By Nicole Le Grand
The music of Middle Earth is coming to Williamstown as the Inner West Symphony Orchestra performs live some of the most evocative and powerful pieces of music written for film.
For their last concert of the year, the IWSO is putting on a blockbuster double-header at Williamstown Town Hall, with a matinee and evening performance of The Cinematic Score, the orchestra’s tribute to the great Hollywood composers.
The concert promises to be as epic as the films, with more than 100 musicians and choristers from the IWSO, the Grace Notes Singers and Choral Edge taking the stage for a season-ending, day and night of performances on 21 November.
Along with Shore’s masterpiece written for Tolkien’s trilogy, the shows will feature Ennio Morricone’s evocative themes for The Mission, John Williams’ stirring ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ from Saving Private Ryan, Bruce Rowland’s unmistakably Australian score for The Man from Snowy River and Bernard Herrmann’s nerve-jangling themes for Hitchcock’s 1958 classic Vertigo.
There will also be Dukas’ chaotic ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ from Fantasia, Richard Wagner’s electrifying ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from Apocalypse Now and German composer Richard Strauss’s iconic ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’, adopted by Stanley Kubrick for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Artistic director and conductor Andrew Leach says the decision to put on two performances instead of one means there is enough room for anyone in Melbourne’s west who loves orchestral music and a good film
‘We have curated The Cinematic Score as a warm invitation for everyone: families, longtime music lovers and newcomers to the orchestral world,’ he says. ‘On 21 November our presenters and musicians will become the storytellers, shining a spotlight on legendary composers who have shaped 20th-century films.’
‘Film composition is truly an incredible craft; the haunting cello melody that pulls at your heartstrings, the high-energy rhythms that get your adrenaline pumping during an action scene, or that sharp “stinger chord” that startles you in a dramatic twist. We are loving working on some absolutely breathtaking scores,’ he says.
The IWSO, a community orchestra of local, volunteer players formed to bring the joy of orchestral music to the west, is nearing the end of its third full season.
The final concert for 2026, like all IWSO concerts, will be an immersive experience, with the orchestra seated close to the audience on the floor of the Williamstown Town Hall, and dynamic lighting and visual projections accompanying the music.
The orchestra is well supported by local businesses who share its passion for bringing new experiences to the west. Barbarian Brewing Co. beer and the coconut cocktails of Coco Loco will be in the foyer, by popular demand, before the shows and at interval.
The IWSO is also expecting some Tolkien devotees to come along, too. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself sitting next to an elven princess, a brave little hobbit, a wizard or a future king of Gondor when the music starts.
As Gandalf wisely told Frodo, ‘All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.’ On 21 November, the IWSO have made the decision easy.
Saturday 21 November
Afternoon show: 2–4pm; Evening show: 7–9pm
Williamstown Town Hall
More info: iwso.org.au
Tickets via Humanitix
