EXAMPLES OF LIVING LIFE IN CRESCENDO – JOHN WILLIAMS

You would think that John Williams could rest on his laurels. He has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, all Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, Schindler’s List, War Horse, and the first three Harry Potter films. Williams has also written the theme music for NBC Sunday Night Football, the NBC Nightly News, and four Olympic games, Williams was the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993; he is now the orchestra’s conductor laureate. Williams has won four Golden Globe Awards, five Academy Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards. With 47 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney.

So, what have you been doing lately, John?  A life-long Red Sox fan, John recently wrote “Fanfare for Fenway,” which will be performed by the Boston Pops at park’s 100th anniversary ceremony on Friday night. Every living Red Sox player has been invited to attend the festivities and the game (against — who else? — the Yankees). ESPN recently interviewed Williams to learn about his fandom and latest composition. He mentioned that his mother was born in Boston and loved Fenway Park all of her life. She lived to be 97 and insisted that she lived that long because she wanted to see her Red Sox win the World Series again. Once they finally did it in 2004, she felt she could pass on very happily. (There is HOPE, Chicago Cubs fans.)

Williams told ESPN that Fenway Park is the  “pulsing, pounding heart of Boston. When it’s empty, being in Fenway is like being in a cathedral. You can sense all the great performances that have taken place over the decades and the millions of happy people who have sat in those seats. It’s a very inspiring place.” At eighty years old, John is still highly inspired, and he passes his inspiration on to all of us. I certainly hope that he inherited his mother’s genes. Imagine how much more he can accomplish in seventeen more years of writing great music in crescendo!