I had the chance to catch the Portland Chamber Orchestra perform at the Liberty Theater last weekend.

Conducted by Yaacov Bergman, who directs the Walla Walla Symphony and the Siletz Bay Music Festival in Lincoln City, the Portland Chamber Orchestra played Music of Film, a concert of memorable music from Oscar-winning and popular films. Scheduled the weekend of this years Academy Awards, the concert was a fun way to celebrate the award season, Hollywood and good movies.

The Sunday matinee concert that I attended opened with the familiar synthesizer and piano sounds of the title theme from Chariots of Fire, which won four Academy Awards in 1981, including Best Original Score. Though Ive never seen the whole film (dont worry, I plan to soon), I instantly recognized the song, which has been used in many slow-motion segments of various movies and TV shows, sometimes in parody.

The concert was hosted by Edmund Stone, who writes and produces his own nationally syndicated radio program, The Score, on All Classical FM. A few years ago, when Daniel Craig hit the franchise, I heard one of Stones shows about the music from the James Bond movies. So I wasnt surprised that a James Bond medley of songs was listed on the program. The Portland Chamber Orchestra played the familiar tunes in a brassy, big-band way that easily translated Bonds flashy cars and martinis into sound.

Another iconic song was Colonel Bogeys March from the 1957 film Bridge on the River Kwai (which also won an Oscar for Best Score.) Stone told the audience that in the film, American producers felt the lyrics were too vulgar, so the actors whistled the song instead of singing it. Maestro Bergman invited the audience to whistle along as the orchestra performed.

Other highlights from the concert included Memory from the musical CATS, music from Schindlers List, a Lion King medley, and Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffanys.

It was my first time seeing a concert at the Liberty Theater, and I was blown away by the acoustics of the space. The music was clear and pure; the violins and trumpets sounded as smooth as butter which made the enjoyment of the Portland Chamber Orchestra even better.