reviews, news & interviews

The Seckerson Tapes: Conductor John Wilson

Conductor of the sensational John Wilson Orchestra on recreating the MGM sound

by edward.seckersonSaturday, 30 October 2010

John Wilson: A master of style and sonority

John Wilson and the orchestra which bears his name created an absolute sensation at the 2009 Proms with their celebration of 75 years of MGM musicals. A total of 3.5 million people watched the broadcast live; countless more all over the world will relive the experience on DVD. Wilson has made a speciality of restoring and recreating great movie scores and presenting them in all their very particular glory in concert halls up and down the UK.

He is about to embark upon a national tour of the now celebrated MGM Prom hitting Manchester, Gateshead, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bournemouth, and Nottingham - and in this audio podcast he talks about his passion for a repertoire that doesn't always get the care and attention it so richly deserves. Wilson is a master of style and sonority and his orchestra has no equal anywhere in the world right now. The string section alone is comprised almost exclusively of concert masters and chamber-music specialists and to experience that sheen and lustre in the flesh is to be transported back to the movie soundstages in the moment of creation.

Listen to this episode

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