Thursday was a publicized, off-ice event day for the Tampa Bay Lightning. One surrounded by music, as “Be The Thunder” was being recording the team by way of composer Gregory Smith and the Florida Orchestra at the Springs Theatre studio in Tampa.
Guy Boucher took a turn as conductor during the session, Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis took turns on percussion. The whole event was filmed and chronicled through photographs posted on the Lightning’s Twitter feed.
And yet, seeing Guy take his turn at the podium (he wasn’t really conducting), the Beatles fan in me couldn’t help but recollect Paul McCartney overseeing an assembled orchestra group during a recording / party for the band’s 1967 song, “A Day In The Life”.
Of course, “Be the Thunder” can’t be confused with the avant-garde pop masterpiece that closed the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. That’s a mix of pop with chaotic orchestral crescendos mixed in. “Be The Thunder” is a broad, sweeping, classy instrumental piece that’s of quite a contrast to the overplayed metal that’s the norm for hockey themes.
Will it work? I can’t tell you that, specifically because it’s so different from the music that’s often associated with hockey games at this day and age.
