Melbourne 2006: XVIII Commonwealth Games

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Why is concert music, or ceremonial music or works written for sports games always so exiting? Perhaps its got to do with the pompous nature, the glorious sounds it needs to produce, or the overblown way it can enhance the feelings of honor and majesty! Because with glory stands glorious music and what is better than to make an orchestra be heard. Many great composers have done it, for the Australian Olympic Games they hired their own hero composer Christopher Gordon (born in Britain but worked almost all his career in Australia). The man is behind some of the most beautiful creations non Hollywood led namely Moby Dick and especially the brilliant On The Beach. However Gordon is most known for Master and Commander even though its eclectic choices didn't pay off that well. However here he honors that grand music must stay grand with one of those celebrative releases that just listen so good again and again. With the awkward 'Countdown' we may be set in the spirit of the Olympic Games, its the beautiful 'Journey to the Stadium' that sets us into that glorious Christopher Gordon style, pompous, big and exiting yet holding that light classical refined touch to it and this piece is no different. Think of it as a cousin to his amazing On the Beach music and the gloriousness of that. And in 'Welcome to the MCG' he adds the festivity with a variation on that theme and shifts it to unseen splendor of brevity and pompousness (Elfman almost). Its a track that dances on orchestral key notes, like ceremonial music should always do. The percussion ala Master and Commander in 'Raising of the 3 Nation Flags' is brief but to point made and yet however we hear his variation to the theme in it. In 'The Arrival of the Head' we reach Moby Dick's greatness with much more fanfares and grandness. Perhaps too much for the head but the honor is sure held in the over crossing trumpets ala Williams' Summon the Heroes, difficult as hell it must have been. 'The Nation Anthem' is an arrangement fit into movie standards and choral versions to give it this extra power. But when you reach back to Gordon's music, you soon realize how good a composer he is. Once again you get those On the Beach quivers when you hear the main theme back in shimmering greatness of the trumpets and the strings in 'Welcome to Melbourne', one of those tracks that defines landscapes and must sound truly stunning on whatever scenery you use it on.

In between Christopher Gordon's music we get some more pop oriented and vocal led entries. They don't always bring their best or their most entertaining, but like the other games you sometimes discover that magical entrance that just oozes you to silence. With perhaps the somewhat childish at first 'Boy on the Bay' you get a lovely children's choir moment in the begin, the middle is however somewhat childish with whatever funny instrument is performing the mayhem. With 'My Skin My Life' you receive more ethereal vocals and reminds me sometimes of the style used in Alan Silvestri's The Legend of Mythica. 'Under the Mily Way' works better then because its much more soothing, and above all Gordon led in arrangements with a stunning orchestral surrounding. With the jazzy 'Cities' you certainly heard now every style available so with Richard Mills we return to Gordon territory and in 'Queen's Baton Relay' the trumpets shine again. With 'Raising of the CGF Flag' Gordon's main theme rises with it and once more in stunning style, the way he builds from cello and soft percussion to the real deal is what he did so many times in On the Beach, and again its mesmerizing how he does it. And in 'Finale' the choir returns to end the festivities in grand manner. And maybe 'Together we are One' is another pumping strong like ballad, it does the trick in giving this righteous pumping feeling that you still believe in honor and sportsmanship, even in these times. And in the end its amazing that this music is heard on CD. Its worth it no doubt about it and the selection of pop and orchestral is what really makes it work (still would have liked just a little bit of Gordon's music in the end). But why on earth did it go on CD in the end? Why did Sony BMG chose to unleash its magic upon us? Because who will buy this? It seems a lot of people already have considering it reached gold in a matter of days. And I'm lucky people have found their way to this music, because those are treated to music that brings you back to a happy place, where dreams aren't far away and honor still stands the highest. Where Olympic dreams still seek the highest spirit in your sports laden heart. Musically Gordon takes you there in sheer exultation.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Countdown (0.47)

2. Journey To The Stadium (2.22) Excellent Track

3. Welcome To The MCG (3.24) Excellent Track

4. Raising Of The 3 Nation Flags (1.11)

5. The Arrival Of The Head (2.10)

6. The Nation Anthem * (1.52)

7. Welcome To Melbourne (4.56) Excellent Track

8. Boy On The Bay ** (8.18)

9. My Skin My Life + (6.13)

10. Under The Milky Way ++ (6.14)

11. Cities: The Cat Empire (3.36)

12. Queen's Baton Relay *** (2.38)

13. Raising Of The CGF Flag (3.40) Excellent Track

14. Together We Are One: Delta Goodrem (4.12) Excellent Track

15. Finale (3.23)

* written by Peter Dodds McCormick, arranged by Christopher Gordon

** written by Paul Stanhope

*** written by Richard Mills

+ written by David Page, performed by Ursula Jovich

++ music and lyrics by Steven Kilbey & Karin Johnson, arranged by C. Gordon

Total Length: 55.17

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