Hocus Pocus: The Real Magic Was Always the Music
Halloween is only a few days away, which means it is surely time for Hocus Pocus to work its way back into our living rooms. Whether you catch it on television or deliberately settle down for another viewing, it is one of those films that seems to belong to this time of year.
Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, it is decades old now. Somehow, though, it still has that familiar freshness. You know what is coming, you remember the faces, and you still want to watch.
And then there is that scene.
A room full of monsters, and one unforgettable song
The Halloween party is in full swing. The room is packed with people in fancy dress: skeletons, ghoulish faces, assorted creatures of the night and, gloriously, Madonna. Because apparently even a room full of monsters needs a pop icon.
Then the three witches take to the stage.
What follows is, for our money, one of the most memorable screen performances of I Put a Spell on You. Bette Midler does not simply sing it. She takes possession of the stage, the song and every pair of eyes in the room, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy helping turn the whole thing into a wonderfully mischievous spectacle.
It is difficult to imagine anyone else delivering it quite like that. The voice, the timing, the expressions and the sheer confidence are all part of the performance. She knows exactly how to hold an audience, and we are happily caught along with everyone at the party.
The spell we recognise in real life
Of course, in the story there is actual witchcraft involved. But step outside the plot for a moment and something much more familiar is happening.
A room full of different people is responding to the same music.
Underneath the costumes are people with different tastes, different lives and probably very different ideas about what makes a good night out. For those few minutes, none of that matters. They are sharing a rhythm, watching the same performance and enjoying the same moment.
That is the bit of magic we recognise. Not the broomsticks. Not the spells. The music.
We have seen it at wedding receptions when a familiar introduction fills the dance floor. We have felt it in a pub when a band finds its stride. We have heard it when one person starts a song and the rest of the room joins in, whether or not anyone has remembered all the words.
No supernatural assistance required.
You do not need to be Bette Midler
It helps, admittedly. But you do not need a film set, a spectacular costume or a ballroom full of backing dancers to make music mean something.
A few chords on a guitar can get a family singing. A bass line can give a band its backbone. A simple drum rhythm can turn a group of people who have never played together into people who are listening to one another.
If that sounds like something you would like more of in your life, there is no need to wait until you feel like a performer. Start with a sound you enjoy and an instrument you want to pick up again tomorrow.
Our classical guitars offer a nylon-string route into playing, while our bass guitars are for anyone drawn to the low-end pulse that holds a song together. For a more hands-on way to explore rhythm, take a look at our folk and world drums.
Already making music? Browse our guitar amplifiers or explore PA and recording equipment for your next step towards sharing it.
A little musical magic, from Alford to your front door
At Music Bits Company, we are a real, local music shop at 17 High Street, Alford, Lincolnshire, with an online store serving musicians across the UK. Instruments, accessories, advice, and in-house repairs and setups for most string instruments are all part of what we do.
Whether you are taking your first steps, getting back into playing or preparing for your next gig, we would love to help you find your next musical spark. Visit us in Alford, browse www.musicbits.co.uk, or give us a call on 01507 838 448.
And if you watch Hocus Pocus this Halloween, enjoy the costumes, the chaos and the wonderfully over-the-top witchcraft. But when the Sanderson sisters take the stage, notice what really brings that room to life.
For us, the real magic was always the music.