Vangelis

Side One: Titles, Five circles, Abraham's theme, Eric's theme,
100 metres, Jerusalem Side Two: Chariots of Fire

Word came out this morning that Vangelis had died at the age of 79. Vangelis is best known as the composer of the music heard in the film, Chariots of Fire. You know, that monumental piece of music score that has become associated with slow-motion running. Who can forget the vision of people running on the big screen in slow motion and accompanied by this piece with its uplifting piano sound? Not me. 

But Vangelis is also known as a pop artist before he made it big as a music composer. As part of the Aphrodite's Child pop group in the 1960s, he had a hit song called Rain and Tears. He soon gave up this part of his life to concentrate on composing music scores for the big screen.

But funnily enough, every time I hear the Chariots of Fire theme music, my mind goes back exactly 10 years to the opening of the Olympic Games in London. There's this one scene where Sir Simon Rattle was conducting the London Symphony Orchestra and right in the background was Rowan Atkinson in the role of Mr Bean, his most memorable character.