Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra At The Movies

concert posterMusic from films has always been a regular feature of Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra's concerts, beginning with the Welsh premiere of John Williams's Star Wars Symphonic Suite at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff in January 1985 (the programme also included Hoddinott's Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Tunes and Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2). Another major Welsh premiere of a film score was Sir Arthur Bliss's epoch-making score for Things to Come, performed by CPO in 1985, a performance made possible by the composer's widow Lady Bliss, who authorised the release of previously unpublished sections of the score to CPO. In 2007 CPO performed a suite of music from all six Star Wars films.

In 1994 CPO performed A Night at the Movies at Blackwood, Cardiff and Swansea featuring music from film and stage. CPO has performed a further series of these concerts in each successive year. The repertoire performed has been extensive and included a number of Welsh premiere performances.

Here is the complete list of film themes performed in A Night at the Movies.

The year in brackets after each film title indicates the year performed by CPO.

* indicates that it was the Welsh Premiere performance

  • A Damsel in Distress (2010*)
  • A New Hope, Star Wars Episode 4 (1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 & 2009)
  • Alamo, The (2000)
  • Annie Get Your Gun (1999)
  • Around the World in 80 Days (1996 & 2000)
  • Arthur (2011)
  • Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode 2 (2007*)
  • Belles of St Trinians, The (2001* & 2008)
  • Ben-Hur (1995*, 2000, 2004, 2006 & 2011)
  • Big Country, The (1994 &1998)
  • Born Free (1997 & 2011)
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's: Moon River (1995, 2004, 2005 & 2009)
  • Bride of Frankenstein, The (2000* & 2004)
  • Bridge on the River Kwai, The (2001, 2004 & 2005)
  • Casablanca (1994* & 2004)
  • Carousel (1999, 2001 & 2005)
  • Carry On Cleo (2010*)
  • Carry on Loving (2010*)
  • Chicken Run (2006)
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind (2006*)
  • Cowboys, The (2002, 2006 & 2007)
  • Dambusters, The (2005)
  • Dances With Wolves (2011)
  • Dangerous Moonlight: Warsaw Concerto (2008)
  • Doctor Zhivago (1994 & 1997)
  • El Cid (1996*)
  • Empire Strikes Back, The:   Star Wars Episode 5 (1996*, 2004 & 2007)
  • Evil Under The Sun (1996 & 2006)
  • E.T. (1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007 & 2009)
  • Exodus (1994 &1998)
  • Fiddler on the Roof (2009)
  • First of the Few:  Spitfire Prelude & Fugue (2000 & 2008)
  • 42nd Street (1996, 1998 & 2004)
  • From Russia With Love (1997)
  • Ghost (1996)
  • Gigi (1997)
  • Gladiator (2005*)
  • Godfather, The (1995, 2004 & 2011)
  • Goldfinger (1994)
  • Goodbye, Mr Chips (1995*, 2004 & 2008)
  • Gone With The Wind (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004 & 2009)
  • Great Escape, The (1998 & 2005)
  • Guys and Dolls (1997)
  • Hans Christian Anderson (1999)
  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2002*, 2004, 2010 & 2011)
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2005*)
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2005*)
  • Hatari: Baby Elephant Walk (2009)
  • Hobson's Choice (2006*)
  • Home Alone (2007*)
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1994 &1997)
  • Independence Day (2000*)
  • It's a Wonderful Life (2000* 2010 & 2011)
  • James Bond (1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004 & 2008)
  • Jaws (2009)
  • Jesus Christ Superstar (2008)
  • Jungle Book, The (2010)
  • Jurassic Park (1994*, 1996, 2004 & 2009)
  • Jurassic Park: The Lost World (2005)
  • King and I, The (1995 & 2000)
  • King Kong (2001*)
  • Kiss Me Kate (1996)
  • Lawrence of Arabia (1994, 1999, 2004 & 2011)
  • Lion King, The (2011*)
  • Longest Day, The (1999, 2005 & 2009)
  • Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2005 & 2008)
  • Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2005*)
  • Love Actually (2010*)
  • Magnificent Seven, The (2000 & 2010)
  • Mary Poppins (2010 & 2011)
  • Miss Marple (1995, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006 & 2008)
  • Mission Impossible (2000 & 2006)
  • Modern Times - Smile (2008)
  • Murder on the Orient Express (2000)
  • Music Man, The (1996)
  • My Fair Lady (1994, 2000 & 2009) 
  • 1941 (2007*)
  • New York, New York (2010)
  • Oklahoma! (1994, 1995, 1998, 2001 & 2010)
  • Oliver! (2009)
  • Out of Africa (2011)
  • Phantom Menace, The (2005)
  • Phantom of the Opera, The (2008)
  • Pink Panther, The (Main Theme1995 &1999)
  • Pink Panther , The (It Had Better Be Tonight 2011)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean (2005 & 2011)
  • Producers, The (2005*)
  • Psycho (2000* & 2004)
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (2000, 2004, 2007 & 2010)
  • Return of the Jedi (1997* & 2007)
  • Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode 3 (*2007)
  • Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1997*)
  • Romeo and Juliet (1999)
  • Saving Private Ryan (2005 & 2009)
  • Schindler's List (1995*, 2002, 2005 & 2009)
  • Scrooge (2001*)
  • Sea Hawk, The (1998)
  • Shakespeare in Love (2000*)
  • Showboat (1994 &1999)
  • Sound of Music, The (1995, 2000 & 2005)
  • South Pacific (1995, 2000 & 2005)
  • Spellbound (1998)
  • Spy Who Loved Me, The (1997)
  • Stagecoach (1997)
  • Star Trek (1994, 1998 & 2000)
  • State Fair (1999)
  • Superman (1995, 1998 & 2005)
  • Taxi Driver (2001)
  • Ten Commandments, The (2000*)
  • Terminator 2 (2009*)
  • The Trap (2008)
  • Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1998, 2000, 2008 & 2011)
  • Titanic (1999*, 2001, 2004 & 2006)
  • West Side Story (1996 & 2006)
  • Whistle Down the Wind (1999*, 2001, 2006 & 2008)
  • White Christmas (2000, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 & 2011)
  • You Only Live Twice (2000 & 2004)
  • Zorba the Greek (2010)
  • Zulu (1997)

Other works performed include the overtures Gershwin in Hollywood, Girl Crazy and Oh Kay!, by George Gershwin, Tea for Two (Tahiti Trot) arranged by Dmitri Shostakovich, the overture Mack and Mabel by Jerry Herman and the famous 20th Century Fox Fanfare by Alfred Newman. Soloists who have appeared in A Night at the Movies include West End star Debbie Paul, Lucy Curtin, Lauren Adams, saxophonist Paul Thomas, and pianist Stewart Roberts performing the Warsaw Concerto.