Tubular Bells (50th Anniversary Edition)

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There are some things we make with our technology that you literally can’t create live. Just because you’ve got a string sound [on the record] doesn’t necessarily mean you want an orchestra playing all the way through it. You take each section and you make it as vibrant and as modern as possible. Tubular Bells has spawned an orchestral version of the work and two sequels, Tubular Bells II and III. Aspects of the work have been incorporated into songs by metal bands Possessed and Death Angel as well as other artists including the California Guitar trio. Once the performers begin playing Tubular Bells and the acrobats take the stage Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour becomes an entertaining mix of music and visuals with the acrobats’ performance complimenting the music but never taking the spotlight from it. The arrangement itself is close enough to the original that it doesn’t sound overly different, apart from replacing the late Vivian Stanshall as Master of Ceremonies. Tubular bells as a substitute for church bells were first used by Giuseppe Verdi in his operas Il trovatore (1853) and Un ballo in maschera (1859) and by Giacomo Puccini in Tosca (1900). The 50th anniversary CD version has the same content as the 2LP set but without ‘Tubular X’ and ‘Mike Oldfield’s Single (Theme From Tubular Bells)’.

Chosen as the album’s title and the subject of a great fanfare at the end of side one, tubular bells constituted something of a novelty item and source of fascination for listeners. Robin Smith: My original idea was to have exactly that. One of my favourite pieces of music in the world is Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, which was originally conceived for dancers and acrobats. In general, ballet is episodic, in a sense, and that’s what Tubular Bells is – a series of amazing episodes that last 50 minutes. For me, it made complete sense to get in there and recreate this as a piece that could potentially be done as a ballet or theatrical work. The set started up with a new arrangement of the ‘Opening Theme‘ from ‘Tubular Bells 2’. The lights dimmed and smoke swirled across the stage. I am not a fan of excessive use of smoke machines, but tonight it was spot on. It provided a wonderful support for the atmospheric lighting, bouncing the colours around the stage and into the auditorium. Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) In the early 20th century tubular bells were also incorporated into theater organs to produce effects.

Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. Among these, and available on vinyl for the first time, is “Tubular X,” which was Oldfield’s take on Mark Snow’s theme for the smash hit TV series The X-Files. Also included is the “Tubular Beats” remix collaboration with YORK, plus the original “Mike Oldfield’s Single (Theme From Tubular Bells),” made in response to an unauthorized US single that contained an excerpt from the album. Read the full, strange story of that release here. Also, for the first time since a very limited run in 2012, “Tubular Bells/In Dulci Jubilo (Music for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games)” is included. Originally released on 25th May 1973, the Tubular Bells The 50th Anniversary Celebration tour will feature an expansive live group, arranged by Mike Oldfield’s long-term collaborator Robin A Smith. You said you’re also looking for a new audience. Younger, possibly non-classical or non-prog audiences, would that be correct?

To celebrate next year’s 50th anniversary of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, the multi-million-selling and multi-award-winning album will be performed live in concert for a celebratory UK tour. I also hear that Steve Wright will be playing the radio exclusive single version on his show this afternoon on BBC Radio 2. So, set two was upon us. I had seen Mike Oldfield perform ‘Tubular Bells 2’ in Edinburgh. What a night that was, great sounds and a gentle gale force wind blowing across the castle esplanade. Therefore, tonight the assembled musicians had a pretty tough act to follow! Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) What goes into getting this whole production together? It’s not as large as having an orchestra, but still… Mike Oldfield’s seminal 1973 album Tubular Bells is being reissued for its 50th anniversary and amongst the formats is an SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio which features a brand new immersive Dolby Atmos Mix along with other rare spatial audio versions, a new stereo mix and an unreleased demo of a planned – but scrapped – Tubular Bells 4, which was made five years ago!Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) Tubular Bells is best known for Part One, particularly the first three and a half minutes of music, which feature a repeated motif in the key of A minor with a 15/8 time signature.

We all filed out into the cold frosty air and everyone was clearly buzzing about what they had just seen and enjoyed. It was great to see the Dome nearly full again, and also the wide range of ages making up the audience. This is a concert for anyone, for those who grabbed the album when it came out on vinyl in 1973 to the Spotify audiences of today. Music is at its best when it’s live! A most enjoyable experience. Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) This 50thAnniversary celebration of TubularBells, overseen by Mike Oldfield, is available on SDE-exclusive blu-ray, 2LP half-speed mastered vinyl and on CD. I would go and see this show again in a heartbeat and this performance comes with the highest recommendation I can give. Tubular Bells deserves to last forever and with strong performances like this, with or without Mike Oldfield up front, it will. Stunning. And Finally… The Tubular Bells Concert Tour will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, the iconic masterpiece will be performed live with a full band across the UK in Spring 2023. Tubular Bells Concert Tour 2023

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The set was perfectly played with Robin’s arrangements and his hand on the wheel as he steered this orchestra of musicians through the performance. He didn’t sit still for a second as he changed keyboards, standing up conducting and smiling into the crowd. Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) Chimes are often found in orchestral and concert band repertoire. It rarely plays melody, instead being used most often as a color to add to the ensemble sound. It does have solos occasionally, often depicting church bells. [2] Robin Smith: I’ve got a funny feeling that if I lived there as well, I probably wouldn’t have left! He’s wonderful, and is an incredibly creative person – I’ve always respected the massive, intense creative bubble that he has. Over the years, I’ve worked with him from Tubular Bells II onwards: on all the albums, [1996’s] Voyager album and various other pieces, and it’s always been an amazing experience to be around him. He’s not really interested in being a famous artist or performer. Everything about him is about creating beautiful, beautiful music, so when you’re part of it, it’s just a real privilege. The show was split into two halves. We were to be treated to ‘Tubular Bells’ performed in full, along with further Oldfield compositions. Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Brighton Dome 5.2.23 (pic Ian Bourn) Smith has collaborated with Mike Oldfield for over 30 years, with performances of Tubular Bells including at Edinburgh Castle, and also the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.