Song 97 - Hedwig's theme by John Williams

Over the last week, the Jukebox has become a tribute to David Bowie and before moving away from paying tribute to artists that have meant a great deal, I want to put Hedwig's theme by John Williams into the Jukebox for Alan Rickman, who also lost his battle with cancer last week.  It is strange how people you have never met or known can cause such sadness inside of us. For me, it was Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves when I first started to appreciate what a talent Alan Rickman was.  I remember I was absolutely hooked on Robin Hood. I think it was one of the first film I had seen at the cinema without parents and then at Christmas time, I was given the video of the film. Yes, back in the good old days when VHS ruled the world. I even had the soundtrack of the film! An excellent work by Michael Kamen; who is another great film composer. I recently found the soundtrack on CD in a charity shop and had to buy it. I write much of my prose to music so enjoy having a wide range of genres to choose from.

You are probably thinking why not put the Robin Hood Soundtrack into the Jukebox? I don't know maybe one day, but I think Harry Potter and the role of Snape is probably the most well known of all Alan Rickman's roles and has had more of the impact due to 8 films and the popularity of the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. Rickman brought to life this wonderfully strangle and complex character; which you were never sure was a villain or a hero throughout the books, until the very last part. When a character is so intensely powerful in a novel, sometimes, it is easy for the films to loose some of the depth on screen, but Rickman played Snape beautifully and brought to life one of the most important characters of the series. There is a melancholic malice to the character that driven by a unquestioning loyalty to one character above all others; Lilly Potter. Even though, audiences around the world knew that the Harry Potter series is over; it is hard to image the world without Alan Rickman in it.

Like the Starwars theme, John Williams  would give the Harry Potter films an outstanding theme with the composition of Hedwig's Theme. Although Hedwig is the name of Harry's owl, the theme music is an opening to Harry Potter's whole world; the magic, spells, Hogwarts to name a few. The music appears in all the films and when I hear it now, I feel as though I am being transported into a different world which is what music should be. A gateway to another place in your head. Like Dumbledore would extract memories from people in order to find where Voldemort had hidden his soul, music can unlock memories, help to create new ones and transport you to other worlds.

To be taken into Harry Potter world:
Hedwig's theme by John Williams

Composed by: John Williams
Date of Release: 30 October 2001