The Circular Stave: How Orchestras Reach Musical Immortality.

Blockbusters like Harry Potter and Star Wars would be lost without their soundtrack, but who's actually behind the music? Sachin Shaw speaks with the London Symphony Orchestra to find out how their music has inspired generations.

Orchestras are the only type of musical group that can transcend generations. While bands break up and individual artists pass away, orchestra exists in this wonderful cycle whereby current generations empower the younger who grow up to inspire further. As a result, groups like the Royal Danish Orchestra which were established in 1448 are still thriving today.

Musicians join not to become the face of a project but to feel the joy that being a cog in an omnipresent machine can bring. Cinema's rise in the late 19th century was a genesis to providing another opportunity for orchestra to inspire.

The London Symphony Orchestra was established soon after in 1904 and has been one of cinema's most musical dominant forces. David Jackson, percussionist and Vice-Chair of the Board has a first-hand experience of how you can find yourself within orchestra's world thanks to one of Hollywood's crown jewels: Star Wars.

THE ORCHESTRAL MARCH

“I was six years old when Star Wars came out. I fell in love with the film, the special effects - and the music. I begged my mum to buy me the double LP of the original soundtrack. It's just a black sleeve with the Star Wars motif on the front, and the lettering underneath just says: music composed and conducted by John Williams, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. And I remember thinking, age six, what a cool job that must be.”

“It was only the LSO that I was interested in, because of the Star Wars connection. Very fortunately for me, a slew of jobs came out in London just as I graduated from music college. Long story short, I got the gig.”

It is quite remarkable how, often, a singular musical experience is all it takes for someone to spend tens of thousands of hours, year after year, practising. For David it was only a couple of years after joining the LSO in 1996 that a brilliant opportunity appeared.

“John Williams came back to the LSO for all the prequel films - The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith. So I played on all those soundtracks. That was just a dream come true, the full circle being completed. To be in the studio with him, shake his hand, and have him tell you ‘you played fantastically on that’ - that's all you want as a musician.”

Many of those in David's generation share a similar story - they loved going to the cinema and watching Indiana Jones, Superman, Star Wars and all the incredible works performed by the LSO and were dying to be a part of it. Although this time they wouldn't be hearing it through a set of speakers in a cinema or at home. They would be drinking the water straight from the spring.

“There's a massive projection screen in Studio One at Abbey Road, and he has the film running. These are often rough cuts - ILM is probably still working on those shots. So you get the time code right, everything lines up, but often it's live action cutting to a space scene that's all still storyboards.”

“I do vividly recall recording the cue where Obi-Wan and Anakin have their climactic duel and Anakin ends up in the fire pit. There wasn't much percussion in it - a couple of suspended cymbal rolls, a couple of timp rolls. We were all staring at the screen on the first playthrough, just thinking: nobody's seen this yet. We're the privileged few to see this stuff before anything gets to the cinema.”

30 years later, David still gets goosebumps.

OUROBOROS

When not traveling the country, the LSO puts on school concerts for Key Stages 1 and 2 alongside an annual secondary school show. Children as young as David when he first heard the Star Wars soundtrack hear orchestral music live for the first time, meeting those who played music from their favourite films:

“When I go into schools I ask how many people have heard a symphony orchestra. Then I ask how many people have seen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - and every hand goes up, and I tell them: you've all heard me play.”

And so the timeless orchestral cycle continues, ready to bring in another generation. Who knows what films, TV shows, video games or other musical collaborations will captivate young players going forward? Only time will tell.