BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwaonline.com
“I think the interesting thing about a program like this is that on the surface it’s music associated with a specific genre of movies and TV shows, but on a deeper level it’s really a concert about memories — the first time you saw a certain movie, or who you were with or where you were when you saw it, things like that,” Ben Harris said.
“The way music and imagery combine to create memories is very powerful.”
Harris, executive director of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, is talking about the orchestra’s second concert of the 2024-25 season, “Futuristic Fantasia: SoNA Goes Sci-Fi!” On stage Nov. 9 at the Walton Arts Center, the concert is SoNA’s first pops performance to exclusively feature music from science fiction soundtracks.
Harris says audience demand prompted the program, which includes fan favorites and some surprises — original music from cult classics like “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” plus “beloved selections from the classical canon that have been featured in sci-fi films, like ‘Clair de Lune’ and ‘The Blue Danube Waltz,’” he explains.
“This performance will be out of this world — literally!”
Harris said “The Blue Danube Waltz” is one of his personal favorites because of the memories it evokes.
“The first time I heard it was in the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’” he recalled. “I have a vivid memory of watching that movie with my father when I was very young, and him telling me how much he loved Strauss’ music and that the pairing of ‘The Blue Danube’ with images of spaceships and astronauts floating through space was a very clever way to use that music.
“So, for me, when I hear that piece, my mind goes straight back to watching that movie with my dad.”
Also included in the evening’s entertainment are music from the first “Star Wars” film, “Independence Day,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “E.T the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Captain America,” along with an arrangement of pieces from “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“It’s not often we as an orchestra get to dive in to the rich vein of music from sci-fi films,” admitted Paul Haas, SoNA’s music director and conductor. “And I have to say it was incredibly fun to develop this program. There’s a huge variety of pieces on this one, all the way from romantic chestnuts to John Williams and beyond — and all of it from movies everybody knows and loves.”
For the musicians, “there are a lot of classic pieces on this program that everyone has played before, so those things are always fun to revisit,” says Harris, who plays jazz, rock and classical guitar himself. “But there are also a couple of things I’ve never heard performed, so I’ll be curious to see how the musicians enjoy the newer pieces.”
And, of course, “you can’t have a program of music from science fiction movies without a healthy dose of John Williams,” he added, speaking of the composer of the 1977 Star Wars soundtrack. “His music is so recognizable, and the audience always enjoys hearing those classic pieces because they have their own memories connected to them, which is really nice. There are also several pieces on the program from more recent films, so it will be interesting to see how people respond to the newer things.”
Harris knows the rest of 2024 is filled with guaranteed hits. SoNA celebrates the holidays with two performances Dec. 7 — matinee and evening — of “A Very SoNA Christmas,” a pops concert of holiday classics featuring the SoNA Singers. And on Dec. 8, “The Snowman: A Family Concert” returns for a special screening of the family favorite film accompanied by a live orchestral soundtrack.
The season wraps up with “Jupiter Rising,” a special Sunday matinee performance on Feb. 16 featuring Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Jupiter), and “American Voices: Rhapsody in Blue” April 19 featuring the George Gershwin classic.
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FAQ
SoNA:
‘Futuristic Fantasia’
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9
WHERE — Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
COST — $37-$62
INFO — sonamusic.org
