Never before performed in its entirety, Wakeman's two live performances of the album were played out against the backdrop of the West Gate of Hampton Court Palace. In front of the building stood a large stage supporting 30 members of the English Chamber Choir, the 50-piece Orchestra Europa, a rock band and Wakeman himself.
30 DPA 4061 miniatures provided by Wigwam Acoustics were mounted onto the bridges of all the strings - violins, violas, cellos and double bass. "It's a no brainer why I chose them: they are the best sounding string bug and are accepted by most musicians as they realise they in no way damage the instrument," says front of house engineer Ian Barfoot, who specified the mics. "They have become the standard for TV and amplified concert performances where you need lots of level and total control."
Barfoot also solved the problem of miking the harp by using two of DPA's 4099 violin instrument mics. "Fitting the 4099s to the harp was a totally obvious choice," continues Barfoot. "It's difficult to get a good mounting position on the harp as the playing position versus the rest position means the sound changes. However if the microphones are clipped to the harp itself, the position remains constant, as does the sound."
(Jim Evans)
