On 19 July 2025, the world premiere of Another 7 Symphonies took place at the Tung Auditorium in Liverpool – an intimate setting for a monumental tribute to the music of The Beatles. Performed by the Antwerp Symphony Orchestraunder the dynamic baton of Alexandra Arrieche, the performance was the culmination of a visionary project by Rob van Weelde (concept and musical design) and Roeland Jacobs (production and arrangements).
Together, they reimagined nearly 40 Beatles songs, weaving them into seven fully symphonic movements of around ten minutes each – all without vocals or a rhythm section. The result? A bold reworking that placed the melodic and harmonic genius of The Beatles front and centre.
Renowned author and broadcaster Spencer Leigh, long-time presenter at BBC Radio Merseyside and a recognised authority on popular music, was in the audience. He shared his reflections in the Liverpool Echo, capturing the essence of the performance and its significance for Beatles fans and classical music lovers alike.
Below is his full article:
Beethoven rolls over on special night
I was surprised that the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra was playing the Tung Auditorium as it is not a large venue. Indeed, they removed the first four rows of seating so they could all fit in.
I was only a couple of feet away from the violinists as they played seven symphonies written around The Beatles’ music. They had been created by Rob van Weelde (concept and musical design) and Roeland Jacobs (production and arrangements), and the orchestra was conducted by Alexandra Arrieche, who was enjoying every moment and taking the audience with her.
Rob and Roeland had wanted the world premiere to be in Liverpool. They had taken nearly 40 Beatle compositions and woven them into 10-minute symphonies. They said: “We want to preserve their music in a different fashion for generations to come.”
There were no singers and so this was all about their music rather than their words. There was no rhythm section, so this was The Beatles without guitars. The Walrus Symphony illustrated the musicality of I Am the Walrus and Strawberry Fields Forever, something that is sometimes overlooked with John Lennon. For an encore, they had merged Imagine with Now and Then.
The Jazz Symphony incorporated Your Mother Should Know and Honey Pie, and showed how Paul had been influenced by his father’s love of jazz. There was a special symphony for George which beautifully merged Something with Here Comes the Sun.
It was hearing The Beatles as if rock’n’roll had never been invented.
Spencer Leigh
Author & Broadcaster
Published in the Liverpool Echo