Fantasia and Fandom
One of the regular highlights of the World Science Fiction Convention is an orchestral performance of music with some relationship to science fiction or fantasy. I have a particular interest in these events, due to my long history as a musical performer – and in particular, my previous ambition to become a film composer. I find it hard to watch an orchestra play without observing how many horns there are, or how well the viola section is performing, or whether the basses have C extensions. In other words, I geek out a bit. Which is kind of appropriate at Worldcon!
Last night at Dublin Worldcon we were treated to a well-selected and nicely eclectic programme, featuring some very special guests. There were plenty of crowd-pleasers: the John Williams favourites such as E.T. and Star Wars; a suite of Star Trek music from different eras and shows; Tracy M Bush’s music from World of Warcraft, Howard Shore’s score from The Return of the King, and of course a more recent favourite to open the show: music from Game of Thrones.
Nestling comfortably between these stalwart branches of fannish familiarity were some very interesting works. Mussorgsky’s arrangement of Night on Bald Mountain, which many know from Disney’s original Fantasia, was performed with evident relish, especially from the brass and percussion sections, as you might expect. Debussy’s Clair de Lune (accompanied by footage from the Apollo missions) set an ethereal and moving tone, and had my hands moving to the familiar passages, since it’s one of my favourite pieces to play (attempt!) in the evenings.
But this is Dublin, and the programme had a distinctly Irish flavour as well. World-renowned flautist Eimear McGeown wove haunting melodies on flute and whistle, and we heard two movements from Mise Éire by Seán Ó Riada, one of Ireland’s most important composers. A fascinating highlight was the performance of three excerpts from a new opera, based on Mary and Bryan Talbot’s graphic novel, Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, and featuring contemporary dance. The libretto was written specially by Mary Talbot, the music by Gary Lloyd, and choreography by Bettina Carpi. This was an unusual choice for a Worldcon concert but I found it intriguing and enjoyable. I’ve been a fan of Bryan Talbot’s work since before Loncon3 in 2014, and have a signed copy of Grandville, so I was familiar with the connection to Mary and her writing as well. Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes has been on my wish list for some time, but sadly I haven’t got round to reading it yet (I’ll remedy that very soon).
My thanks to all who made this event possible, including Vincent Docherty, Adam Robinson, the wonderful orchestra, and of course conductor Keith Slade, who was also involved in the 2014 show at Loncon3. (I was watching your mastery of conducting bars of 7/8, 5/8, 11/8 and more, Mr Slade – impressive!)
From custom-written tabletop RPG music to John Williams’s blockbuster scores, speculative fiction has long provided an ideal arena for great music. The challenge of providing an emotional undercurrent for stories that stretch far outside everyday life and often have an epic nature has brought out the best in composers over the last hundred or so years. The feeling of playing a high quality console game, relishing the nostalgia of the Original Trilogy on DVD, binge-watching our favourite TV series, or seeing the Avengers leaping into battle – this is an experience supported by the creations of very hard-working and talented people. I never quite managed to join their ranks, instead choosing the path of words – but I salute them.
