I’ve been a sucker for the sound of a wordless chorus probably going back to the opening of The Wizard Of Oz in all those annual viewings on CBS.
On TV it first grabbed me, at the cinema it has captivated.
John Williams has taken the medium into his repertoire to such an extent that for me it has become his defining sound. I have never gotten enough of it.
So many examples. So many wonderful moments:
CE3K. Ziegfeld Theatre. Roy steps forward, the little guys reach out. The light. The pause, looks back and smiles at Jillian. Glances surroundings in a moment of contemplation. Lacombe’s encouragement. Rises, enters the ship. Dazzling motion picture experience.
Empire Of The Sun. “Cadillac of the Skies.” ‘Nuf said. “I Can Bring Everyone Back. Everyone.” Double that 'nuf said. The crescendos are breathtaking.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark. "The Map Room." Moses. Golden cherubs. The staff and determination of Jones. A mystical stunner.
Saving Private Ryan. “Hymn to the Fallen.” Closing credits become part of the film. Numbing. And beautiful.
Great topic Howard, and I completely agree. Some other examples I really enjoy are from Superman: The Movie. The chorus works very well with the Krypton scenes. Provides a sense of otherworldliness to the scenes and is a nice contrast to how cold everything else in Krypton feels.
I also really enjoy the choral work from The Empire Strikes Back when the Falcon arrives at Bespin. The chorus gives Cloud City a sense of wonder and hope, which is a nice contrast when considering how quickly things go to hell for our poor heroes.
Not the high-pitched choir that was referenced earlier, but the Emperor's Theme in RETURN OF THE JEDI has wonderful work from a low male choir.
The death of the emperor also has the same choir doing vocal swells diminuendo as the Emperor's power fades away forever (ignoring the sequels).
One interesting thing is I heard the music performed live WITHOUT the choir and it's therefore easy to hear the harp that plays during the emperor's theme, and the harp is REALLY spooky.
Williams is particularly good with choirs, wordless or not.
Let's not forget this beauty, where he goes all "Mancini":
I'm just seeing "video unavailable," Thor. I'm also unable to see any of your "Now Playing" postings over in that thread. Just thought you should know.
That's weird. Maybe some regional Youtube differences. It was "Nicole" from HOW TO STEAL A MILLION.
As for the Now Playing thread, that's a separate issue. I've come to understand that some people don't get images from Discogs to show up, while it does for me. Sometimes, an album image is only available on Discogs, but I try to use Spotify as often as I can.
"Barry's Kidnapping" from CE3K. I would really love to see the written score! At several places in this cue, I'm not sure what I'm actually listening to, chorus or instruments. Especially the male chorus : the pitch is sometimes so low, that I'm not sure how it is done. I'd like to know !
Oh I read you, L-W. The other day I was watching/listening to Jedi's climactic duel and thought the same thing. Happens with Map Room as well. Where the chorus stops and the strings take over, nobody knows.
CE3K has multiple snatches of the chorus all right. I always like the one when the helicopters are mistaken for UFOs. We see the light shining on an elderly couple and the next shot with sustained note is quite beautiful.
PS Not the high-pitched choir that was referenced earlier, but the Emperor's Theme in RETURN OF THE JEDI has wonderful work from a low male choir.
Empire has so many moments leading to the big ones mentioned. I'm thinking of when Jim salutes the pilots and they return his with theirs amid the sparks flying. Which leads to 4 years later and a soaring chorus.
We have quite clearly reached the audio inclusion section of this celebration. Here's a favorite listening moment from early on in the film--
Hey KeV, I've never seen Hook and am completely unfamiliar with its score and am I thankful for the track you've provided. Sometimes it's best to listen out of context. Yup, the patented JW touch.
Ah, but I am ultra-familiar with A.I.. It is a different kind of picture, in some key respects, from his prevailing associations. Terrific score. Should listen to the soundtrack more often.
No sweat, that's why they call them threads, you never know in what direction they'll wind.
Some other examples I really enjoy are from Superman: The Movie. The chorus works very well with the Krypton scenes. Provides a sense of otherworldliness to the scenes and is a nice contrast to how cold everything else in Krypton feels.
Superman IMHO is the score that epitomizes the scope of this composer's film music artistry. You've got space/science fiction-fantasy, bygone Americana, modern day Metropolis (read: New York) and uproarious cross-country adventure.
It may be his single finest work.
Give me the transition from the Kansas farm to the Arctic to the "Fortress of Solitude" right now, especially when he hurls the green thingy. The combination of strings and soaring, celestial chorus is exhilarating.
