On your marks! 4 years after our first edition, the Olympic games are upon us. Add Wimbledon, the Euro championship, the English Open, Le Tour, Cricket test matches, Silverstone, you name it, this is the time to get sporty!
Through a very diverse selection of music, we will celebrate the spirit of the competition as well as the hosting country, Brazil.
Fencing – Sabre Dance
Everybody knows this but no-one can name it or state its composer! Armenia’s Aram Katchaturian’s “Sabre Dance” is part of the final act of the ballet Gayane, created in 1942.
Its dazzling tempo and cascades of notes have contributed to making the piece a classic for circus music and any acrobatic sequence. Rest assured, we’ll take it a notch down!
First, Sir Simon Rattle in action in Berlin:
then some German rock band from the past…
Football – Match of the day
Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, so many Brazilian legends in the football hall of fame…
We’ll use MOTD theme to kick-off our course. H-A-P-P-Y mood guaranteed!
Track and field – Chariots of Fire
The ultimate soundtrack of the olympic games. Dominated by Greek composer Vangelis’s keyboards and drum machines, the opening synthesizer drone evocating of the strides of the runners is instantly recognisable.
Medals Ceremony – See the conquering hero come
This tune was composed by the great baroque composer Geord Friedrich Handel in 1947 who added it to his popular oratorio “Judas Maccabaeus”. In 1884, Edmund Louis Budry wrote new words to this chorus to create the very stirring and well known hymn “Thine be the glory”.
Podium Moment – Land of Hope and Glory
Do we need to introduce this one? A regular on the last night of the Proms, Edgar’s majestic “Pomp and circumstance March #1” was composed in 1902 and was originally intended for King Edward VII’s coronation.
To the victor, the spoils
Our choir will sing two very famous songs – ABBA’s “The winner takes it all” and Queens’ “We are the champions”.
See how many famous singers you can spot on this A-Capella (voice only) version:
And below, ABBA revisited by McFly!
Not forgetting the host country
Brazil is hosting the games and gives us a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this country’s wonderful music. The choir will sing Jobim’s “Girl from Ipanema” here covered by the amazing Ed Motta
and the band will play AND improvise on Sergio Mendes’s “Mas que Nada”, here revisited by Al Jarreau:
Richmond Music Academy 