The Greater Des Moines Community Band announces the schedule for its 2025 summer concert series, “The Music of John Williams.”
The series pays tribute to one of the world’s most prolific modern composers. “John Williams is not only a composer, but he served as the Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops for thirteen years and now is its Laureate Conductor,” said Director Christa Miller. “Among the numerous accolades he has received include induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and having the Library of Congress enter the soundtrack from Star Wars into the National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.”
Summer Concert selections run the gamut from movie themes to music for major athletic events. Audiences will enjoy the “Home Alone” medley that features several familiar tunes from the film of the same name. The band will perform themes that demonstrate Williams’s skills at writing movie music that is both memorable and timeless—like the dark cadence of the “Imperial March,” the threatening sounds of “Jaws,” the richness of “Jurassic Park,” and “Hymn to the Fallen” from the movie “Saving Private Ryan.”
Sprinkled between compositions by Williams are patriotic tunes, including “Lest We Forget” by James Swearingen and the grand Carmen Dragon arrangement of Samuel Augustus Ward’s “America the Beautiful.” The band will also recognize former and current members of the military during the “Armed Forces Salute.”
Concerts are held outside. Please check the attached schedule for performance times at each location. For more information, check out our Facebook page, our website, or contact our director, Christa Miller.