Homage concert to Guy Hamilton in Mallorca (Spain)

As it was already announced in the following news (read article), a gala homage was celebrated in Mallorca at the end June to the figure of filmmaker Guy Hamilton, who died in 2016 at the age of 93. The main event of that gala was a concert performed by the Chamber Film Orchestra with the music of several of his films. Francisco Mullor and Gori Martinez attended the concert, and have prepared two summary articles of the evening for SoundTrackFest.

Homage concert to Guy Hamilton - Poster

CONCERT PROGRAM

 

  • Tune for “Mallorca Plato Musical” – From the Majorcan composer Miquel Àngel Aguiló
  • Konrad Elfers – Funeral in Berlin (1966)
  • John Cameron – The Mirror Crack’d (1980)
  • Cole Porter – Evil Under the Sun (1982)
  • John Barry – Goldfinger (1964)
  • John Barry – Diamonds are Forever (1971)
  • John Barry – The man with the Golden Gun (1974)
  • George Martin / Paul McCartney – Live and let die (1973)
  • Suite of 5 James Bond music themes arranged by Robert Longfield

 

GALA & CONCERT - By Francisco Mullor

On June 27 and within the celebration of the Atlàntida Film Fest, Bellver Castle was the stage to the solemn opening of the Festival. The purpose of the evening was a tribute to Guy Hamilton, one of those directors who have meant so much to a generation of cinephiles and passionate fans of the movies of the 60s and 70s, although for the rest of the people he could be rather unknown.

Homage concert to Guy Hamilton - Chamber Film Orchestra

 

Guy Hamilton will be remembered for having directed four of the key films in the series of James Bond – Agent 007, despite his career spanning over other equally interesting titles. The homage consisted of the emotional recognition of relatives and colleagues at a concert performed by the Chamber Film Orchestra, playing a selection of pieces chosen from the most important soundtracks of the filmmaker’s movies.

 

The musical evening opened with the magnificent soundtrack of the film “Funeral in Berlin(1966). The film is the second installment in the trilogy of agent Harry Palmer played by Michael Caine and the music that accompanies the adventures of this cold war hero was composed by Konrad Elfers. Exciting moments like the waltz of the main theme were fantastic in spite of the little popularity of this extraordinary film that many of us love. Next came a selection of pieces from two films based on the popular Agatha Christie’s novels “The Broken Mirror(1980) and “Death Under the Sun(1982). Special mention deserves this last title as it was filmed by Hamilton on the island of Mallorca and its soundtrack consists of arrangements of pieces by Cole Porter (including the well-known “Someone to watch over me” that was wonderfully performed on that magical night).

Homage concert to Guy Hamilton - Chamber Film Orchestra

 

The first chords of “Goldfinger” introduced us in the block dedicated to the agent 007 in which additionally of the mentioned “Goldfinger” (1965), “Diamonds are Forever(1971) and “The Man with the golden gun(1974) were performed (all composed by maestro John Barry) culminating in George Martin‘s “Live and Let Die(1973) with the main theme by Paul McCartney, well-known among the general public. The performance of the pieces was exciting and dynamic, and they were accompanied by projections of the films, having the presence among the audience of authentic icons for James Bond fans such as the great Britt Ekland or producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. A night to remember!

 

GALA & CONCERT - By Gori Martinez

The gala that paid homage to the filmmaker Guy Hamilton, who died last year in Mallorca, the same island where he filmed, lived and fell in love, started with the theme of the film “Funeral in Berlin(1966) performed by the Chamber Film Orchestra conducted by the concertmaster of the Palma Symphony Orchestra, Smerald Spahiu.

 

The event was attended by prominent personalities such as the English actor resident in Mallorca, Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love), the son of honored filmmaker Frank Hamilton, actress Britt Ekland (with whom he shot The Man with the Golden Gun), Bond series producers Michael and Barbara Broccoli, as well as popular people of the island such as filmmaker Toni Bestard, artists Albert Pinya (responsible for the poster of the festival) or Joan Costa, who designed the award that Fiennes gave to Hamilton’s son. Also on the Island, but not in the concert, was Vanesa Redgrave as a guest of the seventh Atlantida Film Fest.

Britt Ekland & Guy Hamilton

After the concert “Life i mort d’un arquitecte” (Life and death of an architect) was projected, a movie by Miguel Eek on Josep Ferragut.