Ringing in the (Tubular) Bells: Mike Oldfield’s classic composition goes on 50th anniversary tour

Few pieces of music are so ingrained in popular culture as Tubular Bells.

From its haunting use as the theme to The Exorcist to its uplifting role in the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, Mike Oldfield’s genre-busting composition is instantly recognisable around the world. To celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, it will be performed live and reimagined.

Conducting the show, and the composer behind the reimagining, is Robin Smith, who has collaborated with Oldfield for more than 30 years, beginning with the performance of Tubular Bells II, which was broadcast live from Edinburgh Castle in 1992.

“I said to Mike that I wanted to reimagine the work as if it had been done in the now. Every note is the same but it uses today’s technology, which means the sound base isn’t stuck in the 1970s,” Smith explained. “That was the idea and it’s beautiful. More than anything it gives it a depth.

“All the music is the same but the sounds are different, so while it doesn’t change the music, it does change your connection with it. It’s an amazing composition and this is what I’ve celebrated in this concert. We want these works to last forever, so you have to keep reimagining them, otherwise they have a shelf life.”

An acclaimed session musician – “I’ve worked with everyone from Cher and Rod Stewart to Pavarotti and Bocelli to Kanye West and One Direction” – Smith came to the attention of the Tubular Bells creator via Oldfield’s sister, Sally, a singer-songwriter.

“I was playing on one of her albums and she asked me to do an arrangement of a song for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and I think that was the catalyst,” explained Smith, speaking from his home in The Cotswolds. “Mike was needing the Tubular Bells II premiere done, and he asked if there was anyone clever who could do orchestral music but also programming and synths, and that’s when my name came up.

“We met in LA and in the south of France and got on really well. The relationship carried on because the trust was there.”

Smith has happy memories of the Edinburgh Castle performance, although even today he can still feel the cold chill in his bones.

“I was waving my arms around yet I was still freezing, so I take my hat off to the pipers who play there! The wind was howling down and I can remember thinking what would happen if the electricity went off, because it was a live broadcast, but that just added to the excitement. I still hear from people today about that iconic concert, because it means so much to so many people. Edinburgh Castle had everything including the fireworks and explosions – which were terrifying!”

If that night in Edinburgh was cold, it was nothing compared to the Millennium performance in Berlin, when temperatures plummeted to minus 20. Much toastier was the special summer’s evening in 2012 in London, when Oldfield joined Smith for a rare performance at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

“The origins of that is such a rock ‘n’ roll story,” Smith smiled. “Mike had retired to the Bahamas and Danny Boyle (the ceremony’s director) had gone out there on holiday and randomly bumped into Mike at a bar. They started chatting and Danny told Mike how much he loved his music, and he mentioned he was doing this thing for the opening ceremony of the Olympics and decided he wanted to choreograph a piece of the music into the show.

“He later called Mike and asked him to perform it. It all came about due to amazing synchronicity and a sliding doors moment.”

Tubular Bells: The 50th Anniversary Celebration, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Perth Concert Hall, March 6-8