This week’s concert takes us to Play!’s tour through Norway, listening to a non-Nintendo video game theme. We’ve done non-Nintendo themes before, all the way from Final Fantasy VII to Metal Gear Solid 3, hopefully showing you that there’s more to quality video game music than just Koji Kondo.

The Halo theme, presented here in a special concert arrangement, was written by Martin O’Donnell with notable help from Michael Salvatori. O’Donnell has a Masters of Music Degree from the University of Southern California. You may have heard more of his work before, such as the Flintstones vitamins commercials. His kids sang in those commercials.

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As many of you know, I’m a music education major - meaning I have to be familiar with a lot more instruments than just my own clarinet. Interestingly enough, the double reed instruments (oboe and bassoon) have turned out to be my favorite among the instruments I’ve had to learn. It’s one of the main reasons I’m presenting you with a bassoon quintet tonight!

This video is of the Oberlin quartet, but they’ve gone ahead and added a fifth player on Contrabassoon. There’s a smothering of Super Mario music to enjoy here, so I think you’ll enjoy it. Plus, if you need something more than just five bassoons to impress you, don’t worry - there’s some beatboxing thrown in as well.

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Some of you may have seen this video before. Heck, you might have even seen it on our site. Hopefully you never tire of the Super Mario Bros. 2 Overworld Theme, because it’s this week’s Friday Night Concert. (I’m finishing up percussion methods in less than two weeks, so I’m celebrating by giving you another dose of double-mallet marimba plus xylo. Tee-Hee.)

This is a senior percussion recital by Christine over SUNY Fredonia, which of course doesn’t strive for the same accuracy and precision as the University of Illinois percussion majors, but it’s still an impressive performance. What really throws me is the use of the same exact piece for the encore… but props for the impressive xylophone solo. Now just replace it with some quality vibraphones, and we’ve got ourselves an evening.

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This week’s concert is actually part concert, part video game footage. Most of you probably won’t mind - the point is that you’re getting to hear some great video game music. Tonight, you get the Eminence Orchestra’s performance of the Metal Gear Solid 2/3 Theme by Harry Gregson-Williams. If you’re not familiar with Gregson-Williams, he is a former school music teacher and now a famed film composer. Maybe you’ve heard the soundtracks from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Kingdom of Heaven, or the Shrek trilogy. Yeah, that’s him.

Gregson-Williams also scored Call of Duty 4 for EA, and returned for Konami’s upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

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It’s Friday night again, and for tonight’s concert we’ll check out the master of Nintendo music himself: Mr. Koji Kondo! The video above shows Mr. Kondo performing the Super Mario Bros. theme without the help of sound chips or electronic instruments. It’s just him and the piano, and that’s all you really ever need. Enjoy!

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Little Michael’s piano recital above is the product of only 18 months of piano lessons. See what practice does, kids? Makes you want to stick to that oboe a little longer.

Michael starts out with Fur Elise, which is a classic on its own. If you’re short on time, however, you can skip ahead to about 2:45 in to hear him perform a pair of Super Mario Bros. tunes. Not bad for a little guy.

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I hate medleys, but sometimes there’s no other way to cram dozens of video game themes into eight minutes of live performance. Granted, they have their moments. For example, who knew that “Ride of the Valkyries” from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre opera could make Atari games seem so epic? It’s a fun video, no doubt.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back to planning the next site contest… or playing Frogger.

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I’ve had a recent obsession with Final Fantasy games as of late, one which even prompted me to finish up my game of Final Fantasy III DS. In addition, it became hard for me not to develop an extreme appreciation for Nobuo Uematsu’s music in the series, I being a musician as well and all.

I found out about The Black Mages, Mr. Uematsu’s rock band, from a friend of mine who practically lives and breathes Final Fantasy. I believe she even went to the Distant Worlds concert earlier this month. If you’re not familiar with The Black Mages, think of what Jun Senoue and his band, Crush 40, do for the Sonic games since Sonic Adventure. It’s kinda like that, except Nobuo is on electric organ rather than guitar. This video is of The Black Mages in concert performing “Those Who Fight Further,” from Final Fantasy VII. Enjoy!

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As if you aren’t going to get your fill of Nintendo music this weekend, we’re using this week to bring back our “Friday Night Concerts” series! This particular video is of a performance from the “A Night in Fantasia 2007: Symphonic Games Edition” concert series, featuring the Eminence Symphony Orchestra. You can check out their site here.

Just so I don’t get any comments asking why I didn’t pick one of the YouTube videos of UMGSO performing some musical arrangements used in Super Smash Bros. Melee, I have my reasons: I’m only interested in presenting you with quality performances. ;) So you get Mario instead. Yay!

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Tour de Japon was a touring concert taken across Japan and performing works by Nobuo Uematsu from the Final Fantasy series. Taiz? Takemoto had the honor of conducting the orchestra shown above, though you might notice a special guest partway into the video that will take over as the credits begin to show (it’s Mr. Uematsu). This video is actually the closing piece from their concert program, which was performed during the spring of 2004. It’s the main theme from the original Final Fantasy, which is currently available on the GBA in case you haven’t played it yet. Enjoy!

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