9. Music that Rings True: '88 Olympics in Calgary
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
In 1988 I was working as the Chief Engineer at FILMUS, a small studio/production shop in NYC. The work ranged from music for corporate videos to producing original scores for film, video, and special events. The co-owner, Peter Fish, was a piano prodigy with a natural talent for scoring and arrangement (as well as a long time dear friend).
We were hired to produce a score that would be played at the close of each day’s events at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. It was going to be complicated.
Calgary’s town center (outdoors=cold) would be the gathering place for athletes and visitors at the end of each day’s events. A wall of video displays would play highlights from each day’s events. The score would represent each event’s time slot and transitions. “And by the way”, The music will sync to fireworks, and laser shows atop Calgary’s largest buildings. “And by the way”, we had less than a month to get it done. Complicated indeed!
We began collaborating with the videographers and the pyrotechnics/lasers expert to document the timing slots for the videos, lasers, and the timing and style of each firework shot for the show. We also needed to solve how to sync the music to all the other media displayed around the city. A substantial challenge for 1988 technology.
Peter completed an amazing score in less than two weeks. We created a synthesized version of the score and got final approval from FedX, the sponsor.
The next challenge was on me: How to record a full orchestra, one section at a time, in a studio area that was smaller than some walk-in closets? (The trombone player needed to angle his chair to avoid hitting the wall in front of him.) The recording sessions were completed in a few days. Some final tweaks, including some drum parts of mine, were added, and we mixed the following day.
The Olympics are a spectacle. The resulting multimedia show was a huge success, leading to the music being broadcast on local radio. Cars would line up on the hills surrounding Calgary to experience the music synced to the fireworks and laser shows that lit their proud city. By the end of end of the games, the lookout spots to watch the show were hard to come by.
The time-lapse photo of the town at the top distills the energy. Below is a video (that shows its age with many dropouts, etc.) that includes the live, longer version performed on the last day of the events. Below that is an article from the local Calgary paper.
Watching this for the first time in years (decades) was emotional. A vivid reminder of the power and joy this event brought to Olympians and visitors alike. I'd like to think it stands up proudly almost 20 years later.
Comments