THE MUSICAL HEARTBEAT Like a musical composition , the show is made from different movements that reflect life phases and moments . If our own life experiences are musical numbers , then we are the instruments , says the narrator .
“ Everyone on this earth is part of the great symphony of us ,” the narrator says , “ each of us , a unique instrument playing harmony to one another .”
The show ’ s soundtrack is itself a beautiful symphony , bookended by new songs destined to become EPCOT classics .
“ Luminous The Symphony of Us features two original songs created specifically for our show ,” said Executive Producer
Sheléa is involved in both new original songs . PHOTO BY DANNY SHUSTER
Tom Williams . “ The opening song , ‘ Heartbeat Symphony ’ written by A . J . Sealey , Scott Hoying of Pentatonix , and Sheléa and performed by Sheléa ; and ‘ Beating of our Hearts ’ written by The Heavyweights and performed by Sheléa and Katharine McPhee .”
Stef Fink , Music Producer at Disney Live Entertainment , also highlighted the importance and impact of the original songs , a feature that Disney ’ s most successful and beloved nighttime spectaculars tend to share .
“ We have two new songs in the beginning and the end , because we really felt like we needed to tell the story more , and we didn ’ t want to turn back just to the Disney IP to do that ,” said Fink . “ We wanted to bring something to EPCOT that was wholly EPCOT and our own .”
Complementing the original songs are new arrangements of nine beloved Disney tunes , including multilingual versions of “ You ’ ll Be in My Heart ” from Tarzan and “ Proud Corazon ” from Coco .
Composer Pinar Toprak , best known for her work on Captain Marvel and Fortnite , arranged the show ’ s score , with her EPCOT theme providing a unifying musical undercurrent to the show ’ s soundtrack .
WE WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING TO EPCOT THAT WAS WHOLLY EPCOT AND OUR OWN .
“ We asked her to use her beautiful musical themes she created for the park as a connector that weaves throughout the show ,” Williams said . “ She blended those melodies with new arrangements of Disney songs , along with arranging our two original songs ."
Toprak ’ s theme , which first premiered at Disney ’ s D23 Expo in 2019 , also forms the basis of EPCOT ’ s new background music loop that debuted on Dec . 5 , tying an aural bow around a day at the park .
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“ If you think of it like a river , when we talk about Pinar ’ s theme , which she wrote for EPCOT , it really is the base of the show ,” Davison said . “ You ’ ll hear it moving throughout , and then woven into it are those original songs and the Disney themes that we ’ re bringing to it .”