The movie music of John Williams

By Adam Claypool
Metromix

As a kid, the 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' movies were two of my favorite films. I loved the action, I loved the characters and I absolutely adored the music. The powerful, emotional themes I experienced in these two movies really helped foster a lifelong love of orchestral music. John Williams is no one-score wonder, either. The guy is probably the most accomplished composers of our generation. It's not just the two movie scores I mentioned above, he's composed hundreds of pieces, including the score to 'E.T.', 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', 'Jurassic Park', 'The Goonies'... the list goes on and on. He also composed the themes for the 1984. 1988 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Oh, and you know the music you hear at the start of NBC Nightly News on NewsChannel 5? That's John Williams' work too!

We're in for a treat this weekend at Powell Hall, because the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is performing the 'Movie Music of John Williams'. If you're not typically the kind of person who would go to the symphony, this is one show I can almost guarantee you'll love. Tickets start at just $25, and since you're going for the music, a good view is not necessary. In fact, I sometimes close my eyes at orchestral performances. No, I'm not sleeping - I just find that if I take away one of my senses, the other four senses become stronger. Anyway, I digress. Bottom line: This performance is going to be awesome. I'll be there Sunday. Let me know if you're planning on going by leaving a comment below, and we can compare notes after the show. Oh, and one more thing for all of you orchestral concert virgins - Powell Hall serves alcohol before and after the performance, and during intermission. Seriously, there's no reason not to go!