FAIRMONT, W.Va. –The Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission (MCPARC) Community Band will host a tribute concert to one of the most renowned composers in modern history at East Fairmont High School.
The musical tribute to John Williams will take place on Friday, July 14, starting at 7 p.m., where seventy North Central West Virginian musicians will perform ensemble renditions of film scores the composer has created in his over 50-year career. MCPARC Community Band Assistant Composer Chris Moran encourages residents to check out the free performance that will include famous film scores written by the Academy Award-winning composer.
“Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Superman, E.T., you name it, you’re familiar with his work,” said MCPARC Community Ban Assistant Conductor Chris Moran on some of the themes that will be performed Friday night.
John Williams compositions also include compositions from popular films such as Home Alone, Jaws, and the Indiana Jones franchise.
Moran also added that themes that the award-winning composer created for television (The Olympics, Lost In Space) will also be scattered throughout the 90-minute performance. Each of the pieces will be performed by local musicians throughout North Central West Virginia who perform with the MCPARC Community Band.
“It’s roughly seventy members now; it’s made up of folks of all ages, from late middle school students all the way to retirees,” said Moran, who consists of the MCPARC Community Band. “High school and college students, folks who maybe haven’t played their instruments since high school, all the way through orchestral students,” he said.
The MCPARC Community Band will also welcome a special guest violinist from WVU to perform a solo as part of the John Williams tribute concert. Irene Gara will join the band for a one-night-only performance where she will play a rendition of one of the more somber scores of Williams’ career. Morgan expects the audience to see a moving rendition.
“We’re super excited to welcome the guest violin soloist Irene Gara; she’s working on her DMA in Violin Performance at WVU,” said Moran. “She’s going to play the violin solo from the Schindler’s List theme, that should be pretty goosebump-inspiring,” he said.
Moran stated that the MCPARC Community Band has practiced for the John Williams Tribute Concert since April, with scores from over five decades expected to be accounted for. The band will be led by conductor Mike Swisher, who has been a part of the group since its formation in 2019. The concert will be for all ages, with songs that will be familiar to the ears of attendees regardless of their age.
“I think we really covered the bases, and there’s going to be something for everyone,” said Moran. “So if you’re free and you can make it at 7:00 on Friday night, we’d love to see you at East Fairmont High School,” he said.