By Rozanna M. Martinez / Branded Content Editor
Some talented New Mexico musicians, including an Albuquerque Academy alumnus, are returning to their roots for a one-night film concert of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog.”
Austin, Texas-based composer Joseph V. Williams II, who is originally from Belen, was commissioned by the Austin Classical Guitar Society to write a score for the silent film released in 1927. The piece, which was written for cello, guitar and bass, was designed to be performed live to accompany Hitchcock’s film. The inaugural performance of the 90-minute score, in sync with the classic thriller, premiered at the legendary Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, in 2016. The production will be performed for the first time in Albuquerque on Saturday, April 5, at the Simms Center for the Performing Arts on the Albuquerque Academy campus.
Williams, who is a University of New Mexico graduate, will conduct and play bass on stage with renowned cellist Michal Shein and acclaimed guitarists Scott Borg, Adam Levin, 2002 Albuquerque Academy alumnus Matthew Rohde and Jeremy Mayne, who is an Albuquerque Academy faculty member.
“‘The Lodger’ is a murder mystery, as one would expect with Hitchcock, loosely inspired by Jack the Ripper,” said Mickey Jones, director of Levanta Institute for Music and Creativity at Albuquerque Academy. “It’s not like ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ It’s accessible and palatable and teens could come and they wouldn’t be afraid. It’s an amazing movie.”
One of the things that struck Jones about Williams’ composition for the silent film is the approach he took in creating the piece.
“Joe is a composer who is really humorous,” Jones said. “He writes a lot of music that’s very charming and funny, and Hitchcock actually, for making movies that were predominantly mysteries — murder mysteries, suspense thrillers and that kind of thing — he had a sense of humor in his movies, too. People are going to be surprised at the number of laugh-out-loud moments that they will experience along with the suspense and scariness as well.”
Levanta Institute at Albuquerque Academy is responsible for bringing the production to Albuquerque.