On February 12 and 13, the Victoria Symphony orchestra honoured composer John Williams’ 90th birthday with some of his most iconic tracks at Celebrating John Williams, and it was epic. The orchestra’s performance was outstanding and conductor Sean O’Loughlin’s commentary throughout was educational, funny, and touching.
Upon their opening with the Star Wars theme song, I was in a trance—both from the immediate feeling of being transported to a sci-fi universe and from witnessing the intricacy and detail of the composition.
When O’Loughlin then introduced the evening, cheers erupted at the first mention of Williams’ name, and throughout the night, it remained the most lively symphony audience I’ve seen. The next song was the classic “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and it was equally as mystical and captivating. It was really beautiful to be there and see the volume of people and instruments that go into these famous works that many are so nostalgically bound to, and it was amazing to become absolutely immersed in it.
The set list also featured compositions from films such as Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, The Terminal, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jaws, Memories of a Geisha, and ET. The audience was taken on a journey through emotion, and in between songs O’Loughlin provided sentimental anecdotes. He recounted his own experiences working with Williams on several film scores, and gave historical context for each composition. To introduce music from Jaws, O’Loughlin said, “and with just two notes, John made us scared to ever go swimming again.” When played, those two notes were met with gasps, laughter, and applause. I had chills.
One of the highlights of the show was the solo performances that appeared in several songs. “Viktor’s Tale” from the film The Terminal featured a quirky and enchanting solo by principal clarinet Keith MacLeod. It was impressive and so beautiful, and I loved seeing how happy he was during the applause that followed.
Alas, O’Loughlin concluded the evening and left the stage after a hefty round of applause. But he quickly returned wearing a cape and a Darth Vader mask for an encore of the Star Wars theme. The audience was radiating pure joy and the orchestra received a standing ovation. It was one of the most captivating and moving performances I’ve seen.
Williams’ music is breathtaking in its ability to evoke such lucid imagery and emotion, even when the songs are unfamiliar. I doubt that anyone left these performances without absolute awe for the Victoria Symphony orchestra and for the works of Williams.