Life on Our Planet in Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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Life on Our Planet: Live in Concert

8 October 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image supplied by Bmusic
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Natural history and live orchestral music combine as Manchester Camerata help bring Netflix’s Life on Our Planet to life at The Bridgewater Hall.

Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by the voice of God AKA Morgan Freeman, Life on Our Planet is an eight-part series about life’s epic battle to conquer, adapt and survive on planet Earth. Today there are 20 million species on our planet, yet what we see is just a snapshot in time; 99% of earth’s inhabitants are lost to our deep past. And the deep past is what this series looks towards.

Organised around the five mass extinction events that have shaped the planet – plus the sixth we’re facing today – the series brings creatures known only from fossils to life in dramatic, photo-real fashion. These stunning scenes are presented alongside cutting-edge natural history sequences, showcasing the unique evolutionary advantages modern species have inherited from their ancestors in ways that have never been seen before.

If you’ve watched any of the series on Netflix you’ll know how integral the music is to the unfolding of the story. It’s written by Grammy-winning Scottish composer Lorne Balfe, a gifted storytelling composer whose work has featured in everything from Top Gun Maverick to The Crown.

Balfe’s score for this series features a multitude of distinct motifs reflecting different creatures and the journey of evolution. Meticulous research led his decisions over instrumentation. For example the prominent use of the organ – an instrument that makes sound when air is pumped through it – is intended to conjure the idea of breath and life. Elsewhere the score includes some of the oldest known instruments, such as bone flutes found in caves, which we hear alongside state-of-the-art electronic production.

The event at The Bridgewater Hall will see the series condensed into its most essential 90 minutes, tracing our lineage across an epic, four-billion-year story – from the first single-celled life form to the first animals to move out from the sea and onto land, to the first creatures to take flight. Bringing the drama to life on stage, the Camerata will perform a score that connects you more deeply with the story, with each evolutionary era, each creature, given its own, awe-inspiring sound.

Promising to leave you with a deeper respect for our planet – its past, its present and its increasingly uncertain future – this event is must for any lover of natural history or live orchestral music.

Where to go near Life on Our Planet in Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

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Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
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Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
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Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

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Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
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Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

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Phranakhon Thai Tapas is a revolutionised Thai dining restaurant with a combination of European indulgence and authentic Thai tastes.

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Wen’s is a family owned Chinese restaurant specialising in authentic, home cooked cuisine.

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