The Southeastern Wind Symphony paid tribute to film composer John Williams with an afternoon concert at Pottle Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 17 and was conducted by Dr. Glen J. Hemberger, professor of music and director of bands. The Wind Symphony played some of the most recognizable music in the history of motion pictures.
John Williams was born in 1932 and after attending the University of California-Los Angeles in the 1950s, he started writing music for television, eventually moving on to feature films in the early 1970s. He met his most constant collaborator, director Steven Spielberg, and wrote his first famous score in 1975, “Jaws.” He would gain even more acclaim after scoring George Lucas’ “Star Wars” and Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestial” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He has since grown to become one of the most famous and prolific motion picture composers to date, having worked on almost 80 films. Many of his compositions have become iconic staples of popular culture, often imitated and parodied. His numerous awards include five Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and 17 Grammys. He has been nominated for the Academy Awards 48 times as of 2012.
The performance included several of Williams’ most iconic themes in addition to a more obscure one. After beginning the show with the Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare by Alfred Newman, the program included pieces from “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Schindler’s List,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “1941,” “Superman” and “E.T: The Extra-Terrestial.” In between the music, Dr. Hemberger shared some biographical details on Williams and had the orchestra perform snippets of work from other film composers that inspired or worked alongside him.
“[Williams’ music is so unique because] it’s so dramatic,” said Erica Reine, symphony member and a sophomore music education major. “It really fits the movies he writes for.”
The audience was extremely enthusiastic and immensely enjoyed the concert. The applause at the conclusion was deafening.
“I loved it,” said Jonathan Dupre, a sophomore vocal performance major. “I thought it was amazing, something for everyone.”
Many students had the same positive opinion.
“It was so good. It’s soothing,” said Hannah Noblet, a freshman elementary education major. “I haven’t been to many Wind Symphony concerts, but it was excellent. You could tell they put a lot of heart into it. [The score for] E.T. was my favorite [that they played]. I loved the movie as a kid and it really took me back.”
For more information on other Fanfare programs, contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at 985-549-2184 or check out the schedule on the Southeastern website.