RSNO/Hollywood Heroes and Superheroes, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Alison Kerr

5 stars

The RSNO’s love affair with Hollywood film music produced another terrific concert on Saturday night, thanks – once more – to the imagination of the American conductor Richard Kaufman, who was back to take the helm just a month after his last appearance.

Whereas last time, the theme was exclusively the music of the veteran movie composer John Williams, the Saturday programme featured music by a host of writers – though Williams, who will probably forever be the ultimate superhero theme creator, was still extremely well represented and was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the provider of the biggest thrills of the night. After all, movie scores don’t get much more thrilling than the march from Superman – especially when played as wonderfully as it was by the RSNO. And as each of Williams’s Erich Korngold-inspired fanfares exploded like musical shooting stars, Kaufman looked as if he was about to take off, Superman style, with his arms stretched out above him.

The thrills weren’t confined to Superman, though; Danny Elfman’s menacing and magnificent finale to Batman, John Barry’s elegiac John Dunbar Theme from Dances With Wolves, and Ennio Morricone’s triumphant-sounding main title from The Untouchable were also treats. As was the chance to see the RSNO getting groovy on the main theme from George Clinton’s Shagadelic Suite – The Music of Austin Powers.

But the highlight of the evening came courtesy of Alexander Courage’s iconic Star Trek title music - for which Kaufman plucked a Trek-loving punter from the audience to provide the voice-over. Neil Cahill may not have known what he was letting himself in for, but he certainly knew his words and his timing – and he did a cracking job of boldly going where no Glaswegian has gone before…..