Your favorite JW "religious" musical moments?

[artguy360 1,889]

JW has used the phrase religioso to describe a musical quality or feeling of reverence and awe. I love when JW writes in this mode. In my opinion, his religioso stuff is some of his best music, period. 

 

In particular, I think You Are The Pan from Hook goes from zero to 100 on the religioso meter in 1 minute and 20 seconds. I love it. I could imagine this music being written for a JW Biblical epic.

 

What are your favorite JW religioso moments?

[QuartalHarmony 645]

The Map Room: Dawn and The Miracle of the Ark from Raiders are two of my favourites. Definitely tick my religioso box.

 

Mark

[GerateWohl 4,972]

For me it's Gloria from Monsigniore.

[Matt S. 552]

From The Last Crusade, I’ve always liked the final grand statement of the Holy Grail theme as the temple is crumbling all around and the Knight raises his hand in a final salute.

[Trope 729]

2:17-3:24 immediately stood out to me upon a recent re-listen to Amistad:

It would also be foolish of me not to mention 1:58 in this track:

Oh, and those choral pieces from Empire of the Sun… and Immolation from Schindler’s List… the list is endless. Great thread idea, keen to see what others bring up.

[Dr. Rick 1,193]

Gotta include "Saying the Rosary" from Sleepers 

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,106]

Besides the ones already mentioned, I've always liked this short passage when Indy arrives at the "leap of faith" challenge in TLC.

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 10,297]

I agree with @GerateWohl.

Not only is 'Gloria' the best expression of his particular religiosity, it's one of my all-time top-5 JW cues.

[karelm 3,013]

 

Don't forget his biblical epic music.

 

 

[artguy360 1,889]

2 minutes ago, karelm said:

 

Don't forget his biblical epic music.

 

 

Yes! I like this JW take on the theme from Exodus, but if he were actually writing a theme for a biblical epic, I think the theme would be a little more focused and less a riff off of Ernest Gold's Exodus theme.

[Muad'Dib 1,852]

 

[Andy 5,066]

The Son becomes the Father and the Father the Son. 
 

 

 

[Tallguy 4,212]

 

You either get this scene or you don't. I saw a review that questioned why an ordinary airplane was scored as a religious moment. They didn't get it.

[Andy 5,066]

Wow it’s been awhile. I should rewatch that. 

[geom_00 63]

In his Podcast The Soundtrack Show, David W. Collins, mentioned that Williams' opening to the Jurassic Park them was Religious in parts of it.

 

There is a quote by Williams himself confirming this starting at 37:54:  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-the-soundtrack-show-29021108/episode/jurassic-park-the-music-part-i-29491400/

 

So, really to me, most of this song has religious undertones

 

 

I should also add both "Duel of the Fates" and "Battle of the Heroes"

[Sunshine Reger 3,581]

6 hours ago, Matt S. said:

From The Last Crusade, I’ve always liked the final grand statement of the Holy Grail theme as the temple is crumbling all around and the Knight raises his hand in a final salute.

To be fair, whenever a grand statement of the Grail Theme sounds, I also feel the urge to stand up and salute.

2 hours ago, geom_00 said:

In his Podcast The Soundtrack Show, David W. Collins, mentioned that Williams' opening to the Jurassic Park them was Religious in parts of it.

 

There is a quote by Williams himself confirming this starting at 37:54:  https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-the-soundtrack-show-29021108/episode/jurassic-park-the-music-part-i-29491400/

 

So, really to me, most of this song has religious undertones

 

 

I should also add both "Duel of the Fates" and "Battle of the Heroes"

An organist played it to Williams when the latter was leaving J.S. Bach's old Thomaskirche in Leipzig.

 

"I guess I can die now" - said the old musical pilgrim, and promptly flew away, across the sea, into the West.

[CompleteRecordingSessions 51]

3 hours ago, geom_00 said:

In his Podcast The Soundtrack Show, David W. Collins, mentioned that Williams' opening to the Jurassic Park theme was Religious in parts of it.

There is also this behind the scenes documentary series that confirms that the theme was meant to convey a sense of religiosity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6OyVIPRLpI&t=3185s

 

 

To me, this cue also greatly stands out as having a sense of religiosity:

 

 

[ricsim88 255]

I’m surprised nobody mentioned the opening of E.T. , especially with the organ. About 30 seconds into this track. 
He actually writes religioso on the sheet music.

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,106]

 

[Bryant Burnette 691]

Since Satanism is a religion, I'm going to say "The Devil's Dance" from Eastwick.

[Arnaud2 30]

All of the above for sure. There are more but what is strictly « religioso »?

 

Does « America, the dream goes on » qualify for any of you?

 

I suspect parts of JFK, Born of the 4th of July and Always may as well.

 

And my favorite from Empire of the Sun: Cadillac of the skies, a complex piece which unfortunately was a bit drowned by plane engine sounds in the film.

 

But the whole original Star Wars trilogy is imbued with religiosity, not necessarily using a chorus.

 

Binary Sunset

Battle of Yavin (the last minute)

Funeral Pyre and original victory celebration (Yub Nub)

 

Celebrate the love!

 

 

[GerateWohl 4,972]

On 12/07/2024 at 10:11 AM, GerateWohl said:

For me it's Gloria from Monsigniore.

Close second behind Gloria is this.

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,106]

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

 

When I hear the intro, my mind goes straight into Mahler's Symphony No. 5 Adagietto...

[Steve 608]

Nice posts so far. I would add "Padme's Funeral" from Episode III, starting at 1:25

 

[karelm 3,013]

I always felt Emperor's death from Return of the Jedi was multi-religioso in a 1950's biblical epic way.  

 

 

For example, gives off the vibes from Alfred Newman's The Robe.  Remember Newman was Williams' boss when he got started in film.

 

[Arnaud2 30]

On 13/7/2024 at 9:59 AM, Bryant Burnette said:

Since Satanism is a religion, I'm going to say "The Devil's Dance" from Eastwick.

The Temple of Doom is religious! Crazy nightmarish piece that it is.

[Bryant Burnette 691]

14 hours ago, Arnaud2 said:

The Temple of Doom is religious! Crazy nightmarish piece that it is.

 

Very true!

[Thor 8,190]

Oh gosh, this is my favourite "sound" of Willams, and one of the main reasons for why he's my favourite composer. Far moreso than his more rambunctious action music. I made a playlist of Williams "religious sound" many years ago, that in various ways capture this element. The best ones are the pastoral, Vaughan Williams-like tracks, but like other versions too, like the JP theme.

 

 

[BB-8 3,877]

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,106]

32 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

 

 

3:02-: I've always loved how the music transitions here to the next scene. Puts a lump in my throat.

[BB-8 3,877]

58 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

3:02-: I've always loved how the music transitions here to the next scene. Puts a lump in my throat.

Yeah, and that is also rather religioso!

 

 

 

On 14/07/2024 at 3:28 PM, karelm said:

I always felt Emperor's death from Return of the Jedi was multi-religioso in a 1950's biblical epic way.  

 

 

Those energy bolts somehow remind me of Janacek.

 

 

[Thor 8,190]

Thread's getting heavy to load now with all the YT clips. Any chance for putting them in spoiler tags?

[Steve 608]

Religious in the truest sense. I just recently discovered this gem.

 

 

[BB-8 3,877]

11 hours ago, Steve said:

Religious in the truest sense. I just recently discovered this gem.

 

 

OK, in that case, also "Star of Bethlehem" counts...

 

 

 

[JW collector 66]

 

two  (2) of my favorites are actually in the same movie:

 

RETURN OF THE JEDI :

 

(You all guessed it probably....)

 

- the cue where Yoda dies.....

 

- the " final duel" where the male choir comes in

 

There is a great amount of sadness  in both i think.

( I get goosebumps and lump in my throat every time  )