The Business Reply team were treated to a brilliant performance of Psycho Live at Birmingham last night. Our visit to Symphony Hall in Birmingham was a real pleasure as we attended a viewing of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960’s film Psycho. It’s a renowned great in the world of film and can still create a tingle down the spine 50 years after it was released. Camera angles , close ups and inner dialogue all add dramatic effect to the film based on Norman Bates’s insanity.
The dark and disturbing undertones of Psycho may not be accompanied by the SFX we have come to expect in modern films but it feels all the more sinister because of it’s simplicity. Arguably the real highlight was the musical score to the film, which is recognised as one of Bernard Hermann’s masterpieces of intense atmospheric background created with simple string instruments. On this particular occasion the score was played live throughout the film by the British Sinfonietta led by conductor Anthony Gabriele. It was a sheer indulgence to see the Psycho film on screen accompanied by the spectacular live score within the awe-inspiring setting of the Symphony Hall – a real feast of the senses.
Psycho Live at Birmingham Symphony Hall is just one of the many performances that is part of the SoundBite promotion of arts to young people aged 16-25 run by THSH in Birmingham. Music lovers can sign up online and will receive discounts for many different musical events for Symphony Hall, Town Hall and other venues in the city.
