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Suite from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (arr Lavender)

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John Williams

John Williams (arr. Paul Lavender)


General Info

Year: 2015
Duration: c. 19:40
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: U.S. Marine Band
Cost: Each of the four movements is published and available separately, which see.


Movements

1. March of the Resistance
2. Rey's Theme
3. Scherzo for X-Wings
4. Jedi Steps and Finale


Instrumentation

See each movement separately.


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

When the American Film Institute released their listing of the top twenty-five film scores of all time in 2005, it included the titles Out of Africa, Sunset Boulevard, Ben-Hur, Psycho, The Godfather, and Gone with the Wind. John Williams was responsible for three of those twenty-five selections, and at the very top was his unforgettable score to the original Star Wars movie.

On the heels of his work in the 1970s with Steven Spielberg that produced the blockbusters Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Williams signed on in 1977 to score a new “space western” written and directed by George Lucas. At that time, no one could have predicted the global popularity of this film and its successive chapters, nor could Williams have imagined the impact that his music for the movies would have both in the world of film and well beyond. Williams has scored dozens of themes for the seven films in the series, many of which have achieved world-wide recognition on a scale equal to some of the most popular classical music in history.

The latest installment in the series, The Force Awakens, was released in December 2015 and the story takes place some thirty years after the conclusion of The Return of the Jedi. As old and new characters come together in the film, Williams’ score artfully weaves together familiar music from the original films with brand new themes and brilliantly highlights pivotal actions and relationships. After the familiar music for the opening credits is sounded, the suite continues with the March of the Resistance, followed by the main theme of the mysterious new lead character, Rey. Scherzo for X-Wings accompanies a furious battle scene featuring the iconic aerial fighters of both the Resistance and the First Order. The closing movement of the suite begins with the music of the Jedi and moves into a final montage of all of the main themes in Williams’ incredible symphonic tapestry.

This arrangement of the new suite from the score for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was prepared especially for the Marine Band.

- Program Note from U.S. Marine Band concert program, 14 March 2016


Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Plainville (Conn.) Wind Ensemble (Ken Bagley, conductor) - 12 March 2023
  • University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Symphony (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 16 October 2022
  • Pittsburg (Kan.) State University Wind Ensemble (Andrew Chybowski, conductor) - 23 September 2021
  • West Virginia University (Morgantown) Wind Symphony (Scott Tobias, conductor) - 12 November 2020
  • Sacramento (Calif.) Winds (Timothy Smith, conductor) – 15 March 2020
  • Lone Star (Dallas, Tx.) Wind Orchestra (Andrew Trachsel, conductor) – 26 January 2020
  • United States Military Academy Band (West Point, N.Y.) (Richard Winkels, conductor) – 21 July 2018
  • United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Jason K. Fettig, conductor) – 28 May 2017
  • United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Jason K. Fettig, conductor) – 14 March 2016 *Transcription Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

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