The Art in Heaven Concert

Untitled

The Art in Heaven Concert (full title Mike Oldfield The Art in Heaven Concert Live in Berlin) is a Mike Oldfield concert video taken from 2000 New Year's night (31 December 1999) concert at the Victory Column in Berlin, Germany, which is currently available on both CD and DVD.

Planning and performance

In a press conference in July 1999 in Langeland, Oldfield revealed that some ideas for the venue for the millennium night concert were Jubilee Gardens or possibly New Zealand.

At the concert Oldfield performed pieces from his back catalogue, his then latest album The Millennium Bell and another piece titled "Art in Heaven". "Art in Heaven" begins with an excerpt from the first track of his The Songs of Distant Earth album ("In the Beginning"), and ends with "Ode to Joy" from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The rest of the piece was specially composed for the event and was later turned into "Thou Art in Heaven" on his next album Tres Lunas.

The concert was a few months after the Live Then & Now 1999 tour and Oldfield's last performance until 2006.

Original DVD annotation

Berlin welcomes the new millennium with the world's most spectacular light-show Art in Heaven set to the timeless music of Mike Oldfield performing live in concert.

Twelve fluorescent light balloons, 250 rare Xenon gas Space Cannons and 550 special stage lights turn the sky above Berlin into a unique pyramid of light under the direction of Gert Hof. More than half a million spectators experience this superlative show set at the foot of Berlin's beautiful Victory Column.

Mike Oldfield performs several of this legendary classics including Tubular Bells, "Moonlight Shadow" and "Shadow on the Wall" as well as the premiere of his album The Millennium Bell. The musical climax of this event is the special "Art in Heaven".

Also appearing is the State Orchestra and the Glinka State Choir of Saint Petersburg. An amazing event of art, culture and music to commemorate the start of the new millennium.

DVD track listing

Classic songs

1. "Tubular Bells" (Excerpts from part 1)
2. "Portsmouth"
3. "Moonlight Shadow"
4. "Secrets"
5. "Shadow on the Wall"

The Millennium Bell songs

6. "Sunlight" ("Sunlight Shining Through Cloud")
7. "The Doges Palace"
8. "Mastermind"
9. "Broad" ("Broad Sunlit Uplands")
10. "Liberation"
11. "Amber Light"
12. "The Millennium Bell"

Special features

• "Art in Heaven" – Oldfield's 13-minute solo
• "The Making Of..." – documentary
• Interview with Mike Oldfield

Personnel

• Mike Oldfield – guitars
• Robyn Smith – conductor
• Adrian Thomas – keyboards, guitars
• Claire Nicolson – keyboards, guitar
• Carrie Melbourne – bass, Chapman Stick
• Fergus Gerrand – drums, percussions
• Jody Linscott – percussions
• Pepsi Demacque – vocals
• Miriam Stockley – vocals
• Nicola Emmanuelle – vocals
• David Serame – vocals

Also

• Symphony Orchestra State Academic Capella, Saint Petersburg
• The Glinka State Choir, Saint Petersburg

Production

• Gert Hof – Director
• Egon Banghard – Producer
• Achim Perleberg – Producer

Sight & Sound version

On 30 June 2008 Warner re-released the concert in a CD and DVD double pack as a part of their Sight & Sound, Classic Performance Live range. The DVD is the same as the original release, with the CD being a reordered version of the concert, excluding the "Art in Heaven" 13 minute track.

CD track listing

1. "Tubular Bells"
2. "Portsmouth"
3. "Moonlight Shadow"
4. "Secrets"
5. "Shadow on the Wall"
6. "Sunlight"
7. "The Doges Palace"
8. "Mastermind"
9. "Broad"
10. "Liberation"
11. "Amber Light"
12. "The Millennium Bell"

External links

• The Art in Heaven Concert at IMDb