James Taylor made a surprise appearance and serenaded the maestro with "You've Got a Friend."
John WilliamsLENOX - It's a testament to John Williams' artistic output that a tribute concert to the Oscar-winning composer and former conductor of the Boston Pops can only scratch the surface of his amazing career.
Sure, his 80th birthday celebration at Tanglewood on Saturday night featured music from “Star Wars,” “Schindler's List” and the Harry Potter films, but where were “The Cowboys,” “Jaws,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Superman,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” etc, etc?”
Of course, it's tough to capture the work of man who has scored 100 films in just two hours.
Some of the biggest applause from the throng at Tanglewood came for compositions not written for film. Williams' recent “Fanfare for Fenway” was conducted by Keith Lockhart and thrilled Red Sox fans in attendance.
Likewise, “Air and Simple Gifts,” written for the inaugural of President Obama, was the musical highpoint of the evening. It featured a stellar quartet: Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill.
Taped tributes to the maestro came from Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and filmmaker George Lucas. Taking the Tanglewood stage to honor Williams were Oscar-winning director and frequent collaborator Steven Spielberg and singer James Taylor, who performed “You've Got a Friend..”
Spielberg, who has worked with Williams for 40 years, said he has been serenaded by fans in foreign countries who hum Williams-composed themes to his films.
Taylor noted that Williams introduced him to his future wife, the former Caroline "Kim" Smedvig, who is the marketing director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
The night drew to a close with the Boston Pops performeing “Happy Birthday.”