The concert
​Hull City Hall, 15th June 2019

Concert Reviews and Previews


Mike Richmond
The concert was amazing. It brought many pieces to life in a way that they perhaps always sounded in our heads and made them accessible to a new audience. I don’t think there was a dry eye on the house when Rob’s list of music was shown on screen. It was a fitting tribute to his work and I hope to hear more!

Neil Wright
I thought the concert was fantastic. A real treat to hear some old classics performed by a very talented orchestra. It was a real shame that Ben couldn’t be there to experience it but he was definitely there in people’s minds. It was a real tribute to the genius of Rob Hubbard and showed how amazing his tunes are, especially when taken out of the confinements of the 8-bit hardware.

Mark Hellewell
For me, the 8Bit Symphony concert was the Holy Grail. It was an experience quite unlike no other and can be enjoyed on many levels. Some might call it a "retro-event": I would disagree. This is music I haven't stopped listening to since it was first released. I'm not having my memory jogged or have feelings of induced nostalgia - this was a physical realisation of what I heard in my head in 1985,86 and 87. The instruments have changed..... the music reached its live potential. Magic was made. The music of every other C64-made-famous musician being part of the concert reminded us of the renaissance in videogame music that started with and was inspired by Rob and his music. How lucky we are.
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Paul Hughes
The concert was electric. I quite literally had goosepimples all night long. When you hear Rob’s
compositions fully orchestrated and played by such a stunning live orchestra its only then that you fully appreciate what incredible talent he has. He got so much out of three channels you would swear that every darn instrument that you heard in unison came out of your C64’s speakers! Sometimes taking a SID tune and turning it into a fully scored piece loses some of the composition’s “soul” and drowns it with extras – not with Rob’s oeuvre, it’s almost as if he composed it for the orchestra and cut it back for the SID. The man is called a legend for a reason!

Concert teaser archive...
Refresh your memories with this YouTube playlist!

WORLD CLASS MUSIC

Melody-driven, epic music that you won't believe comes from a humble three-voice sound chip. The secret? The composers. They worked hard to put as much musical quality and imagination into their work as any contemporary composer. And now: it's clear for everyone to hear. These orchestrations are truly world-class, and a great example of the lost and forgotten treasure we're preserving and promoting.

Even better: the most prolific composer and arranger in this concert, Dr. Rob Hubbard, is a Hull native!

WHO WAS BEHIND 8-BIT SYMPHONY'S FIRST CONCERT?

C64AUDIO.COM
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​Formed in 1997 to protect, preserve and promote Commodore 64 music (and later, other chipmusic), we have been instrumental in pushing forward the boundaries of what can be done to celebrate the genius of 8-bit music and bring it to wider audiences.
HULL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

The Hull Philharmonic Orchest​ra has been a major feature in the city's cultural landscape for over 130 years. Today the orchestra has more than 80 members drawn from local professional and amateur musicians.
HULL COLLEGE GROUP
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Hull College Group is one of the largest further and higher education colleges in the country, offering over 1000 courses to over 26,000 students every year. Projects such as 8-Bit Symphony represent a chance to keep Hull a creatively vibrant and vital city.
Proudly powered by 8-Bit Music Passion.
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