By Jasmine Jenkins | Special to the NB Indy
On August 23, the Pacific Symphony presented “John Williams’ Magical Music of Harry Potter,” the fourth of their five-concert Summerfest series.
Hundreds of attendees flocked to Great Park Live in Irvine, many representing their Hogwarts house with robes and other Harry Potter merchandise.
The Summerfest series is, once again, presented by City of Hope, one of the top five hospitals for cancer in the United States.
This concert took the audience on a magical journey through the world of Harry Potter, bringing the story to life through music alone. Presented in chronological order, the symphony celebrated the work of John Williams–who composed the score for the first three movies–and then acknowledged the work of Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat, who scored the fifth, sixth, and seventh and eighth movies respectively.
Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez gave the concert a storyline, flipping through a scrapbook commemorating his time as a Hogwarts student. He used the scrapbook to segue seamlessly from one song to the next. As he recalled strange professors and mythical creatures, he created an immersive experience far beyond a typical symphony concert.
When the concert approached the music of the fourth movie, Lopez-Yañez invited three audience members onstage to participate in their very own “Tri-Wizard Tournament.” The lucky contestants received their very own wands before competing for the Tri-Wizard Cup. After a quiz on the creatures of the Harry Potter world and a spellcasting contest, a determined 10-year-old in a Hufflepuff robe took home the trophy.
Although the audience interaction was a fun addition to the concert, the music in and of itself was phenomenal. From the soaring “Fawkes the Phoenix” to the menacing “The Chamber of Secrets” to the chaotic “The Knight Bus,” the musicians portrayed emotions and events without words or movement, only music.
“John Williams’ Magical Music of Harry Potter” brought the magic of the beloved book-turned-movie series to the heart of Orange County in a spellbinding show of musical talent.
The fifth and final Summerfest concert, “Tchaikovsky Spectacular,” is on September 7 at Great Park Live. For more information, or to buy tickets, visit www.pacificsymphony.org.
