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Spielberg, Taylor Join Thousands In Honoring John Williams At Tanglewood
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Joel Leyden Lenox, Mass --- August 19, 2012 ... The weather could not be better. Clear skies, cool temperatures, a slight breeze. They arrived carrying portable picnic tables, bottles of red and white wine, table candles and cheerful smiles. Over 15,000 people arrived at Tanglewood from all corners of the earth to enjoy a "film night". But this was no ordinary film night. It was not to be playing a VHS tape or inserting a DVD into a slot, sit back and swallow popcorn with family and friends. No, what was to be a film night turned into an extravagant and memorable birthday party for world renowned composer John Williams. Soon after showing your ticket at the Tanglewood entrance, you could not help notice 14 members of the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets standing on the expansive Berkshire green lawn performing the Olympic Fanfare and Theme. The music of John Williams has become an integral and warm part of our and our children's lives. It is almost inescapable to shed a tear. From creating the soundtracks from Jaws, E.T., Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Shindler's List to Memoirs of a Geisha, Harry Potter and Olympic Fanfare, William's music has touched millions. And the tributes just poured in to celebrate Johnny turning 80. The
show opened with NBC News Anchor Brian Williams, via video, providing
a special news edition honoring John Williams. Surprise and guest speaker Steven Spielberg arrived on stage to a thunderous applause. He stated that the one person who contributed more to his success than anyone else was John Williams. Spielberg recalled a trip to China where children ran up to him trying to communicate their admiration. But Spielberg, who speaks no Mandarin, stared back with nothing to say. Within seconds the children started to hum the tune of E.T. and all was understood. "Music is the universal language for which we all understand," said Spielberg.
Jesse Norman belted out a ballad by Jerome Kern and James Taylor - another unexpected guest - sang “You’ve Got a Friend.” Israeli-American violinist Gil Shaham played the somber theme from “Schindler’s List.” I can still remember the last note which he prolonged for a few seconds. But perhaps the greatest tribute of all for Williams was having the instruments sing Happy Birthday. The Tanglewood Music Center joined the Boston Pops onstage with the strings, horns, drums and all other sections dueling one by one to see who could provide the best thank you. There were a wide array of accents in the audience - from New York and Boston to England and France. But the music of John Williams melted them down into one common smile. John Williams was born on February 8, 1932 on Long Island, New York. He was drafted into the US Air Force, where he conducted and arranged music for the Air Force Band as part of his assignments. Williams attended the Juilliard School in New York and returned to Los Angeles, where he began working as an orchestrator at film studios with a number of respected composers including Elmer Bernstein and Henry Mancini. Williams recorded with Henry Mancini on the film scores of Peter Gunn. Williams broke through to win his first Academy Award for his adapted score for the film Fiddler on the Roof (1971). In 1974, Williams was approached by director Steven Spielberg to compose the music for his feature directorial debut, The Sugarland Express. They teamed up again a year later for Spielberg's second film, Jaws. Widely considered to be a classic suspense film, its film score's ominous two-note motif has become synonymous with sharks and approaching danger. The score for Jaws earned Williams his second Academy Award, his first one for an original composition. Shortly thereafter, Williams and Spielberg began a long collaboration. In an unusual step for a Hollywood film, Spielberg and Williams developed their script and musical concepts simultaneously, as in the film these entwine very closely together. From 1980 to 1993, Williams succeeded Arthur Fiedler as Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. John Williams has won five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for 22 Golden Globes, winning four, and 59 Grammys, winning 20. With 47 Oscar nominations, Williams currently holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person, and is the second most nominated person in the history of the Academy Awards behind only Walt Disney's 59. Forty-two of Williams' Oscar nominations are for Best Original Score and five are for Best Original Song. "All of us Southerners really enjoyed coming to Massachusetts for this special, musical birthday tribute," said Oliver L. Way a banking executive from Richmond, Virginia. "It was a magical evening. John Williams' selections evoked deep emotions of classic movies that enriched our lives. It was a treat to have Steven Spielberg, James Taylor and others share their expressions of love and appreciation. A highlight was Gil Shaman's masterful rendition of the music to Schindler's List. An amazing memory which we will take back to Richmond from Tanglewood and Manchester, Vermont where we will be visiting the home of Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert."
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