John Williams - the  Medium?

~A look at the maestro's "religious" sound~

I must admit that I'm not a very religious person. Yes, I'm christian, but not to the extent that I am a regular sunday church-goer, I'm afraid.

Nevertheless, I've always "been drawn to" the power that is inherent in musical works that describe and evoke a higher being, such as Mozart's "Requiem", Händel's "Messiah"-chorus or Barber's "Adagio for Strings".

So, what do I mean exactly - "religious sound"? Well, I think it's quite self-explanatory. What separates humans from beasts, to quote Descartes, is our ability to think and ponder our own existence. In so doing, many feel a great desire to comfort and assure themselves of their rightful place in the universe. Usually, this is done by BELIEVING in a higher being, a being that is our own creator. After all, if we are able to believe in something higher, someone or something must have put that thought into us initially. We are in constant search for this something or this creator (like V'ger in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE!), and a way this Being manifests itself in our daily lives is through art - man's ability to utilize God's gift, if you will.

Music is certainly one of these media of divine communication. Through history, many composers have tried to nail that particular "Voice of God" in their works, some more successfully than others. I've mentioned Mozart and Händel already . John Williams is, although perhaps not as influential, still as capable of speaking and getting in touch with that inner religiousity as the aforementioned...

Actually, to put it more bluntly, no one has been able to move me "religiously" in a more profound way than my favourite composer - John Williams. And it's quite ironical, seeing as his reputation is usually tied to the grand and epic swashbucklers, the melodic fanfares and marches and not the subdued majesty of his religious compositions.

As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say (and it's my theory) that Williams' trademark sound NOT is the neo-romantic Korngold-approach, but rather his incredible insight into what is universally considered religious; a majestic, haunting, spine-tingling, hair-rising sound that moves people. It is hard to pinpoint this sound technically, as I lack the skills, but it is always minor-moded and often evoked by a solo instrument (woodwinds in particular).

There are a lot of examples of this in his prolific career, dating back to the very beginning, especially  when he was not in the usual jazz-mode. The sound  even features prominently in works such as STAR WARS, although it unfortunately is overshadowed (popular-wise) by the action material.

Let me proceed, then, to provide you with a few examples. See if you can form the pattern yourself:

"Main Titles" from SGT. RYKER (1968)

"Restoration" from JANE EYRE (1970)

"Blood Moon" from IMAGES (1972)

"Appearance of the Visitors" from CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (1977 - somewhat arguable, this one)

"Main Title" from THE FURY (1978)

"The Ark Theme" from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

"Gloria" from MONSIGNOR (1982 - majestic variation)

"The Emperor's Theme" from RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)

"Cadillac of the Skies" from EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)

"Only the Penitant Will Pass" from IJ & THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

"Star of Bethlehem" from HOME ALONE (1990)

"You are the Pan" from HOOK (1991)

"Remembrances" from SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

"Journey to the Island" from JURASSIC PARK (1993 - majestic variation)

"Meeting With Mao" from NIXON (1995)

"Duel of the Fates" from STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999 - majestic variation)

"Angela's Prayer" from ANGELA'S ASHES (1999)

Well, I guess you've got the clue by now. All these excerpts, ranging more than 30 years showcase a style in Williams' music that, in my opinion, is both vastly underrated and neglected. It's why I love him so much, and will continue to, because whenever you suspect his creative well has been drained, Williams serves us something from up his magical sleeve that is both captivating and aweinspiring.

But more importantly, it's a sound that INSPIRES - whether you're an artist or not, and that is truly the gift of a man who  posesses almost religious powers  himself....