AMVANQUISH007

Well-- flag up and notify through his agents office to pass on (rather than advise ) was what I was trying to say

Thanks for that Karelm I sincerely hope the moderators of JWFAN, in some shape or form whether directly or indirectly through friends, advise the family about this blog to show how much he was loved by fans especially those in John Williams community

In my haste to write my personal obit to James, I stupidly left out from my script the unforgettable swing era soundtracks to Cocoon (and the Return) and Batteries Not Included-I hope this corrects that Finally, does anybody across the water in the US know if there was a funeral or memorial service for James and what the date was? Are there any recordings of it and what the order of service was and what if anything was played?. I cant find anything on the net about it

Its been two months since James Horners tragic passing. Its taken me some time to get my thoughts together about the overwhelming loss to fans and the film industry of this truly talented composer. Since his passing ive resorted to buying the rest of his scores that i dont have on CD its difficult but im getting there. Those ones that i have ordered and recieved may be lesser scores, all the same, his talent shines through with majestic uplifting themes and scores to savour and to enjoy and i have to say we can weep to as a result of his passing. I first came to love John Williams' music when i saw the film The Poseidon Adventure-from then on I was hooked and ive stayed with JW ever since, meeting him twice in my life James Horner punched me fairly and squarely in the mouth on July 25th 1982 when i ventured 60 miles from where i live in Wiltshire, England to Bournemouth to watch Star Trek 2 The Wrath of Khan at the ABC Cinema Bournemouth in 70mm Dolby 6 Track Magnetic Stereo on the biggest screen in the west of england When those opening credits came up and Horners magnificent music pounded out of those speakers , I was absolutely gobsmacked-a changed man. Yes we had John Barry and Jerry Goldsmith and the premiere composer of the day, John Wililams but who on earth was James Horner. As soon as i got home i made plans, the following day i was in my local record shop asking who this guy was. I was gobsmacked that a guy in his mid twenties had composed a magnificent score to accompany this impressive film Mustnt forget there was no internet, no social media-one had to rely on snippets of information in the film magazine of the day Photoplay film monthly- Humanoids of the Deep on vinyl became my first aquisition (Star Trek 2 didnt become available for another month)then Battle Beyond The Stars, Krull-I started to get Horner into my soul And its stayed that way ever since. In 1989, i changed career and went into cinema management and became a film buyer watching the latest films before release. It gave me the opportunity of watching for 20 plus years the films and listening to the soundtracks from Williams and Horner and others including the newbies like Hans Zimmer etc before anybody else I always thought that despite the differences in style , Horner would take over from Williams. Sadly 2 months ago it was not to be. I mourn the loss of this man-i have grown up with his music. I dont care about some repitition in his films but what i do remember is the emotional impact. I remember the gorgeous themes of An AmericanTail, the haunting Casper, Ripley and Newt waiting for the drop ship in Aliens, the rocket takeoff in Apollo 13, the soaring Rockiteer (expanded release please), A Beautiful Mind and BiCentennial Man, the brilliant scores for Braveheart and Glory, Jumanji , Perfect storm , the amazing Spiderman and who cannot forget Titanic and Avatar The list goes on -so much to remember-scores of great emotion and power God am i going to miss this composer He loved flying and thats how he died. But one thing is for sure -he left this world a wonderful legacy of superb film music you can listen to and never tire of And for that impact on my life , I thank you James-RIP Here is a you tube link you may have seen since his death-if you havent then enjoy the man and his music -i consider it to be a great epitaph for him It is his composition for the Horsemen aerial acrobatic team It soars-Enjoy it like I have-its a gem https://youtu.be/GQINoi5LbBs If the above link does not work just go onto You tube and in the search engine type Behind the Scenes James Horner scores The Horsemen- its 7mins 40 secs long

Thank you Stefancos for being somewhat dismissive. Clearly you don't know the LSO like I do. They can come in - sight read a score without rehearsal and complete a film score within days not weeks- yes they are that good . I've been to Abbey Road here in London and watched them do it. I am inclined towards Townerfan. If he has gone through a teaser JW has more than likely been exposed to a rough edit. Yes the the LSO is in the states for concerts but playing at the Walt Disney concert hall might just be the time and place to announce that they will be on board to score the film with days or weeks of such an announcement. I have the feeling its going to be a case of 'watch this space! 'to score the film within days' And apologies about the Tintin typo previously

The way JJ Abr works -a rough edit is already there with a final running time-very much like Tin Tin-it could be that JW is recieving segments daily We all lnow JW likes to see a completed print but by the time March comes he might well have scored 90% of it Its not that its a brand new film-there are readily available elements-wipes and existing characters with tweaks and fanfares. Its how new character themes meld in and the end credits bow the film out.

It is worth noting that the London Symphony Orchestra is performing in America at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on March 24th 2015 and on March 30th at the Smith Centre in Las Vegas. Despite the arguments over unions etc- this would appear to be perfect for using them to score the film Maybe at the Skywalker ranch perhaps?

Split in half if he's more comfortable- typo apologies

As I've said before - maybe he can travel from New York - Southampton on a Cunard Queen Elizabeth transatlantic ocean going-the dates tie in but doe he not fly between LA and Boston for concerts when in America. If its length of flight then split itin half if hrsore comfortable with that. Ultimately his decision - just a damned shame Concorde was retired in 2003

Well Stefancos - I think with George Lucas as consultant - I think Disney will ultimately concede to JW, George Lucas and JJ - in that order. You give the best film composer in the world what he wants JW is a traditionalist and Anglophile . On the front of the LSO website - there is a small video of JW being interviewed about the LSO and how much he has enjoyed working with them- that is an honour indeed. My guess is that September 2015 will see 2 or 3 x 5 day chunks of recordings between LSO concerts advertised in that month. I'm sure we'll know by the New Year

TAKEN From the LSO WEBSITE WHY HIRE THE LSO? 1. A World Class Orchestra The LSO needs no introduction – London's oldest orchestra and one of the most famous and most recorded in the world, the LSO is renowned for its consistently high quality performance both in the concert hall and recording studio. The LSO's speed at sight reading is second to none, saving clients lots of time. And to quote Alexandre Desplat, 'The LSO doesn’t just play the notes perfectly the first time, they play the music.' 2. Silence in studio The LSO has a policy of maintaining complete silence whilst the conductor is on the podium for every recording session. All the companies, conductors and composers that work with the LSO say that we are the only orchestra to do this and it makes a huge difference to the amount of music that is taken per session, and to the concentration of both the conductor and the production team in the control box. 'Composers like myself who have been privileged to have their work performed and recorded by the LSO have had the ultimate experience - consummate musicianship, intuitive, sensitive, refined playing coupled with an extraordinary studio discipline and professionalism.' Trevor Jones 3. Always the LSO The LSO guarantees that the orchestra presented is indeed the LSO. The same Principal players will be available for every recording session during a project, and because all the players play together on a regular basis, there is a unity and cohesion of sound which is not obtained from a freelance orchestra. The only exception to this is when we have guest players, often on trial for LSO membership, or if the booking is made late, in which case we would book as many LSO members as possible and make sure of the quality we provide the client, often in discussion with the composer and/or conductor. The LSO NEVER accepts two conflicting engagements concurrently – this ensures the orchestra in the studio IS the LSO. 'The experience of performing and recording with the LSO, let alone composing for them, is unforgettable. Their meticulous attention to detail, tone production, emotional expression and effortless depth of understanding was an inspiration from the very first rehearsal to the final note of the performance. A dream come true.' Nitin Sawhney 4. Self-governing The LSO is self-governing and several of the Board of Directors and Orchestra Committee of the Board are playing members. The advantage of this system is that if there are any issues during the recording sessions – either technical or otherwise – the LSO Board, on behalf of its members, can take decisions to facilitate solutions, which the members then adhere to. This differs from a freelance orchestra where individuals do not have the same allegiance to their own company – all LSO members are shareholders in the London Symphony Orchestra Ltd and therefore have a strong sense of doing what is best for the client. 5. Top Principal Players In addition to the consistently high quality of the whole Orchestra, many of the LSO’s Principals are international soloists in their own right, performing around the world as well as playing concertos and chamber works in LSO concerts. For example, composer Patrick Doyle was so impressed by the playing of one of our Leaders, Carmine Lauri, that the film score for As You Like It featured violin solos written especially for Carmine, and Patrick later wrote a concerto for him. The late Maurice Murphy, Principal Trumpet for 30 years, was featured in every episode of Star Wars since he opened the very first film in 1977 with the now famous theme. 'The standard of musicianship and technique is extraordinary and I am continually amazed and moved by their professionalism and commitment to my music and music in general.' Patrick Doyle 6. Friendly The warmth and friendliness of the LSO players is always commented on by composers, conductors and producers I rest my case that the LSO with JW record the 7th score in London and not break with tradition

The Force Awakens-cool title

Point taken Ricard and Richard-lets see what avatar i can come up with

Well Ricard - if can walk on stage and still conduct and fly around the US to conduct orchestras that doesn't indicate to me that frailty has caught up with him as yet. As I've mentioned before - travelling on the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton and then by car to London could be an alternative too . The dates for scoring could tie up too as QM2 departs on Aug 4 and 19 and Sept 4 taking 3 days - oohh and no possible fear of Icebergs or of hearing Horners Titanic playing as escalator music on the ship

Thank you Ricard - invaluable info as always So it seems the August -September window of 2015 will most likely see the score being recorded I do have a colleague in the classical music industry here in London with his fingers on the pulse I will see/hear what he comes up with as and when From my chats over the last few days with colleagues in the film industry here- what with the old cast - the filming predominantly in the UK with pick up shots too - to not use the LSO will I think prove to be a negative . My gut reaction is that JW will score the film with them As George Lucas is still a consultant on the film and with his strong advocacy and support in using the LSO for the past 6 films - I think we shall see a press release shortly about the orchestra that will be used.