St George’s in Kemptown, Brighton, is the idyllic spot for a night with a chamber orchestra, especially if the music immerses you in the unforgettable universe of Studio Ghibli, which created anime films that keep on giving. Also deserving a mention is Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator, composer Joe Hisaishi, who has worked on every feature since the 1984 post-apocalyptic classic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and his music remains inseparable from the magic of these films.
With the sun still balmy, I emerged from my taxi into the manicured gardens of St George’s to rub shoulders with a mixture of eager guests. But this time, they were here to praise, not God, but sit back and soak up the Mystery Ensemble, who were set to raise the roof with the fabulous acoustics and an hour-long performance of the haunting yet addictive music of Oscar-winning director Miyazaki.
The vaulted, candlelit space of St George’s proved the perfect backdrop for a concert that promised enchantment. The Miyazaki Dreams tour, brought to Brighton by RED Entertainment and performed by the Mystery Ensemble, offered a rare chance for anyone touched by Miyazaki’s films to step inside those dreamscapes and let their magic unfurl through live performance.
The Mystery Ensemble is known for crafting atmospheric concert experiences that blur the line between classical recital and cinematic immersion. Rather than sticking to traditional programming, they curate setlists designed to evoke worlds of imagination – and in this case, those worlds were the forests, castles, and fantastical skies of Japan’s most beloved animator. If you’re expecting a slideshow or visuals from the films, however, you’d be left wanting. This concert is deliberately stripped back: all eyes, and all ears, are on the chamber music.
The programme has already travelled through an intriguing circuit of European cities and UK venues, and Brighton was fortunate to host it. The focus here is on Joe Hisaishi’s timeless compositions: the whimsical charm of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the childlike wonder of Path of the Wind from Totoro, and the aching tenderness of One Summer Day from Spirited Away.
Heard in a chamber arrangement, the music takes on a new quality. The twang of strings, the soft pulse of piano, the occasional breath of flute – all of it found a perfect acoustic match in the spacious yet intimate resonance of St George’s. The stripped-down textures brought listeners closer to the heart of the melodies, reminding us that beneath the full orchestral scores lie delicate themes of innocence, wonder, and longing.
What makes a Mystery Ensemble concert distinctive is the way the atmosphere is curated alongside repertoire. Lighting bathed the church in a soft glow; pauses between pieces were timed with care, giving the audience space to savour and reflect. The result was a sense of immersion, not unlike being inside one of Miyazaki’s animated sequences, where time slows and the boundary between reality and dream gently dissolves.
The audience response was telling throughout. There was hushed attentiveness during The Sixth Station (Spirited Away), audible sighs of recognition as the opening notes of Howl’s Moving Castle unfurled, and smiles breaking out as the ensemble closed with the joyful theme from Totoro. For many, this was more than a concert – it was a reconnection with formative childhood memories, and if you haven’t seen the films, I highly recommend you do!
As someone who has carried Miyazaki’s worlds with me for years, I found myself unexpectedly moved. These were not just notes played in a church, but reminders of bravery, innocence, imagination, and hope. It was cinema transformed into sound, and sound transformed into memory.
In the end, I left St George’s with the strong sense that the Mystery Ensemble had offered us something precious: the chance to dream together. I loved it.
For more information on future shows, follow RED Events for updates on where Miyazaki Dreams will travel next.
