Sound the Bells! Two Rare John Williams Concerts Coming to CD in June
A pair of unique concerts conducted by the legendary John Williams are making their way in print on CD for their widest release yet. Prolific classical label Naxos will issue John Williams and “The President’s Own” Vol. 1 & 2 on June 19, consisting primarily of two sets where Williams led the United States Marine Band, endeavors quite different in makeup to the usual philharmonic and symphony orchestras he’d conduct for the screen and (until recently) in concert.
The first took place at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on July 12, 2003, a day after the 205th anniversary of the ensemble. The set balanced selections from Oscar-winning film scores including Star Wars, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List; fan favorites from The Cowboys and the Harry Potter series; a then-new suite from Williams’ most recent film credit, the Steven Spielberg caper Catch Me If You Can; and some special selections to fit the personnel and solemnity of occasion, including Williams’ famed Olympic fanfare, the brass-forward theme to Oliver Stone’s JFK and “Sound the Bells!” – a 1993 composition written for the marriage of the Japanese crown prince and princess.
Five years later, as the Marine Band turned 210, Williams was back with them at the Kennedy Center for a second gala concert, this time hitting different highlights. The most classic themes were saved for a suite of excerpts in tribute to Spielberg and George Lucas; the body of the concert was devoted to themes from other blockbusters including Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman; Spielbergian deep cuts from The Sugarland Express, 1941 and the recent Tom Hanks comedy The Terminal; and Williams’ “Liberty Fanfare,” commissioned for the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. The disc closes with a special recording of Williams with the Marine Band in 2013, in a rousing rendition of an original composition he wrote for the ensemble’s 215th anniversary.
The concert was first released by the Marine Band as a free download in 2018; this version offered a slightly longer presentation than what a 2CD set can allow; the physical edition loses some commentary from Maestro Williams in the 2003 set but skips a performance of a then-new piece from the fourth Indiana Jones film in the 2008 concert. This abridged program was first pressed onto CD by the Marine Band and given away for free at a third Kennedy Center concert the then 91-year-old composer put on with the ensemble. (At the time, the Marine Band suggested this performance would be released at some point, which has yet to come to pass.) Thus, this new release will be Williams and The President’s Own, together in their widest physical availability yet.
John Williams and “The President’s Own” is well-timed to next month’s release of Spielberg’s 30th film with a Williams score, the sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day, as well as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – well commemorated by the spirit and optimism that John Williams’ work brings. You can order it below ahead of its June 19 release; as an Amaon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
John Williams & The United States Marine Band, John Williams and “The President’s Own” Vol. 1 & 2 (Naxos, 2026) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Disc 1: Live At The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. – 7/12/2003
- Introduction by Col. Timothy W. Foley, USMC (ret.)
- Sound the Bells!
- Overture from The Cowboys
- Theme from JFK
- Comments by John Williams
- Excerpts from Far and Away
- Olympic Fanfare and Theme
- Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (from Catch Me If You Can) – I. Closing In
- Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (from Catch Me If You Can) – II. Reflections
- Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (from Catch Me If You Can) – III. Joy Ride
- Introduction by John Williams
- Theme from Schindler’s List
- Raiders March (from Raiders of the Lost Ark)
- Adventures on Earth (from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)
- The Nimbus 2000 (from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone)
- Main Title from Star Wars
- The Mission Theme (from NBC News)
Soloists on Tracks 8-10: MSgt. Gregory Ridlington, alto saxophone; MGySgt. Glenn Paulson, vibraphone; MGySgt. Glen Dewey, double bass
Soloist on Track 12: MGySgt. Peter Wilson, USMC (ret.), violin
Disc 2: Live At The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. – 7/20/2008 and bonus track (14)
- The Star-Spangled Banner
- March from Superman
- Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Introduction to The Reivers
- Suite from The Reivers
- March from 1941
- Liberty Fanfare
- Out to Sea/The Shark Cage Fugue (from JAWS)
- Harry’s Wondrous World (from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone)
- Theme from The Sugarland Express
- Tributes to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg: Excerpts from JAWS/Star Wars/Raiders of the Lost Ark/E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
- The Tale of Viktor Navorski (from The Terminal)
- The Imperial March (from The Empire Strikes Back)
- For “The President’s Own”
Narrator on Track 5: The Honorable Alan Simpson
Soloist on Track 10: MGySgt. Gail Gillespie, USMC (ret.), flute
Soloist on Track 12: MSgt. Jihoon Chang, USMC (ret.), clarinet
Track 14 recorded at John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks Annex, Washington D.C. – 7/10/2013
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I’ve had this in my collection (digital of course) since 2022. I lamented the fact (at the time) that both were not available together on CD. This will make a nice addition to “Live In Vienna with the Wiener Philharmoniker”, “Live In Berlin with the Berliner Philharmoniker” and “John Williams In Tokyo: Saito Kinen Orchestra”.