David Attenborough’s film ‘Ocean‘ was released on 8th May, 2025, his 99th birthday. In his latter years he has gone no holds barred on the damage we are doing to the natural world, and this production was no exception, quite the opposite. We need sea life for our very existence. The film does, however, end on a positive note: just how quickly the sea recovers – if we will let it. I saw the film very shortly after it came out.

When, months ago, I learned that it was to be shown in the Bristol Beacon, as part of a very short tour, with a live orchestra and vocal ensemble, under the name ‘Ocean in Concert’, I was intrigued, and booked myself a place. The accompanying score was written by Steven Price, whose scoring debut was in 2011 to Joe Cornish’s ‘Attack the Block’. Last night’s performance was the first of five around the UK and Ireland. The orchestra was that of the Welsh National Opera, and the singers were the London Voices.

It looked to be a sellout. I had an interesting seat, not that I knew it would be when I booked.

It was a very interesting experience, neither concert not film, and I’m really really glad I was there. And yes, I did enjoy it, but I could have enjoyed it more. I confess that, like many, I am not normally very aware of the musical score to nature films, and I am sometimes annoyed at its intrusiveness. I have been persuaded however in the past of its desirability. But here, one was both at an orchestral concert and at a film, subtitled at that. I didn’t know where to look – at the orchestra, as I would at concert, and I wanted to, or at the visuals. Mostly of course I looked at the film, distracted sometimes by the subtitles, which I think were unnecessary. Perfect for sale to foreign audiences, but Attenborough has perfect diction. As they had clearly been able to strip the film of its score, the subtitles could have been removed as well – I don’t recall there being any last May.

It felt like sensory overload, but I cannot be sure that this wasn’t because it was so, so LOUD. Each player was miked up, I learned later, as were the six singers. The need for the latter I can understand, but it would have been so good to hear the orchestra naked, as it were, as orchestras at the venue are normally of course. As a result, Attenborough’s commentary was also very, very LOUD. So I can’t tell whether my less-than-perfect pleasure was because of the intense volume or because of trying to split my brain between music and vision.

I marvelled at the perfect co-ordination between music and vision, thinking that the conductor, Robert Ziegler, must have rehearsed a great deal to get his tempi correct, and have all text cues and clues very clearly indicated in his score.

There was a 25-minute interval, plenty of time for both a chocolate ice cream (Marshfield is an excellent local maker) and wandering around a bit. The Bristol Beacon is the recently refurbished former Colston Hall, renamed very belatedly after local protests that it had retained so long the name of a local slave trader.

I took a look from the doorway into the smaller Lantern Hall, which I’d never seen before, but didn’t go further or take a photo as there was some kind of exhibition going on, with stalls of people selling not wares but ideas.

I did take a few other desultory photos (transferred epithet, I know!) I’d like to have taken more, but there were – literally – hundreds of people milling around the more expansive views.

On returning to my place, I took the opportunity to ask the young man on the right in my first picture what he was doing. It was fascinating. He pointed out a screen at the conductor’s podium, and said that he was transmitting instructions to the him to ensure that co-ordination I had so wondered at. I do wish I had had time to ask many more detailed questions as to precisely how! As it was, I learned from him that the person on the left was the sound engineer. How I wish I’d had the courage to say that I was finding the whole thing very LOUD!

The remaining four performances are: this Saturday, 28th February, at the Royal Festival Hall, Sunday at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, each of those with the CBSO, then 7th March in the Dublin 3Arena, (Ulster Orchestra) and finally in the Edinburgh Usher Hall on March 12th with the Scottish Ensemble. All conducted by Robert Ziegler, and with, basically, the same singers. I would urge anyone who has to chance to go, despite my comments. It was an amazing experience – and who knows, after this premiere last night, others’ comments may cause them to turn the volume down a bit.

Finally, a Bristol coda. I was in the city just two days earlier on what turned out to be a self-inflicted wild goose chase. While I was in the Millennium Square I saw, this. No, I have no idea. I’ll check next time.