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

Song 85 - Star War Theme - John Williams

Many will probably say that this should have been in the jukebox at the start of December for the release of the new Star War film but I didn't want to jump on a band wagon until I had seen the film. The film is amazing and without any spoilers is completely brilliant. It manages to pay homage to the original films but create its rightful place in the whole brand which is Star Wars. And of course; no Star Wars film would be complete without John Williams and the amazing main title music that is as much a part of Star Wars as Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are.

John Williams, who is responsible for so much of the iconic movie music of our generation, was introduced to George Lucas by Steven Speilberg, who was looking for someone to write the music for his epic space film trilogy Star Wars and the rest they would say is history. What John Williams did with the score; was to create and deliver a grand symphonic score in the fashion of Richard Strauss and the Golden Age of Hollywood composers like Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The main theme is one of the most known pieces of music in film history. Williams won an Academy Award for the Best Original Score in 1977.

For me, as well as taking me into a galaxy far far away; it brings back very happy memories of being at music camp and hearing the Star Wars Music being played by one of the bands at the camp. The music highlights the talent of any brass section in an orchestra that plays this and being a trombonist (at heart and very lapsed); it is wonderful to remember bands playing it. In fact there is so much of Williams music that I have heard performed live; and like other bands, I won't surprise myself if I put more of Williams music into the Jukebox over the coming year. I urge anyone who hasn't seen the new film to go to the cinema.

To go to a galaxy far far away; listen
Star Wars Theme by John Williams