Rob Bridges enjoys an evening of classical and movie favourites at The Forum Bath
The 50 piece Fulltone Orchestra returned to The Forum Bath under conductor Anthony Brown after their magical evening in 2023 with Lucie Jones, which I was lucky enough to attend.
For 2024 they were back with the final evening of touring their new show Classic Hall of Fame, enlisting the ‘the voice of an Angel’, soprano Carly Paoili and rising star, Welsh Tenor Gareth Dafydd Morris, along with the host singer and presenter Aled Jones.
Aled Jones, now a seasoned presenter for the BBC and Classic FM, introduced the pieces with great enthusiasm and a few jokes to keep the audience amused, as well as a performance of You Raise Me Up, which went down really well with the audience.
The Fulltone Orchestra opened with the rousing William Tell Overture then to one of my favourite pieces of the evening, Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission.
This was the first time I had seen Carly Paoli and Gareth Dafydd Morris live and I was not disappointed as they performed a selection of songs, ranging from Se Tu Fossi, to Ava Maria, O Mio Babbino Caro and the rousing Nessun Dorma to end part one of the evening.
As the second half kicked off, the orchestra showed its range again, starting off with the theme from the Magnificent Seven, before moving on to Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to Parla Piu Piano from The Godfather, with the help of Carly and Gareth.
The film soundtracks continued through the evening, with music from Out Of Africa and Lord Of The Rings, interspersed with Nimrod and The Merry Widow. Gareth improvised during singing O Sole Mio, singing “Just one Cornetto, give it to be, just one Cornetto, from Italy,” which earned a cheer from the crowd and got us singing along. The Prayer brought the evening to an end and had the audience on there feet in appreciation of a great evening of entertainment.
This orchestra of very talented musicians, with Anthony at the helm, make it look effortless to produce this wonderful music. Watching him conduct is entertainment itself, his enthusiasm and enjoyment shines through in the pieces and the great respect of the musicians in front of him.
If you want to see home of the Fulltone Orchestra, they will be back later in the year at The Forum Bath showcasing Enya’s Watermark Album, complete with an accompanying choir.
For more details of upcoming shows at The Forum Bath, go to www.bathforum.co.uk