MUSIC | ALBUQUERQUE
A knight to remember
A musical celebration of three of Britain鈥檚 legendary songwriters
Published
The New Mexico Philharmonic, along with Spot-On Entertainment, is hosting a musical night, honoring some musical knights, as they perform greatest hits by Sirs Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Paul McCartney.
鈥淭he concert itself is a compilation of a number of No. 1 hits,鈥� Karin Hendrickson, show conductor, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really interesting way to draw three different composers together with a concert title, 鈥楳usic of the Knights,鈥� because they鈥檝e all been knighted by the queen.鈥�
John, Lloyd Webber and McCartney were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in part for their contributions to the music industry.
鈥淢usic of the Knights鈥� was produced and created by Scott Coulter through his company, Spot-On Entertainment. Vocalists Campbell Walker Fields and Alex Getlin will perform with the philharmonic.
Coulter said he structured the show as a dramatic story that captures the feel of the artists.
鈥淲hat we set out to do was choose the songs that we think will stand the test of time,鈥� Coulter said.
Walker Fields has performed with 鈥淢usic of the Knights鈥� several times and said the whole thing feels like a celebration.
鈥淚f you look down the catalog of each of these composers and musicians,鈥� Walker Fields said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 just like, hit after hit after hit after hit and so there鈥檚 never a dull moment within the show.鈥�
Getlin said the show celebrates the legacy of the composers, whose work spans genres.
鈥淚 think what鈥檚 special about this one is that it combines three people that you wouldn鈥檛 normally in your head shove together musically 鈥︹�� Getlin said. 鈥淭hey somehow tell a story next to each other, and the whole thing feels like its own genre.鈥�
She said there is a magic to performing with a full orchestra and hearing the songs outside their original context.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l hear things in the songs you鈥檝e never heard before,鈥� Getlin said.
The lineup for 鈥淢usic of the Knights鈥� includes songs like 鈥淭he Phantom of the Opera,鈥� 鈥淕oodbye Yellow Brick Road,鈥� 鈥淗ey Jude鈥� and more.
Coulter said the songs have taken on a deeper meaning for him and the musicians, and act as a soundtrack to people鈥檚 lives.
鈥淵ou hear an introduction to a song start, and your own heart and your own soul react a certain way because of what that song meant to you at a particular time,鈥� Coulter said.
Hendrickson said the program evokes high energy, joy and nostalgia.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just going to bring back a lot of positive memories for all of the audience members about their life and where they were when they heard certain songs and who they remember seeing,鈥� Hendrickson said.
She said 鈥淢usic of the Knights鈥� feels larger than life compared to listening to the same songs on the radio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very rare that you get to hear 80 pieces supporting a vocalist,鈥� Hendrickson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a thrill, super exciting. It鈥檚 a very powerful way to present a concert.鈥�
Getlin said the addition of an orchestra also makes for a fabulous experience for the vocalists.
鈥淎s a singer, it just feels like you鈥檙e being supported by the most amazing force,鈥� Getlin said.
The concert features a few orchestral-only pieces and a few that slow to piano-and-vocalist only, Walker Fields said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very cool to go from just the full force of sound to bringing everything down and then just sitting in the stillness of just one instrument and one vocalist,鈥� Walker Fields said.
Coulter said music is timeless, taking on different meanings as people go through the seasons of life.
鈥淭o be able to take familiar material and interpret it in a new way, to make an audience hear it in a new way, or in a revelatory sort of way, it really is a gift,鈥� Coulter said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing better.鈥�
Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.
