Long-time contributor R gives this report, after hearing about this fantastic concert first from TFN. Here's the scoop, it kinda makes you want to be there, huh?

JOHN WILLIAMS AT TANGLEWOOD

The concert was great. I had a fantastic seat (in the shed, not on the grass) and it really just was incredible. Hearing John Williams conducting the Boston Pops was well worth the trip.

During my several hours waiting outside before it began (beating the traffic, which is literally an hour and a half for about 2 miles!) I was priviledge enough to hear The Flag Parade and Duel of the Fates being rehearsed. Probably Anakin's theme too, but I don't recall. It was great, even across the fence.

The first thing they played was "Cowboys Overture," which I'd never heard before but it was very good -- now I have to go buy the soundtrack, or find it. Next Maestro Williams introduced veteran actor Larry Pine, who would narrate the monologue from the film "The Reivers" (an old man reminisces) while John Williams conducted his score for the film (which is, by the way, based on a novel by William Faulkner.) Williams also played the score in between the monologue pieces. Although I'd never heard of Mr. Pine before, his performance was great.

Next Williams played the theme from "Seven Years in Tibet." He discussed how the first have of the theme is based on the European view of the beauty of the region, and the second part is a very native score. Everyone was very impressed by it, and Martha Babcock had a cello solo. Now for the good part: Williams took a mic and said that he hopes we don't mind if he chats with us a little -- he then told us that, as we probably all know, Steven Speilberg has made two very great WWII films, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. However, he said, fewer knew that he in fact made a third WWII film early in his career. This little-known film was not a drama, however -- it was a comedy with John Belushi, called 1941. Many people did not know this. He then went on to speak about how he's composing the score for President Clinton's presentation for the new millenium (which is actually a year from now, in 2001, but don't get me started on that.) He told us about a few people writing the presentation, and told us about a discussion they were having about who the greatest hero in America of the 20th century was. Franklin Roosevelt, Elanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King. Then, finally, one notable historian (forgot the name) said G.I. Joe. They all laughed, but he was serious -- he fought a tyranny, and -- once defeated -- he did nothing more than maybe giving a drink and a smoke before moving on to fight another tyranny, with no personal stake in things -- just peace. And so, Maestro Williams went on to perform the "1941 G.I. Joe March Theme," which he described as your typical army march, but jazzy and funny etc. It's really hysterical, and it braught the house down right before intermission.

After the intermission (and long line out of the bathroom!) he played three selections from Hook -- "The Banquet Scene" "The Face of Pan" "Flight to Neverland." When they finished the second of these, the audience simply sat in awed silence. It really was powerful (I must note here, by the way, that before each selection was played Williams had to motion for the audience to shut up, because of the booming and continuous applause).

He stopped for a moment here, to thank the audience and say that no matter how many times he does it, he'll never get used to how surprising it is the greatfeeling of conducting a concert, and to do so with one of the greatest orchestras in the world today. (The Boston Pops is made up of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, less the first chair of each instrument.) He then said that it's nice to be able to play (and to let his audience hear) his music for film, "without all the interuptions of the film." When the laughter died down, he said seriousely -- without all the interuptions of the sound effects, dialogue, etc.

He then played "Now, Voyager" by Steiner, who, in his words, "taught us all how to make music for the movies." Then "Laura" by Raksin-Morley, during which Tamara Smirnova hada violin solo.

He then once again took the mic. "A movie came out earlier this year..." A few minutes later, when all the applause and laughter calmed down a bit, he said: "I will play three excerpts from The Phantom Menace:" Flag Parade, which is the theme from a parade introducing/right before the huge pod race in the middle of the film, Anakin's Theme, which expressed the innocence of young Anakin Skywalker, while containing hints in the theme "that (motioning down with his hand) little Anakin will, one day, grow up to be the (motiong up with his hand) arch-villian, Darth Vader. So without further ado, The Phantom Menace."

WOW. The Flag Parade was HUGE, and booming. It was altered a little to be a concert peice (they all were, with the exception of Anakin's Theme) and just... Well, it begins so huge, like you can't picture it in the film or on your soundtrack -- no matter WHAT sound system you have. It's just EVERYWHERE. Whoah. One thing I noticed, was when he doubled-over the Anakin's Theme part of the parade (again, it was slightly altered) he bridged the two together the same way The Imperial March loops -- a nice touch. Anakin's theme was good, but I have to say -- there was no chorus for Duel of the Fates, that part was performed mostly, I beleive, by the strings. (ie: The violins.) And, the real problem -- the begining was WAY off key. The rest, however, was FANTASTIC.

The applause never ended, so when Maestro Williams came out the third time, he once again took the baton. Silence. SUDDENLY -- the "STAR WARS MAIN THEME" began. I cannot describe the utter praiseful noise (APPLAUSE, like only on Episode I premier day.) It turns out he played the begining of episode 4, and then skipped into the end (JUST POST-iris.) Again, they wouldn't let him off the stage, so he came back and motions a "1" with his hand. All cheered, and he once again took the baton -- ready to play his second planned encore. The theme began (I knew what it was, though I guess it's cheating since I DID know about this second encore in advance) and when it became recognizable as "E.T." everyone cheered. However, when that was done no one was ready to let him off the stage -- he motions himself sleeping to us, and after coming out once more (if memory serves; it could've been none, for all I know) and left.

The line of people waiting by his stage door was told that he wouldn't be seeing fans tonight. (This was contrary to the original plan, I was told, but he was very tired and the headcount was around 50.) I was, however, one of the lucky people who went around near his car. I finally got to meet the man!! He is VERY nice (as I was told) and came out ready with a marker. It seems his only deterrent was the huge amount of people. He talked to me breifly (very, I didn't get to completement the speicifcs of his music the way I wanted to, but still). He signed my ESB cd, my program, and put his arm around me when he heard that I came from New York to see him. Heck of a nice guy.

The other fans then said that he should please never stop composing. As he got into his car, he told them not to worry about that.

I don't.

-R

UPDATE
BRETT send this update, with a great link to ome of the MP3's from the concert:

I wrote you earlier about the John Williams concert at Tanglewood... well, if you and/or your readers are interested, I have the 4 Star Wars songs that were performed uploaded...they can be downloaded at my site.