John Williams’ film scores and themes are deeply ingrained in our entertainment DNA. Just try hearing “Dun-Dun…. Dun-Dun” without feeling the fearful dread of a shark’s approach or the cymbal-crashing, trumpet-blaring start of Stars Wars’ Main Title without conjuring that galaxy far, far away.
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s “Wonder of John Williams” pops concert devotes an entire evening to the legendary film composer, February 22 at Christ United Church Jackson. The music threads through a lifetime of movie memories and reminds the audience of an impact that goes beyond the flickering screen.
Williams is perhaps most identified with the sci-fi and fantasy film soundtracks he delivered, including the Star Wars movies, E.T., Jurassic Park and several Harry Potter films, and for action flicks like Raiders of the Lost Ark. But in addition to the rousing appeal of high adventure, Williams’ compositions can also express the emotional depths of heartbreak, anguish and desperation.
MSO Acting Concertmaster Vince Massimino is the violin soloist on the Main Theme from Schindler’s List, a work that aches with sorrow as it reminds listeners of one of the most brutal, devastating chapters in human history. The haunting theme resonates with profound sadness, Massimino said.
Massimino, who originally hails from southern Maryland – “the land of crabbing and fishing,” he described it – appeared with Annapolis and Baltimore symphonies in his late teens and earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas. He joined MSO in 1989 and has played in the Mississippi Symphony String Quartet since 1994. Extensive playing around the region includes Mississippi Opera, Alabama Symphony, Meridian Symphony, Gulf Coast Symphony, and more.
“I love John Williams, and I really feel indebted to him,” Massimino said, crediting the composer’s successful, highly popular work with film scores for saving the orchestral music genre of the film industry. “If it had not been for him, it would have died out significantly. He really revived a lot of the use of the orchestra genre — not just his films’ music but a lot of other films’ music.
“I believe movie producers realized the value of all the various effects of the orchestra and what it can do to enhance the story and acting.” Williams’ pieces, suites and condensed themes of various movies stand on their own on a concert program. “It’s good in and of itself.”
Professor Emeritus of Music at Belhaven University Stephen Sachs says, “John Williams is the composer of the late 20th century…. He’s like Beethoven out there, a couple hundred years later in this new form that has really taken off.
“He’s top dog,” Sachs continued. “There are other great film score writers, so I don’t want to diminish anybody else in the process, but his career and his contribution to film scores is so immense, I think it dwarfs anyone else out there.
“Williams takes the music and he gets to the point that can blow you away, and it can also melt your heart. And that’s a great combination.”
+
NEW Venue:
Christ United Church Jackson — 6000 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS 39211 — is the location for MSO’s “Wonder of John Williams” concert at 7:30 p.m. on February 22, 2025. Seating is general admission with a reserved section for Conductor, Connoisseur, and Loge season ticket holders.