New report from the Episode III scoring sessions

[Sandor 459]

This is from www.starwarz.com/tbone

Don't know if it has been posted before. A report on the End Credits recording.

Hello friends.

I am sorry it has taken me a few days to write this but I was asked by Pablo Hidalgo not to say anything until he had mentioned it in his Post Notes. I also want to thank people for their kind words, emails and for sharing in my excitement. I don't have any spoilers sadly, but here is a brief record of my experience in London.

On Wednesday 9th February, I had the privilege of briefly visiting Abbey Road Studios to listen to a small portion of the soundtrack recording of "Revenge of the Sith." This all came out of me boldly asking Rick McCallum during the Hyperspace online chat if I could pay them a visit. When he answered "Yeah, sure" I thought he was joking at first, even when I received a confirmatory email from John Singh of Lucasfilm, telling me that I was expected at ten in the morning and that I should anticipate my visit to be about twenty minutes. That evening I hardly mentioned it to anyone, not even my girlfriend, as I had this horrible feeling that when I got to Abbey Road I would be turned away with a brief apology and a complimentary T shirt! How wrong I was.

Not daring to be late, I took a very early train (6.30am) and arrived at Abbey Road before nine. I waited patiently (and nervously) outside as various musicians were arriving and heading into the building, and even spotted a frail John Williams being escorted down into the studios. At around 9.50am I went inside and waited in the reception area for John Singh to find me. To my amazement, a few minutes later GEORGE LUCAS arrived with an aide and signed in to Abbey Road's security book, just under my own name! I froze slightly, not sure whether or not to look at him too closely! He looked just as you would expect - slightly short, sporting that graying beard and checkered shirt. I was to see him again briefly later on during the recording of the soundtrack.

As George disappeared down into the studios, John Singh arrived to greet me and I signed the confidentiality agreement and various other Lucasfilm forms. Within moments I was now inside the heart of the building and I asked John what was on the agenda for the day. He told me that they were recording the "end credits." We moved down a number of internal corridors, some of which could have been straight out of a movie theatre, as the cinema posters for the various movies recorded at Abbey Road were proudly hanging from the walls, including all of the Star Wars series. We climbed a set of stairs, arriving in the "Producer's Lounge," where Rick McCallum was seated behind a desk and I got to shake hands with him and thank him for the visit. "You thought I was joking, didn't you?" he said, and I agreed. Rick urged us to quickly head on to the "balcony" - a small area found above John Williams and the orchestra - because the recording was about to start. It was all exactly as seen on the Episode One webdoc. John Singh offered me a special soft seat. "You're the guest of honour today" he said. After a brief period of warming up, the orchestra began to play. For those interested in exactly where I was, have a look at the music video on the "Attack of the Clones" DVD. At 2.52, the camera catches George Lucas standing on this very balcony.

I must mention that I saw no footage of Episode III whatsoever. "That's not been deliberate" Pablo would tell me later. There was a big screen but, as the credit sequence had not been created yet, there was nothing being projected onto it. The first piece of music was fast and "action paced" - I was later to hear Pablo refer to it as the "Revenge of the Sith" theme; a piece of music that accompanies the duel. I suspect I only heard a tiny fraction of it as the music then developed immediately into the "Throne Room" music from Episode IV; a fuller and even grander version than we heard back in 1977. Of special note was the trumpet herald that opens this piece, which has only been heard in Episode IV before and will serve as a strong reminder of the original trilogy; we hear the trumpets' heralds twice in this new version. My mind raced as I heard this music being played as, given that we have not heard this in the end credits before, I began to wonder if what I was hearing was the build up to the end and "iris out". In which case, the music didn't fit the major spoilers at all, not sounding like a binary sunset or a distant Death Star. Pablo would set my mind at rest later but confirming that this piece actually forms part of the end credits sequence.

Just hearing it almost EXACTLY like it was played in 1977 was a truly moving moment. Was I teary eyed? You bet. It sounded fantastic. It slows down stylistically at times but other than that it is an identical piece. Just as Pablo has reported in his Hyperspace "Post Notes", the orchestra plays the piece through once only before the recording begins. John Williams adds his comments after the rehearsal and then the piece is played again to record it; a large red light goes on at the right side of the studio to let everyone know that the recording spools are turning! It was during this second run through to record that I glanced to the side of me to see George Lucas up in the Producer's Lounge listening carefully, wearing the same face as he does on the DVDs: serious, meticulous, absorbing everything.

I had been promised twenty minutes and I had been there for half an hour! When the recording had been completed John Singh leaned over to me and said "I hate to do this to you but...." I looked up at him and finished his sentence, "My time is up?" He nodded and I followed him back out of the balcony and into the Producer's Lounge, where he showed me a large television screen, explaining that normally the team would be now huddled around it, seeing how the music fitted the visuals. I guess it was a shame that this wouldn't be done today. Maybe they would have let me stay for that too! As Abbey Road Studios are a little bit of a maze, John escorted me back to the main foyer and I left him with my thanks. He gave me his card and I have been happy to keep in touch with him.

As for my assessment of the tiny piece of the score I heard, I think the mastery of this final music is that it somehow recognizes that this is the end of the prequel trilogy and the Star Wars movies. It doesn't pretend that the films were made in sequence; rather it is "aware" that this is the final Star Wars movie of all time. Subsequently, despite the presupposed gloomy conclusion to the movie, there is a rich fanfare of themes, similar to the little special extra something there was in the "Revenge of the Jedi" end titles.It is both celebratory and serious, reminding me of the music that underscores Luke Skywalker's face as he burns the body of his father on Endor. Using the "Throne Room" is John Williams' wedding ring that marries the two trilogies together. It is ingenious. Although I didn't hear the end, I would strongly imagine that these end titles will end in a triumphant swell, not the quiet fade out we have been used to hearing in the prequels. That seemed to be the spirit of the music this time.

I have been quite overwhelmed by the fan reaction since the trip, which has been mostly pleasant! For all those spoiler hounds with conspiracy theories, I promise I didn't see any of the movie, honestly! Everyone at Lucasfilm was very kind and welcoming. I did feel like an honoured guest for an amazing half hour, something that I will remember for the rest of my life. For what its worth, in my mind I went there on behalf of all my friends at the Galactic Senate dot com, my Star Wars home, and for all Star Wars fans. I didn't deserve it, and my hope is that this wonderful experience can in some way be shared by us all. And, yes, as the credits role for "Revenge of the Sith" in May, there will be at least one english fan who will get a very special feeling when that last piece of Star Wars movie music ever is played. I think I'll always be staying through to the very end this time.

[King Mark 2,924]

, and even spotted a frail John Williams being escorted down into the studios.  

I must mention that I saw no footage of Episode III whatsoever. "That's not been deliberate" Pablo would tell me later. There was a big screen but, as the credit sequence had not been created yet, there was nothing being projected onto it. The first piece of music was fast and "action paced" - I was later to hear Pablo refer to it as the "Revenge of the Sith" theme; a piece of music that accompanies the duel. I suspect I only heard a tiny fraction of it as the music then developed immediately into the "

That's it?No comment like It sounded great or something.That coupled with "I'll sound better with the choir" comment earlier makes me wonder.

Just hearing it almost EXACTLY like it was played in 1977 was a truly moving moment. Was I teary eyed? You ]

I bet I'd be teary eyed too if I heard it live,but I'm not sure if I want it on the c.d.