The hero of the night wasn't in the building, but his presence was felt through video and sound. The World of Hans Zimmer tour at Co-op Live brought together 67 musicians from 18 different countries to celebrate the German film composer's four-decade career.
Conducted by Matt Dunkley, described as Hans' right-hand man, the Odesa Orchestra and Friends were joined by virtuoso soloists to recreate some of cinema's most poignant moments.
A Journey Through Zimmer's Career
The near two-hour performance spanned Zimmer's early work with London new wave band The Buggles, including his appearance in the Video Killed the Radio Star video, through to composing the theme tune for TV game show Going for Gold. His film scores featured in the show included Driving Miss Daisy, The Rock and The Prince of Egypt.
The show was interspersed with clips of Zimmer chatting with director collaborators including Jerry Bruckheimer and Guy Ritchie, alongside his own memories of the music.
Show-Stopping Suites
The suites from Gladiator and The Lion King were the real show stealers, with the Nairobi Chamber Chorus choir amplifying the already huge sound. Other standout numbers included No Time to Die from the latest James Bond film, complete with the Bond guitar chord, plus music from the Dune franchise and Christopher Nolan's Inception.
One of the odder moments came when Matt pretended to speak ad lib to Hans, who the audience knew was not there. But beyond this quirk, when the music took over, it was a show for the ages.
A Grand Finale
Accompanied by film clips, the audience was transported from the concert hall back to their cinema recliners. The evening concluded with a swashbuckling trip down memory lane, reconnecting with Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Cheers to you, Hans Zimmer, wherever you may be.
