Indonesian orchestra plays magical ‘Harry Potter’ theme in Glasgow university cloisters

6 September 2024, 13:11

Accio violins… this youth ensemble from Indonesia has thrilled Potterheaders everywhere by playing John Williams’ music in Glasgow university’s ancient cloisters.

None of Harry Potter was actually filmed at the University of Glasgow. But you’d be forgiven for assuming otherwise, looking at this viral video of an Indonesian youth orchestra playing John Williams’ much-loved music beneath the dignified archways of its cloisters.

The University of Glasgow posted the footage on TikTok with the caption: “Wonderful to welcome the @trustorchestra of Indonesia to campus this morning! Sound on to hear some musical magic in the cloisters 🔊”.

Adorned in gowns and Gryffindor scarves, the young players of Jakarta’s Youth Community Orchestra play those iconic flurries of quavers and semiquavers all entirely from memory.

Their young conductor waves a baton (or perhaps, a wand) to keep her wizards and witches in time. It’s a magical scene – watch below…

Read more: John Williams conducts magical ‘Harry Potter’ in front of illuminated Hogwarts Castle

Trust Orchestra plays Harry Potter at the University of Glasgow

The familiar-sounding theme is introduced in the ‘Prologue’ from Williams’ score to the first film, The Philosopher’s Stone, and is reintroduced throughout the franchise including in ‘Nimbus 2000’ in The Chamber of Secrets.

And in 2024, Williams’ music continues to come alive in exciting ways.

Read more: Harry Potter – what are the famous themes and did John Williams score all the movies?

While the University of Glasgow cloisters, a Gothic-revival style building that connects the East and West Quadrangles, was not in fact used as a location for the Harry Potter films, they were used for the TV show Outlander, and for the film Cloud Atlas.

Founded in 1451, the University is the fourth oldest in the UK and the second oldest in Scotland, and has more listed buildings than any other university in the UK.

The cloisters scenes in the Harry Potter films were captured in Gloucester Cathedral, with several other scenes filmed at Oxford University, Durham University and Lacock Abbey.