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So, here we are finally, London 2012 has arrived and I can't have been the only one cringing at the prospect of what Danny Boyle was about to unleash upon us whilst the rest of the World watched on in horror. Much had been made of his 'Isles of Wonder' theme and it's representation of our 'Green and Pleasant Land'. Many corners of British society had protested that there was nothing about Britain that made it "Green and Pleasant" anymore and arguably if you'd been brought up on one of the many inner-city housing estates that litter the country perhaps it was so that that was the view of many. In fact that 'quintessentially british' ideal of a green and pleasant land does still exist in places and it isn't reserved for the elite of society, you've just got to make a bit of an effort to find it.
In all of the hubbub surrounding the opening ceremony I hadn't paid any attention to what it may sound like. Stories of sheep and sheepdogs, flocks of geese, and images taken from the air of an Olympic Stadium transformed into the british countryside of old (and present) had stolen my attention. Nobody ever really believed London could match Beijing for spectacle (the resounding image in my head from that games was the 2000 drummers doing their stuff in absolute unison), and I think it is that lack of any expectation that has driven the resounding positive reaction from the public and critics alike. The problem with Beijing though in my mind was for all it's grandeur, it lacked a certain amount of soul, and with these things (like in films) soul is a combination for imagary, characterisation and music. Beijing had the first two, it didn't really have the third. Don't get me wrong, there were some beautiful music pieces in Beijing, but they didn't drive the human spirit, they didn't actually tell the story in themselves, something which I think London achieved in droves.
Fast-forward back to London and 9pm BST on 27th July 2012, the sheep and geese have been removed before the ceremony has even started(eh? - apparently to appease animal rights activists), and the last few bars of Elgar's "Nimrod" play out as the World waits...perfect. A countdown begins, Britain's Tour De France champ, Brad Wiggins rings a massive bell and then a lone choirboy's voice rings out, followed by child choirs from each of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, with such wonderful renditions of "Danny Boy", "Flower of Scotland", "Bread of Heaven" and "Jerusalem". Kenneth Brannah turns up suited and booted as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, ascends a Glastonbury Tor type replica and cries out Caliban's speech from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" eschewing in a change that will decimate Britain's 'Green and Pleasant Land' and incidentally, the Olympic Stadium, forever...so far slow, but so good. And then, the drums...
Dame Evelyn Glenie arrives with a few helper drummers (just under 1000 apparently) and begins to randomly bang some drums until in unison a thronging drumline rings out "And I Will Kiss"...my hairs stood on end. This was the start of something special. Every now and again I hear a piece of music that I just don't want to stop. Mike Oldfield (much to my joy having his own section of the opening ceremony) has done that to me several times before with "Only Time Will Tell" from his Song's of Distant Earth album, or "Far Above the Clouds" from Tubular Bells III, but I never expected to hear (and see) anything that would bring me to tears during the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Underworld and Evelyn Glenie managed that, as did Danny Boyle and the thousands of volunteers during the "pandemonium" section as the fields of green grass and fields of crops where replaced by a belching landscape of industry. And I Will Kiss builds layer upon layer, stirring your senses and driving your awareness, and then just after 8 minutes it stops (as did the whole stadium) as a simple melody plays out quietly in remembrance of all who have fallen in conflicts throughout the world. The drums return and the landscape continues to change. The music that rings out is mesmerising and is so so so emotional as it builds towards a climax. Suddenly steel workers arrive on the scene and a massive cauldron pours "liquid" metal into a channel that ends in a circular mould that we now realise has been there since the start of the performance. Gradually all of the other 'workers' move towards the centre of the stadium towards the forged ring as the music continues to get louder and more and more complex. In unison, four other rings appear from the corners of the stadium and this central ring begins a journey into the sky to meet them, all glowing orange as if only just forged and not yet cooled. Whistles and choir voices are mixed with the resounding drums and orchestral instruments, all playing out a tune that is stirring the spirit within me, I really didn't want it to stop, my mouth was agape at what I was watching on screen (sound now turned up to max I might add), and then all becomes clear as the song reaches it's climax, the rings come together to form the Olympic Rings that explode in a shower of fireworks...a triumph? I leapt out of my seat! AMAZING!!! This is the longest track on the soundtrack (at 17 minutes it is about 2 minutes longer than the version that was played during the Opening Ceremony), but it is by far the most rousing. I'd buy the album for this track alone, but it doesn't stop there.
With Britain at the forefront of a post-industrial revolution world, we now turn our attention to perhaps two of our most famous institutions, the Royal Family and James Bond. Boyle scores a coup by not only finding a slot for James Bond, but by enlisting the Queen herself in a short film culminating in them both (supposedly) jumping out of a helicopter above the stadium to the James Bond theme (sadly absent from this compilation). Next up, the NHS, that curiously British invention that constantly threatens to cripple the Treasury but offers universal and essential care to all who inhabit this land...Tubular Bells rings out. Mike Oldfield on Bass plays a medley of reworked tunes (including a mash-up of Tubular Bells and the previously mentioned Far Above the Clouds) to scenes of children in pyjamas bouncing on hospital bed trampolines, dancing nurses, and then as we change the scene to celebrate children's literature, images of Voldemort (from Harry Potter), the Child Catcher (a nightmare inducer from my own childhood) and other monstrous delights, all swept away by a few dozen Mary Poppins'...magic.
What follows is another stroke of genius. Gone is the stiff almost militaristic scenes from 4 years before, to be replaced by Mr Bean and the London Symphony Orchestra. Playing out Vangelis' Chariots of Fire theme (accompanied by an amusing digitally altered video of the famous opening scene of the film of the same name) and ending in a rather rude noise, this brings light relief from what has been a heart pounding first half.
Next up Emili Sande appears (I was initially thinking it a strange choice) and sings a hauntingly beautiful a capella version of Abide With Me whilst we see images of lost loved ones on our screens and a dance act dramatises the lifelong struggle between that life and inevitable death, largely seen as a tribute to the 7/7 London Bombing victims. As demonstrated here on the album, Emili Sande proves that she has a fantastic voice and is more than capable of carrying this section of the ceremony on her shoulders almost entirely. I for one was impressed. A brave choice by Boyle.
The next section is a complete celebration about british popular music over the last half century or so, culminating in the appearance of Dizzie Rascal and his chart topping "Bonkers", which quite aptly seems to fit in with what the rest of the world thinks of the show. We hear sound clips of many many well known rock and pop songs, but thankfully they are absent from this album which chooses to focus on the set pieces rather than the filler material.
After all that we are only half way through the ceremony, the Athletes parade begins, accompanied by the music from at least half of this album. Some great classics such as West End Girls, Heroes (played when Team GB entered) and Where the Streets Have No Name, and lesser known, but wonderful tunes such as Can't Stop This Fire, all accompanied by those hundreds of drummers from earlier in the performance.
Finally we get the Olympic Flame, brought into the stadium by one of Britain's best loved Olympians, Sir Steve Redgrave (Winner of 5 Olympic Gold's in 5 separate Games), who hands the torch over to 7 young potential future sporting stars, who light the very unconventional cauldron (London 2012 and Boyle once again thinking "outside the box") to the beautiful "Caliban's Dream" composed by Underworld and played by Evelyn Glenie and a number of other stars.
Overall this album captures the entire ceremony perfectly. Listening to it now continues to stirr up the emotions I felt on the night, to me it was almost perfect. It really did feel like a historic moment for Britain, a defining moment and one that will live on for more than a generation. The album does miss out Macca's rendition of Hey Jude at the end, but let's be honest, you've probably already got that somewhere and if not, then just wait for the next Live [insert number] concert, or Jubilee celebration, when he'll be wheeled out again. Danny Boyle and everyone else involved in the Opening Ceremony deserve every bit of praise they have received since, a truly unexpected and uplifting experience it was. I am hoping someone decides to release the whole spectacle on Bly Ray as I'd love to be able to rewatch it (skipping the very long Athletes Parade probably).
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 August 2012
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 September 2012
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Franco HonestoReviewed in Mexico on 6 March 2021
Disco memorable
Tenía tiempo siguiendo este disco y lo compre aprovechando una rebaja de casi el 50% que tuvo en abril de 2020. Es magnífico en todo sentido. Desde que lo reproduces vienen a la mente una de las más grandes y significativas ceremonias de inauguración de toda la historia de los Juegos Olímpicos de la nueva era. Isles of Wonder no puede faltar en la colección musical de quién se diga melómano.Franco HonestoDisco memorable
Reviewed in Mexico on 6 March 2021
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- Hannah G.Reviewed in Canada on 4 July 2014
Takes you right back to the start of London 2012
