Movie Magic, April 27, 2025

Program Notes by Anita Brooks Kirkland

Max Steiner (Arr. F. Campbell-Watson)

Tara’s Theme from Gone With the Wind

We start the program with one of the most recognizable movie themes from the Golden Age of movies, where the big studios reigned. Gone With the Wind (1939) starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh is a screen adaptation of the historical romance novel by Margaret Mitchell, set in the American south during the Civil War. The sweeping melody of Tara’s Theme is synonymous with the grandeur of the southern plantation, and the drama of the epic story. The composer Max Steiner is acknowledged as one of the fathers of film music, adapting techniques from the classical tradition in which he was trained in Europe to help bring cinematic stories to life.

Allan Stephenson

Concerto for English Horn

Katrina Lisa Keeler, English Horn

We are very pleased to feature our principal oboist, Katrina Lisa Keeler, in this beautiful concerto. For this work, Katrina will be playing the English horn, a tenor member of the oboe family. The sound is much lower than the oboe, with a beautiful, mellow tone. While not written for the cinema, the emotionally-driven melodies of this concerto are cinematic in scope. Born in the UK, composer Allan Stephenson moved to South Africa, where he taught cello and composition at Cape Town University, and founded the Cape Town Chamber Orchestra. Our soloist KatrinaI fell in love with this concerto the moment she found it, and she hopes that everyone will feel its magic unfold.

Monty Norman, Bill Conti, Paul & Linda McCartney, John Barry (Arr. C. Custer)

Themes from 007

One of the greatest movie franchises of all time, the James Bond films, began production just as the dominance of the great movie studios was in decline. Over 25 movies and sixty years later, the franchise endures. Just as the many title actors are immediately recognizable in their role as the great spy James Bond, so are the movies thematically linked through the great 007 theme music, which introduces our selection. The producers commissioned theme songs for each movie by great songwriters, many of which have become hits in their own right. Listen for music from For Your Eyes Only, Live and Let Die, and Goldfinger.

William Rowson

Suite from Brotherhood

Our principal conductor, William Rowson, is also an active composer whose original works and orchestral arrangements have been performed by orchestras and ensembles throughout Canada, the US and Europe, and have been broadcast in over 20 countries. Bill considers composing and recording the musical score to the feature film Brotherhood in 2020 as a highlight of his career. The movie tells the true story of a group of teenage boys at a summer camp in 1926 on Balsam Lake in the Kawarthas, who are rebuilding their confidence after their own personal traumas post World War I. While out on the lake, their canoe is capsized in a fierce summer storm. Bill’s music captures the drama of the fight for survival, but also the drama of the characters’ emotional crises and ultimately the triumph of the human soul.

Ennio Morricone (Arr. J. Christmas)

Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission

Katrina Lisa Keeler, Oboe

We welcome back our soloist Katrina, performing the very moving Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone, from the 1986 movie, The Mission. The movie is set in 18th century South America with two colonial forces compete for influence over the local Indigenous people, whose fate would be either to succumb to ambitions to set up a slave trade, or be converted to Christianity. The greatest star of the movie is the music by Ennio Morricone. Our soloist Katrina remarks, “Gabriel’s Oboe is a well-known piece to many listeners’ ears. I have played it several times before, with piano and with orchestra, but my most memorable performance was when I played at a family member’s funeral. It is filled with such great emotion, that I too can feel and express through this beautiful work.”

John Williams (Arr. C. Rothrock)

Theme from Superman

Of course the titan of modern movie music is the incomparable John Williams. For most of us, Williams’ movie soundtracks are part of the soundtrack of our lives. We are thrilled to share selections from three great movies, the earliest of which is Superman, released in 1978. (Fun Fact: John Williams’ very first soundtrack was a promotional film created for the Newfoundland tourist information office in 1952!) John Williams is recognized as one of the greatest living composers of any genre. Certainly he is the most prolific and successful movie composer of all time, writing the scores for over 100 feature films and receiving 52 Oscar nominations (5 awards), as well as 25 Grammy Awards.

John Williams (Arr. C. Custer)

Highlights from Jurassic Park

The movie Jurassic Park (1993) was one of John Williams’ many collaborations with the great director Stephen Spielberg. Williams sought to capture the awe and fascination of the characters at their first unbelievable sighting of dinosaurs with the movie’s majestic theme. Arguably, this musical majesty can only be captured by a symphony orchestra, with full wind, brass, and percussion sections adding drama and depth of colour.

John Williams

Flying Theme from E.T.: The Extraterrestrial

We conclude our concert this afternoon with John Williams’ wonderful theme from E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, which was released in 1982. Another collaboration with director Stephen Spielberg, the movie captures the essence of childhood coming-of-age. Who is not profoundly touched by Elliott’s selfless courage as he helps his extraterrestrial best friend escape back to his home planet, and who can remember the movie without also remembering the music? John Williams received the Academy Award for best original score with this movie, where he truly achieved a critical symbiosis between profound emotions and music.

“No matter the theme of the film, no matter the genre of the film, no matter which director, the film composer’s job is to massage the emotional response of the audience to correspond with the intentions of the director and screenwriter. It is safe to say that no great film exists without a great score. Individuals such as John Williams are examples of working so closely with their directors that they compose in tandem, watching rough assemblages of scenes and starting the process while collaborating directly with the directors.” (Bruce Kirkland, The Toronto Sun, retired. 2025)