation that, like the European release, the Japanese Blu-Ray of "Chariots of Fire" contains the music of Vangelis as isolated score.

Thanks to Don Fennimore for confirmation on the Japanese release.

Vangelis spotted at Chariots of Fire premiere

Tonight red carpet premieres were held in London and Edinburgh for the digitally re-mastered version of "Chariots of Fire". Original members of the cast, and a host of sports figures and celebrities gathered at both cities for the film's re-release. Producer Lord Puttnam attended the Edinburgh premiere at Festival Theatre, while director Hugh Hudson, actors Ben Cross and Nigel Havers attended the London premiere at Leicester Square.

Social media site Twitter was abuzz all day about this evening's event, with messages and photos being streamed continuously from both premieres. Multiple Twitter messages report that Vangelis was at the red carpet premiere in London.

Rupture in HD

The BBC website has updated its TV schedule with additional broadcast dates for airing of "Rupture - living with my broken brain." As reported earlier the first broadcast of Hugh Hudson's film is this week on Thursday, at 22:00 UK time on BBC-4. The film will be broadcast again on the same channel on Tuesday July 17 at 1:30 (that's 1:30 in the morning.)

More interestingly for high-definition enthusiasts, the film will also be aired on BBC HD on Saturday 14 July, at 23:30.

Some notes on "Chariots of Fire - The Play"

iTunes users can now also listen to some preview sound samples from the new Vangelis album. These are both longer and in better sound quality than the Amazon samples.

Of the four previously released tracks, at least two of them have been updated: Chariots of Fire has some extra synthesizer effects and some additional harp playing, while Eric's Theme has been completely revamped, with lots of extra layers including some epic boom sounds, bag pipes and additional synthesizer parts.

One of the new tracks, titled "Lord Lindsay" may sound familiar to some: It's a remade version of a track previously heard in the 1988 British Railway commercial, directed by Hugh Hudson, with original music by Vangelis. Watch it here on Youtube:

Vangelis attends Chariots of Fire play premiere at the Gielgud Theater

The performance of the Chariots of Fire stage play has recently moved to the Gielgud theater, in London's fancy West End district. Yesterday, Vangelis attended the official gala premiere of the Gielgud production and its after party.

"Chariots of Fire - The Play", track details

Universal's official site in Italy now lists some details on the track list of Vangelis' new "Chariots of Fire - The Play" album, including notes to indicate exactly which tracks were previously unreleased. It confirms what many have speculated, based on the tracklist: 11 tracks on this album where not released before, while the four familiar track titles were indeed taken from the original movie soundtrack album. Incidently, these are the same tracks that appear on the bonus CD that comes with the (UK) Blu-ray release of the (remastered) movie.

"Rupture" time slot

The BBC has updated their broadcasting schedules, which reveals that "Rupture" will air from 10PM to 11:10PM, ten minutes longer than we mentioned before. Be sure to set your recorders to catch the full duration. This is good news: It means that the complete version of the movie will be shown.

Thanks to Graeme Stewart and Robert Eichelsheim for their tips.

Alwyn Clayden passed away

I sincerely regret to share the news of the passing of Alwyn Clayden, on June 30, 2012.

We all remember Alwyn's work for Green Ink on the sleeve designs for Vangelis' albums during the Polydor period: Short stories, Chariots of Fire, The Friends of Mr Cairo, Antarctica, Soil Festivities, Mask, etc. Alwyn was head of Polydor's art department and would work with Vangelis to design and create the artwork for any of his releases. He was also involved during later years, when Vangelis asked for his collaboration on designing all artwork for Oceanic, and again later on the updated look for the remastered Chariots of Fire CDs, both in 2000 and 2006. He also designed sleeves for countless of other high profile musical acts. His last work in music included designs for Iggy Pop, Ice T and Snoop Dogg.

Alwyn battled a serious decease for 2 years, but hardly stopped working. Only last Christmas he oversaw festive lighting and design for London's West End, including Regent, Oxford and Bond Street, as well as other UK cities, and he was in charge of all branding work for giants like Harrods and Cartier.

I had the pleasure to meet Alwyn in person, back in 2000, at the Albedo fan convention in London, where he was kind enough to show up and share his enthusiasm of having worked on the well known Vangelis artwork. We were in touch by email on occasion, since before that. Alwyn always expressed his admiration of Vangelis and his music and even recently insisted he still closely followed the news on this site. We are immensely proud of that. He will be missed.

- Dennis

New interview with Vangelis

UK newspaper "The Guardian" interviews Vangelis on its Sunday's edition of "The Observer" magazine. Vangelis explains what inspired him to write the music, and why the messages told in the film's story are as profound and important today as they were 30 years ago.

"Chariots of Fire (Stage Play)" album details

Record stores are now receiving the first details about the new Chariots of Fire release, with music from the stage play.

None of this is confirmed, and some of it could still be subject to change:
Title: Chariots of Fire (Stage Play)
Artist: Vangelis
Record label: Decca (Note: Universal's most important classical label)
Catalog number: 3710285
Projected release date: July 23

         1. Chariots of Fire
         2. Physical Energy
         3. Home in the Glen
         4. Eric's Theme
         5. Abraham's Theme
         6. Harold's Despair
         7. Belief
         8. Ballard
         9. Aspiration
        10. Eric's Pleasure
        11. Lord Lindsay
        12. At The Starting Blocks
        13. Epilogue
        14. After the Race
        15. Jerusalem
        

Olympic games opening ceremony set list leaked?

Media in the UK are talking about the supposed leaking of a list of music used in the olympic games opening ceremony. The list includes Vangelis' "Chariots Of Fire". Ceremony director Danny Boyle (yes, the director of Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and Millions, which featured Vangelis' La Petitte Fille de la Mer) does not confirm or deny authenticity of the list.

"Vangelis and the Journey To Ithaka" documentary up for release

Some time ago, Vangelis participated in the production of a feature length documentary about Vangelis' life and work. The film, called "Vangelis and the Journey To Ithaka" was directed by Tony Palmer.

While the results were held back over a period of time, it now seems that a release is in the pipeline. It's too early to talk about dates or other details, but reliable sources do confirm this will happen: It will be available to the public sooner or later, probably on DVD.

Details on "Vangelis: The Collection"

Details are emerging about the new Vangelis compilation album, to be released by Warner in the UK (and probably picked up in other parts of Europe as well). The title is listed on some online CD stores as "Collection" and on others as "The Collection", while the artwork posted confirms the second option.

The 2CD album sells for around 15 UK Pounds or 16 Euros. The release seems still set for July 23.

Label and catalogue: Atlantic 2564658108

Thanks to Graham Carter for his input.

New trailer for Chariots of Fire Stage play

Hugh Hudson's "Rupture" premiere broadcast on television

July will bring to the wider public in the UK the chance to see "Rupture - a matter of life or death", the new documentary film by Hugh Hudson and featuring original music by Vangelis. In an interview for the Telegraph Hudson and his wife Maryam d'Abo announced their film is scheduled to broadcast on BBC Four. The exact broadcast dates in July are unknown at this point.

BBC Four is one of the channels operated by the BBC and is available to the UK. The channel however is offered by many cable providers in several parts of the world via a subscription. Once the broadcast dates and times are known we will publish them here in a future update.

Elsewhere News alerts via Twitter / RSS

Many of you have asked for something like this almost since the beginning of this site and we do admit it was long overdue. For your convenience, we now announce alert functionality, to be able to find out as soon as we add Vangelis news to this page.

We have created a Twitter account where we'll post a tiny blurb for each new topic, with a link to the actual article. You can follow us on Twitter, or use this as an RSS feed in any RSS reader on your computer, smart phone or browser start page. You can even receive alerts on your mobile phone by SMS text message using Twitter's mobile alerts settings, or receive email updates offered by third party web sites like

Not only does this functionality allow you to follow the news more passively, it can also simplify notifying your friends and contacts about topics that might interest them. Feel encouraged to retweet or forward any of the alerts to friends who would care to learn about a certain post.

Note: Only news updates will be posted, so none of the other updates to the site will appear on Twitter.

First preview performance of the "Chariots Of Fire" Stage play

Tonight the Hampstead Theatre hosted the first public preview performance of the new Chariots Of Fire stage play, using newly created Vangelis music.

Please keep in mind that neither the staging nor the music are completely finished at this time, and the results will still be changing and evolving up till the official Premiere on May 22.

With that in mind, here are the first impressions on tonight's show, just in from London:

The play is performed in two acts, separated by an intermission. The first act last about an hour and 20 minutes, while the second act remains just under an hour.

Both the start and finish of the play use the original Titles recording, while new Vangelis music does appear in a number of scenes. This includes for example some Vangelis composed bag pipe music for the Scotland setting, and some new percussive recordings for a training session. Word is however that much more music is being added and some of it must be ready, but not yet in use, as a Vangelis reworking of the main theme was played over the theater's PA somewhere after the show. However, the last remnants of the audience were not allowed to stay and listen. Work in progress!

Audience reception of the performance seems to have been enthusiastic, and word so far on the entire event is very positive.

You can read more here on this site in the days to come.

Vangelis score for new documentary "Trashed"

Some exciting news today. Buzz on the internet is starting to appear on a documentary feature called "Trashed", now set to first screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, only weeks from now. Jeremy Irons presents and appears in this environmental eye opener on the issue of our ever growing mount of waste.

And here's what you're waiting for: The original score for this movie is by Vangelis!

More info will appear on this site, as soon as it becomes available. Until then, find out a bit more about this upcoming movie at the following web sites:

Buzz about the new music in the "Chariots of Fire" play

While more and more media write about the upcoming "Chariots of Fire" stage play in London (see below), it's also becoming more clear that Vangelis' musical contribution to the production is a substantial one. Word is that this will be an occasion not to be missed by fans who can make it to one of the performances. Apparently, Vangelis worked hard on the new music, and sources close to the production say his work was well received by the producers and the director. The first preview performances start this Wednesday, less than a week from now.

Check out the following press articles, each delving into the subject of Vangelis' iconic music:

"Rupture" screened in London

Here's another chance to see Hugh Hudson's "Rupture" documentary (score by Vangelis), as it screens in London's Frontline Club (near Hyde Park) on May 4, starting at 7 PM. More information about the event:
www.frontlineclub.com/events/2012/05/exclusive-preview-screening-rupture.html

Tickets can be booked for 10 GBP at www.frontlineclub.com/crm/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=714

Survey for "La Fete Sauvage" on DVD / Blu-ray

The production people behind the DVD release of Rossif's "Georges Mathieu ou la Fureur d'Etre" in 2006 are now looking at possibly releasing La Fete Sauvage on DVD and/or on high definition Blu-Ray. The Vangelis scored wild-life film from 1975 might get a similar treatment as the Mathieu documentary did, which could result in a restored, cleaned up and properly mastered version of a movie that was never before available in the digital format.

The vangeliscollector.com site organizes a survey for interest in this movie, so please, if you would pay for this movie on DVD or Blu-Ray, consider supporting the cause by following the instructions on the Collector site.

"Rupture" will be screened at the Hay Festival (UK)

June will finally bring another chance to see "Rupture", the new documentary directed by Hugh Hudson, with original music by Vangelis. The documentary will screen at the annual Hay Festival in Wales, near the border with England, not far from Hereford in the UK.

The Hay Festival "brings together writers from around the world to debate and share stories in the staggering beauty of the Welsh Borders."

First, on June 4 at 4pm, an audience will be able to attend Paul Broks speaking with both Hugh Hudson and his wife, bondgirl Maryam d'Abo, around whose recovery from a subarachnoid haemorrhage in the brain the film was centered.

Then, the movie will be screened, on:
June 5 at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm
June 6 at 4pm
June 8 at 1pm
June 9 at 1pm

Reviews or impressions of both the film and music will be very welcome at elsew.com@gmail.com!

Anyone planning to attend, be aware that this this is pretty much an outdoors festival, based in Brecon Beacons National Park. The interview will take place in a tent, while the film will screen in the Bookshop Cinema, a former cinema that was transformed into a large second hand book store! Also, overnight accommodation may be sparse around the festival, so plan accordingly.

Vangelis tracks on CD with Chariots of Fire Blu-ray

With this summer's London Olympic Games approaching, Brittain is celebrating their history with the Olympics. This including rereleasing "Chariots of Fire" in local cinemas and selling it for the first time on the high definition Blu-Ray format.

Vangelis fans may be pleased to find that the Blu-ray comes with a bonus audio CD of four tracks from the soundtrack album: "Titles", "Eric's Theme", "Abraham's Theme", and the non-Vangelis track "Jerusalem", which inspired the film's title.

Release is scheduled for June 18. Links:
Amazon.co.uk: amazon.co.uk/Chariots-Fire-Anniversary-Edition-Blu-ray/dp/B007NFPN5M
Play.com: play.com/DVD/Blu-ray/4-/30620362/Chariots-Of-Fire-30th-Anniversary-Edition/Product.html

Gert Hof passed away

A sad topic today: Legendary light artist and pyrotechnics designer Gert Hof passed away. Gert Hof was creative director of lighting at Vangelis' recent concert in Qatar, which was to be his last project.

He was well known for projects like the Mike Oldfield concert in Berlin during New Year's Eve of 2000, lighting up the Red Square in Moscow in 2003 and closing the Love Parade with the Colloseum of Lights in 2008. He also consistently worked with German rock band Rammstein on the lights and fireworks for their shows.

Gert Hof was 60 years old, when he passed on January 24, after a short illness.

"Talk To Aljazeera" interview now online

After this morning's first broadcast of the "Talk to Aljazeera" interview with Vangelis, the entire program has now been made available on its web page:
www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/01/201211895013885489.html

The interview comes with some 90 seconds of compiled footage from the concert, including audio from Chariots of Fire (as it was performed) and a small excerpt from "Hope".

[Updated: 22 January 2012, 15:08 CET] It is now also available on YouTube on this NEW URL address:
[Edited: embedded video removed, link still available]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K0kiYSStZM

Vangelis interview on Aljazeera

This weekend, the English language version of Middle Eastern news station Aljazeera will be airing an episode of their interview series "Talk to Aljazeera", focusing on Vangelis.

Vangelis was interviewed by Aljazeera anchor Tony Harris, best known as a former CNN anchor on "CNN Newsroom".

Aljazeera English is a news channel available on TV in most of the world. Additionally, their broadcasts are streamed live on their web site:
www.aljazeera.com/watch_now

The episode will air according to the following schedule, presented in Central European times (France, Germany, The Netherlands, etc):
[Broadcast times corrected on January 19]
Saturday January 21, (5:30 - 6:00)
Sunday January 22, (9:30 - 10:00)
Sunday January 22, (20:30 - 21:00)
Monday January 23, (15:30 - 16:00 )

Soon after the broadcast(s), the interview will also be available for online viewing here:
www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera

Concert Program booklets

[Edited on December 28, 2011] Note: We're very sorry, but all booklets have been given out. Should more copies somehow become available, we'll post another note here. The article below remains for archival purposes.

Since so few of Vangelis' fans were able to attend the concert in Qatar, some of the lucky few who did felt we needed to do what we could for our fellow collectors. After the concert was over, it turned out that a small part of the audience had left their concert program booklets behind, so we set out to rescue as many of them as possible.

There's only so much one can carry, so unfortunately supply is limited, but for roughly the first 75 Vangelis collectors who apply, we will be sending a booklet, for only the cost of the shipment.

This is a joined effort between: elsew.com, VangelisMovements.com, nemostudios.co.uk and VangelisCollector.com

Tegos tapes

For the record: Vangelis collectors should make sure not to overlook Don's recent discovery of a source for the illustrious Tegos surgery VHS tapes. Scored by Vangelis, literally over 10 hours of unheard Vangelis music is now finally in the hands of Vangelis collectors. He posted a review and details on his source on www.vangeliscollector.com/news.htm.

Stunning views on Vangelis' concert

Full report on the Vangelis concert in Doha, Qatar

It has now been one full week since the State of Qatar presented the Vangelis concert at the opening of the Katara Amphitheater in Doha. Time for a full report on this unique event.

Qatar seems to be aiming for the sky, with development in their capital city delivering one sky scraper after another in the town's posh West Bay area, while the more subtle developing of cultural breeding ground at the Katara Cultural Village has far from been neglected. Indeed, the area is thriving with countless tourists and residents visiting every day. The new Amphitheater however, the center focus of Katara's building plan, had been waiting to open in style, at just the right moment in time. That moment came around eight in the evening on December 11.

The spirit in which this amazing concert was organized might best be summarized in a motto, quoting from H.H. Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, wife of the Emir, who stated "The Qatar way is to find the best the world has to offer and to bring it to our region, while finding the best our region has to offer and taking it to the world."

While world leaders, as well as civil society activists, youth groups, faith communities, research centers, foundations and many other parties met at the Unaoc forum, their members were invited to attend the Grand Opening of the theater. The show they were served was filled with messages of hope and unity. As addressed by master of ceremonies, Oscar winning actor Jeremy Irons, who explained in the concert's introduction: "Here beneath the stars and the full moon, you have gathered, an audience from all around the world, reflecting the multi cultural welcome, that is omnipresent here, in Qatar. As seen tonight is that through music and the arts, we may recognize that we are one global community. And the hope that we will learn to live together, respecting our differences but recognizing our common humanity."

Of course, with names like Ban Ki-Moon and H.H. Sheikha Moza among the audience, as well as many of the visiting ministers, ambassadors and other dignitaries who attended the concert, security was very strict. Vangelis has personally expressed his regrets that due to the nature of the event, attending in the audience was limited to invited guests only and that because of this, his fans had to miss out on this occasion. He is currently trying hard to organize something that could make it up to them in the short future.

Getting ready

It took a while for the audience, all dressed in formal evening wear, to find their seats.

Film director Hugh Hudson, reteaming with Vangelis for this project, such a long time after their legendary collaboration on "Chariots of Fire", had all his camera's rolling. The fantastic Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra was seated behind their instruments, Yvan Cassar prepared to conduct. Gert Hof's lighting team must have been preparing, while Vangelis' engineers were in control of the stage sound and ready to record all sound sources...

Just before he welcomed Vangelis to the stage, Jeremy Irons added: "You have called, we have gathered, let us now deliver our message of hope." And thus started the concert.

Act 1

The first act opened with sounds of the wind, while one by one, the various multi-cultural instruments introduced the audience to the various corners of the world, bridged by some enchanting Vangelis music performed with the orchestra. At some point, each of the instruments was given a bit of time to perform solo, until the orchestra passed the role onto the next instrument. The piece was followed by a more up tempo, rhythm driven track, with the orchestra performing Arabic riffs while the ethnic instruments intertwined their melodies. Not only was the symbolism clear and focussed, it also made for some very entertaining music and show.

Large animated projections of sand dunes in the desert, Arabic motifs and other visual treats graced the screen as they would continue to do throughout the entire show, while the stage (and audience) lighting was brightly colored and pulled the audience into the spectacle.

Act 2

Soprano Angela Gheorghiu was introduced by Jeremy Irons for the performance of Vangelis' new choral symphony, entitled "Hope". It Consists of five movements: "The Stars", "The Seasons", "Nature", "Night" and "Justice". Irons explained how Vangelis drew his inspiration for this music from Orpheus, the poet and artist known from Greek mythology. "The words she will sing speak of universal understanding and the justice that is necessary if we are to live together in peace and harmony. A message from 5000 years ago that still has such resonance today."

"Hope" was performed for about 50 minutes, including the audience's applause, with Angela's magnificent voice singing her classical tones on most of the movements. The Yurlov Russian State Academic choir was fantastic, both in the background during the quiet passages, as well as when taking the lead in the majestic staccato singing we've come to expect from large Vangelis works, as in Mythodea, Hispaniola, etc.

Perhaps more classically European in sound than Mythodea, "Hope" was equally engaging, bold and delicate, sometimes all at the same time. There can be little doubt that when the concert is eventually released on CD and DVD, the fans who are open to Vangelis' more classical endeavors will see their hearts genuinely touched. And hopefully, a new audience, perhaps with a more classically oriented background will join them.

Act 3

Piano and strings, performed in a lighter mode introduced the third act, opening with an instrumental version of Vangelis' new "Child of Hope" composition, slowly building to its orchestral climax. The kind of tune you can't escape from humming in the days to follow, whether you like it or not. It was well appreciated by the audience, who didn't yet realize they were to hear it again later in the concert, then with both choirs joining in.

Finally, Roberto Alagna was introduced, and the two classical music world stars started their "Piccola Bohème" song, for which Alagna himself provided the lyrics, written in Italian. Let's hope these will be supplied in writing when the CD is released. This performance was certainly another high point in the concert, with their voices blending in a beautiful duet, simple but so elegant...

Encores

It's an interesting phenomenon that no matter how much you're enjoying the new music being heard for the first time, the appearance of some familiar notes promising the performance of a well known favorite will always sent some extra shivers down your spine. This night, it was the throbbing baseline of Chariots of Fire that made the hearts of the audience pumping a little extra. Even if not performed to absolute perfection, the power of the song and the passion of the performance took everyone's breath away.

That effect was only enhanced by Gert Hof's light show shifting into its highest gears, transforming the sky around the theater in an arena of dancing colors.

Chariots was followed by an equally moving Conquest of Paradise, welcomed just as warmly by the audience and accompanied by the same level of visual spectacle. Goosebumbs all around.

Finale

"Child of Hope", now announced as "Children of Hope", formed the concert's finale. Now with the children's choir and the Russian choir singing lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was taken to another level. If it didn't get to you the first time, there was no way around it now. Backed by a subtle form of red rain from the pyrotechnics, and more lights from Gert Hof, its conclusion made the audience burst into an ovation that lasted for many minutes. Sure, it's true what some papers wrote: Not all of the audience managed to stay until the end (the chilly night? Busy conferencing schedules? Hip-hop fans?), but there wasn't a soul in the theater who stayed calm at the end. There can be no question: the audience did appreciate what they were a part of, that evening.

Much

There is much to be said, still. More details to add, like the moment where the middle screen dropped slowly, unveiling an arch in the backdrop, finally allowing a view over the ocean, where colored lights highlighted the traditional Qatari dhow boats, assembled there to be a small part of the spectacle, much to the audience's delight. Or the risks of an open-air concert illustrated by the moment where the wind got a hold of conductor Yvan Cassar's partitions, dropping them the floor. Thankfully only when the music had stopped for a moment!

There will of course be more details to unveil about the upcoming releases, which you will find here, when the time comes... Except that by now it's clear that the DVD will be including a documentary on the making of the event. There is much to look forward to.

Thanks

It's about time we give credit to everyone who submitted links, information, tips, etc, during the ongoing coverage of this event. Thank you:

Matthias Eisloffel, Milan Fari, Kevin Polfliet, Luis Castro, Marcos Ferasso, Perry Yung, Henri Aal, Didier Le Luel, Umberto Calonaci, Pierre Kandel, Fernando Hoya, Pascal Maille, Paul Zarzycki, Robert Eichelsheim and Yvonne.

Extra special thanks to a number of anonymous people who helped us in many ways ranging from small to absolutely huge favors. You know who you are. Thank you so much!!!

More later

... as soon as news comes in.

For now...

A few more links to check out:
- www.aa.com.tr/tr/component/pwfotogaleri/?controller=photos&lay...
- yungflutes.com/blog/entry/shakuhachi_in_doha_qatar/