Police Drummer Composes Ben Hur Music

Police drummer Stewart Copeland has just finished composing the soundtrack for Ben Hur Live, a mind-boggling touring production that includes 400 actors and 100 animals.

"Gladiators and galleys, falcons and eagles, love and revenge, fire and water," promises the show's website of an event that "will only be performed at special arenas, which enable chariot racing under high-speed conditions."

Producer Franz Abraham has apparently had the idea for 15 years, and what is described as "the world's biggest arena production" will finally come to life at London, England's O2 Arena in September before it travels to other parts of Europe.

"Be amazed by the legendary chariot race — in high speed, with five authentic quadriga chariots — and be awed by an incredible sea battle with galleys and extraordinary, daring stunts" says the site about the show, which will take audiences "on a fantastic journey, through deserts, on high seas, and into the hectic crowds on an Arabian bazaar."

The show will also be staged in languages spoken in the ancient kingdom of Judea, such as Latin and Aramaic, instead of English.

Copeland has composed two operas, three ballets, choral works and scores for more than 60 television shows and films, including 1983's Rumble Fish, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Copeland was born in Virginia but raised in Cairo, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon, and the influence of his upbringing will apparently be evident in Ben Hur Live.

Copeland described the show to NME.com as "music mixed with media, some thrashing drums with an ethnic element, a Middle Eastern feel."

The soundtrack to the 130-minute production will be sold at performances.

There have been three film versions of Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur novel. The most famous is the 1959 production directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, which won 11 Academy Awards.

Here's where you can experience Ben Hur Live:

Sept. 15-19 London, England @ O2 Arena
Sept. 25-26 Hamburg, Germany @ Color Line Arena
Oct. 2-3 Brunswick, Germany @ Volkswagenhalle
Oct. 7-8 Dusseldorf, Germany @ ISS Dome
Oct. 11-12 Dortmund, Germany @ Westfalenhalle
Oct. 20-21 Stuttgart, Germany @ Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
Oct. 30-31 Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle
Nov. 6-7 Milan, Italy @ Mediolanum Forum Di Assago
Nov. 13-14 Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
Oct. 20-21 Lisbon, Portugal @ Pavilhao Atlantico
Dec. 5-6 Vienna, Austria @ Wiener Stadthalle
Dec. 11-12 Budapest, Hungary @ Budapest Arena
Dec. 19-20 Paris, France @ Palais Omnisports De Paris Bercy
Dec. 26-27 Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi
Dec. 30-31 Madrid, Spain @ Palacio De Deportes De La Comunidad De Madrid