Film music to be performed on the Island: Fresh arrangements of favorite themes
If you’ve seen some of the biggest movies of the last few decades, their film scores by Ryuichi Sakamoto are probably imprinted in your brain. From “The Revenant” to “Call Me By Your Name;” “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” to “The Sheltering Sky,” to “The Last Emperor,” Islanders will have a chance to hear these unforgettable sounds in a free concert at the Presbyterian Church on Thursday, July 3 at 6:30.
Sakamoto, an Oscar-winning composer and performer who died in 2023, was an early adopter of electronic music in addition to his orchestral scores, and had a tremendous influence on pop culture.
James Marshall, a multi-talented Island musician and designer, hopes to welcome Islanders to a fresh, entertaining look at Sakamoto’s music, having personally arranged the composer’s movie music for a team of top musicians playing French horn (Matt Ertl), clarinet (Alex Yu), and percussion (Rachel Beardsley). Mr. Marshall will be playing piano with the ensemble.
Having studied music at Juilliard and theatre and directing at NYU, Mr. Marshall has poured his talents into creating this unique and immersive concert experience for Islanders to enjoy. The arrangements will have unusual innovations to create the magical soundscapes of film. For example, on The Revenant, Mr. Marshall will switch to the pipe organ of the Presbyterian Church, while the percussionist, Ms. Beardsley, creates otherworldly cinematic sound effects on the piano using her hands directly on the strings rather than only using the keys to strike them.
Mr. Marshall is also dedicated to “pushing boundaries” between the visual arts and music as inspired by the very nature of film music. His husband, Adam Bundy, who’s well-known to Islanders for his stunning photography, will have two of his pieces integrated into the concert as large-scale wall hangings with his photographs printed onto fabric, celebrating the beauty of nature that surrounds us on the Island, and in keeping with Sakamoto’s appreciation for the ambient sounds of the natural world with which he infused much of his music. After the performance, Mr. Bundy’s photographs will be donated to the church for its collection.
In addition to celebrating Sakamoto, Mr. Marshall is dedicating this concert to the memory of Islander Bob Fitzpatrick, a friend and artistic mentor. Mr. Fitzpatrick, a renowned figure in the art and music world, died in 2024. Fittingly, a biography notes that Mr. Fitzpatrick, also, was “committed to pushing artistic boundaries, believing deeply in the power of art to provoke, inspire, and challenge.”
The event is free, lasting less than 60 minutes, and no reservations are required. Whether you’re a movie buff, music lover or maybe just curious, treat yourself to this performance of lush film music by an outstanding group of musicians.
