Overture (Act 1) from ‘The Phantom of the Opera’   

Music of the Night from ‘The Phantom of the Opera’                                                                                            

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera holds the record for longest-running Broadway show, having amassed almost 14,000 performances over its 35-year run. Based on a novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, it tells the tale of the mysterious, disfigured man who lives beneath the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with the beautiful young soprano Christine. The selections performed here today are among the most memorable of the entire work: Overture, in which the iconic chandelier is lifted above the stage, and The Music of the Night, which the Phantom sings to Christine after bringing her to his subterranean lair.  

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Queen of the Night’s Aria

The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) was the last opera Mozart composed, premiering just two months before his death.  The opera tells the story of Prince Tamino, who is enlisted by the evil Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina. In this aria, also known as Hell's Vengence (Der Hölle Rache), the Queen commands her daughter to kill her rival, or else she will be cursed and disowned. 

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Danse Macabre

The Danse Macabre is an artistic trope dating back to the Middle Ages which comments on the universality of death. In this symphonic poem by Saint-Saens, we hear Death arise and call forth skeletons to dance with him until a rooster crows at dawn, signaling the dead to return to their graves. Several distinct musical characteristics contribute to the tone of this piece, including the use of xylophone to simulate rattling bones, and the dissonant chords played by the cornets at the opening - tritones - which were once known as "the devil in music."

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The Black Knight

William Rimmer began his musical career at the age of 15 as a side drummer but quickly moved on to the cornet, eventually becoming one of England's most famous cornet soloists. Upon finishing his solo career he became a celebrated brass band conductor, and at the height of his fame was known for conducting every winner of multiple contests during the early 20th century. Today he is widely known for his marches.  

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Hedwig’s Theme from ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’

As is true of many of John Williams' works, Hedwig's Theme is regarded as one of the most iconic film themes in cinematic history. Originally composed for the first Harry Potter film, it has since been used in all eight movies in the series, the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series, and is featured heavily in the Wizarding World lands at Universal Studios. The piece consists of three sections: Hedwig's theme, which is a leitmotif for the magical world, the Nimbus theme, a leitmotif for Harry's broomstick, and a restatement of Hedwig's theme in a darker and more intense manner.

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Masonic Funeral Music

During the last few years of his life, Mozart was a Freemason. While many of Mozart's works reference Masonic principles and ideals, including The Magic Flute, he also wrote several works specifically for the lodges to which he belonged. Such was the case with Masonic Funeral Music (Maurerische Trauermusik) which was written in 1785 to be performed at a memorial service for two members of the Crowned Hope Lodge. Originally scored for woodwinds, brass, and strings, this brass band arrangement is brought to us by TCBB's own Kelby Stine.  

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A Night on Bare Mountain

Modest Mussorgsky composed A Night on Bare Mountain over the course of 12 days, completing the work on St John's Eve, the date of the titular "night." Based on Russian folklore, this tone poem tells the story of a witches' sabbath: The witches' gather, Satan arrives, the Black mass is performed, and finally, the event disperses as church bells signal the start of the Sabbath. The work was never performed during Mussorgsky's lifetime; however it remains popular to this day thanks to two notable arrangements - one by Rimsky-Korsakov written five years after Mussorgsky's death, and the other by Leopold Stokowski which is featured in Disney's Fantasia.

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