Numerous famous films will be on display – Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Schindler’s List, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cinema Paradiso, and many more.

The concert will be conducted by HBSO’s music director Tran Vuong Thach, and will feature the HBSO Symphony Orchestra, vocalists and instrumental soloists, plus the Saigon Ladies chorus.

This is an example of the HBSO exploring popular music, and such ventures are always very popular with Saigon audiences.

One of the highlights will be soprano Pham Khanh Ngoc singing the love theme from Cinema Paradiso, accompanied by Tang Thanh Nam, the HBSO’s Concertmaster, on solo violin. This music was the creation of Ennio Morricone, one of the great masters of Italian film music.

Immediately afterwards Pham Khanh Ngoc will sing an Abba item, “Winner Takes it All”, from the movie Mamma Mia! and Tang Thanh Nam will play the main theme, composed by John Williams, from Schindler’s List.

John Williams also appears in the evening’s music in his “Victor’s Tale” from the film The Terminal, with Dao Nhat Quang, Principal Clarinetist of the HBSO, on solo clarinet.

Williams is featured yet again later on in his “Raiders March” from the film Indiana Jones.

After the opening Disney Classic Overture comes a medley from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music for the movie Phantom of the Opera, with vocalists Vo Thuy Ngoc Tuyen and Tran Duy Linh.

Popular baritone Dao Mac will also appear, in the item “Parla Piu Piano” (‘Speak softly, love’) from The Godfather. This was composed by Nino Rota and Gianni Boncompagni.

As for purely orchestral pieces, there’s Alan Menken’s suite from the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast. Menken also wrote the music for Pocahontas (1995) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1996), as well as many other films and musicals.

And then there’s Klaus Badelt’s “He’s a Pirate” from the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean and Lalo Schifrin’s “Main Theme” from Mission: Impossible.

These are followed by “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie Titanic, and “Let it go” from the 2013 computer-animated musical fantasy Frozen with the famous singer Vo Ha Tram.

The orchestration for this last item is by HBSO’s own music director Tran Vuong Thach, who will of course be seen conducting it.

Bringing the concert to an end will be Vo Thuy Ngoc Tuyen again, singing “Lovers” from the movie House of Flying Daggers, followed by Victor Herbert’s “Italian Street Song” from the 1935 film Naughty Marietta.

Finally, the Saigon Ladies will offer Norman Gimbel’s “I will follow him” from the 1992 movie Sister Act.

All in all, this will be a magnificently varied program of music from the 92 years since the cinema ceased being silent and became equipped with sound in 1927.

VNF