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Topic: What about 'Orchestral Ommadawn'< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
gorjanbak Offline




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Posted: July 07 2000, 16:34

I like Mike to make an orchestral version of 'Ommadawn' just like 'Orchestral Tubular Bells'.And why doesn't exist 'The Orchestral Hergest Ridge' on CD,although there is a music for space movie?????
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rosko Offline




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Posted: July 08 2000, 08:53

The Orchestral Hergest Ridge was made for use in "The Space Movie" and was included in the soundtrack to that film. The soundtrack to "The Space Movie" was testprinted on vinyl (CDs didn't exist yet) but never released (a few testpressings are floating around). That's the reason that OHR isn't on CD.

As to the idea of an Orchestral Ommadawn: it would be good if it was done properly, but the original can't possibly be improved on IMHO.

[This message has been edited by rosko (edited 07-08-2000).]
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GMOVJ Offline




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Posted: July 10 2000, 04:28

Improved, no it can't ! But It may be something different, like OTB with TB.
I like OTB very much, but I can't compare it to TB, it sounds different :
Quote

(David Bedford) "The whole reason for using a symphony orchestra is to create something new - even to work against the way you did it on the record". "Yes", replied Mike. "In general I like it. It does sound different, but I like the difference." - Karl Dallas, 28th September, 1974 in Melody Maker.


Available @tw !

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GMOVJ
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Korgscrew Offline




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Posted: July 26 2000, 23:45

I think the booklet in Elements mentions something about a version of Ommadawn being performed by the Liffey light orchestra at some point in time. That's not a publication known for its accuracy on all things, though...
There used to be a link on this site to a site about a performance in New Zealand, with an MP3 file of it to download. That was semi orchestral, with some electric/electronic instruments alongside more orchestral ones.
But...perhaps someone would like to have a go at scoring an orchestral Ommadawn...any volunteers? wink
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Archangel Foster Offline




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Posted: Oct. 31 2000, 11:27

I've got a bootleg CD called 'Swollowed up by a big fat snake' from a 'company' that calls itself 'Tartan Productions'. There is a live recording of 'The Orchestral Hergest Ridge pt. 1' there, performed in London Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 9th, 1974 feat. David Bedford as conductor and Steve Hillage on guitar. I's supposed to be taken from that very testpressing for 'Space Movie'. As for an Orchestral Ommadawn, I think it should have been done then but not now. I wouldn't like it to sound like 'Mont St. Michel'.
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TimHighfield Offline




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Posted: Oct. 31 2000, 18:03

Shouldn't this be in the Ommadawn forum? I ask a question about Ommadawn notation and sheet music, and then come across this in the Q&A forum. So, does anyone out there know any ideas on how to find any notation for Ommadawn or the finale of Part 1?

-Tim-
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bennyboy Offline




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Posted: Nov. 02 2000, 01:49

Personally "The Orchestral Tubular Bells" left me feeling really disappointed. It wasn't all bad I know but still, I thought it relied too heavily on the strings and the brass, there wasn't enough percussion or piano, when Mikes guitar finally turned up at the end though it was lovely, there should have been more of it IMHO. And the orchestral rearrangements of the piltdown man section sounded really ugly to my mind.

The main problem was that "Tubular Bells" wasn't the sort of music that lends itself well to orchestration, and despite the claims of some of its pundits, it is not a classical album. The rockier elements really lose in the translation and I think an Orchestral Ommadawn would have much the same problems.

But I did like "The Orchestral Hergest Ridge" quite a lot. "Hergest Ridge" because of its more minimalist style lent itself better to orchestration, plus the arrangement utilized a much wider range of instruments, including guitars, and that is why it sounded better IMHO and I like it.
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Archangel Foster Offline




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Posted: Nov. 02 2000, 05:50

Not enough percussion? Haven't you heard those killer timpanis?
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bennyboy Offline




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Posted: Nov. 02 2000, 23:34

What it is that I said was "not enough percussion", I do realise that they used some percussion.

But take the opening theme for instance, some thumping of timpanis aside its done almost entirely with strings. I just think it would have sounded better if they had done it with glockeinspiel and piano like in TB1 but with the timpani doing the thumping noises and maybe with some slight string accompaniament to mark the end of the opening theme. That is what I would have done were I david bedford, but im not, never was and never will be...
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Archangel Foster Offline




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Posted: Nov. 03 2000, 06:46

All right, that's your opinion, I like the string thing perfectly well. Why would OTB have to be just like TB? But there's no use in arguing here, of course.
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Korgscrew Offline




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Posted: Nov. 03 2000, 17:21

I believe David Bedford deliberately didn't use instruments such as piano and glockenspiel so that it covered completely new territory from the original album. Whether it works or not is a matter of opinion really.

An Orchestral Ommadawn would be interesting to try at the very least (although a time consuming experiment perhaps), and if arranged well could work brilliantly. Rockier elements certainly wouldn't translate directly as rocky elements - the arranger would have to turn them into something new...That's where music arranging can get very exciting (for the arranger at least) and also where things can go badly wrong...
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Posted: April 06 2001, 14:31

The closest thing to an "Orchestral Ommadawn" I know of is the performance by New Zealand's Shivaree Ensemble (Michael Arnold et al.).

The original file available via a link in Tubular Web was very poor quality, but you can find a much restored, complete version of it in the fan-made tribute CD "Lost in Static 19".

This version is fully orchestral, including chorus, and it's the only version of Ommadawn (save the original) which includes part I complete, even the section after the first big climax, which is systematically ommited from all live performances.
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LiffeyLight Offline




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Posted: Oct. 20 2011, 08:03

The orchestral Ommadawn that the Liffey Light Orchestra played was in fact the actual Ommadawn (Side 1) played on the same instruments as the album.  The band gave itself the grand name of Liffey Light Orchestra as there were so many of  us - 5 girl singers, 4 in the "bootboy" chorus (to sing the Wolfman part on Side 2 of Tubular Bells), 7 on basses and various guitars, 3 woodwind, 4 percussion, 3 keyboards.  We believe our 1 May 1977 performance  was the first ever live performance of Ommadawn, as well as being only the third ever live performance of the entire Tubular Bells.

We recorded the performance on reel-to-reel tape and sent it to Virgin Music, as part of the agreement with them, under which they had very kindly waived the usual copyright fee, on account of our performance being to a student audience.
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Cavalier (Lost Version) Offline




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Posted: Nov. 16 2011, 06:59

There's a piece of history for us!  Thank you LiffeyLight, and slightly belated welcomes to Tubular Net.  It's not uncommon for us to pounce on our new members: quite how we let you slip through our Net is a bit puzzling given the fascinating insight you've supplied into your performance.  The wisest amongst us didn't seem to know the details, although Korgscrew may have learned something over the last ten years and written of it elsewhere.  Airborne from Dark Star usually has an answer at the back of his mind somewhere, had the question been asked here recently, and I daresay will turn up showing an interview with Woodwind, number two. :D.  Hope you check back in again sometime!

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"Who was that?"
"That was Venger - the force of Evil!  I am Dungeon Master - your guide in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons!"
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