Many a concert was held during the Yamato production years with fans turning out in droves to watch Hiroshi Miyagawa wave the wand and bring the spirit to life before their very eyes. Each event was a huge success, but throughout that time Yoshinobu Nishizaki (whose had produced live music performances long before he ever got into anime) was nurturing something else: a classic orchestral concert in the grand tradition. That dream came true on May 4, 1984, when The Yamato Grand Symphony was performed at Tokyo's Postal Life Insurance Hall by the NHK Symphony Orchestra. 1,800 fans from 12 to 24 years old were chosen by lottery to attend. Since it was recorded on video, formal dress was required. A non-Yamato overture was performed prior to Producer Nishizaki's opening remarks, but it was not recorded. The concert became one of three Yamato albums released on CD along with the first two symphonic suites in 1985. Numerous video releases also appeared in multiple formats. A 'trackdown' recording of the symphony was included in the 2004 Eternal Edition Premium box set which was remastered from a combination of video and tape sources. The most recent release was a DVD from Columbia in 2005.
