John Wilson Orchestra's New Album

Celebrating the 110th anniversary of the birth of composer Richard Rodgers, the John Wilson Orchestra has announced the release of Rodgers and Hammerstein: At the Movies on October 1.

The John Wilson Orchestra, who shot to fame in 2009 with a concert programme celebrating the 75th anniversary of the MGM film musicals, revisit music from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘big five’; their best loved musicals, including You’ll Never Walk Alone (Carousel), Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’! (Oklahoma) and I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair (South Pacific). The album features contributions from soloists Sierra Boggess, Anna-Jane Casey, Joyce DiDonato, Maria Ewing, Julian Ovenden, David Pittsinger, and the Maida Vale Singers. 

Recorded at Abbey Road’s legendary studio 2, the album is the first re-recording of many of these scores since the original movie sound stage sessions. A number of the scores were dug out of the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s vaults especially for this recording, while one of two had to be transcribed from the original film soundtracks. 

Wilson explains: “Richard Rodgers was closely involved in all aspects of the films of his stage shows and had the very best arrangers in Hollywood working on the orchestral arrangements of his songs. Whilst filmic in their grandeur and often much fuller-sounding than the theatre scores, these arrangements are theatrical to the core and always manage to preserve the spirit of the original Bennett and Walker versions.” 

The John Wilson Orchestra will take the album on tour in the autumn and will play the following dates: 

October 20 Birmingham Symphony Hall 
October 22 Leeds Town Hall
October 23 Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Hall
October 24 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
October 25 Gateshead The Sage
October 26 Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
October 27 Brighton Dome
October 29 London Royal Festival Hall
October 30 London Royal Festival Hall
November 1 Cardiff St David’s Hall
November 5 Manchester Bridgewater Hall