John Williams, legendary composer, has written an original theme for national championship coverage
By Keith Farner
Published:
John Williams, who is known for composing music for such well-known movies and franchises as Star Wars, Jaws and E.T., has written a new piece for the national championship on Monday.
It’s called “Of Grit and Glory,” it runs 3 and a half minutes and will score a specially created series of visuals that convey “the feeling behind the night, fear and anticipation, triumph and failure,” ESPN co-director and producer Martin Khodabakhshian told Variety.
Williams’ new music – previewed for Variety late Thursday – plays like a joyful overture, opening with fanfares and shifting seamlessly from martial urgency to anthemic splendor, all richly orchestrated and instantly memorable.
Williams conducted a 96-piece orchestra on the Sony scoring stage on Dec. 21. And ESPN was there with seven cameras, shooting the entire three-hour recording session, parts of which will be intertwined throughout the opening segment – “so you feel the energy of those orchestra members, and of John, playing this music for the first time, so the audience gets to feel that as well,” co-director and editor Michael Sciallis said.
Williams conducted a 96-piece orchestra on the Sony scoring stage on Dec. 21, and ESPN used 7 cameras to shoot the entire three-hour recording session, parts of which will be intertwined throughout the opening segment.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
