Liberty Fanfare - John Williams/arr. Steve Sykes

Liberty Fanfare was written in 1986 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. It was premiered in June of 1986 by the Boston Pops under the baton of John Williams. Williams said of the piece that he "tried to create a group of American airs and tunes of my own invention that I hope will give some sense of the event and the occasion."

Hook - John Williams/arr. Rieks van der Velde

The music from Hook accompanied the 1991 American fantasy adventure film of the same name starring Robin Williams and written by James V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo. The film was a long-time passion project for director, Steven Spielberg, and told the story of a grown-up Peter Pan who was married, had children, and forgotten much of his adventurous life in Neverland. After Peter's kids are kidnapped in the night by the vengeful Captain Hook, it is up to Peter to reconnect with his legendary childhood self, save his children, and bring justice to the Pirates of Neverland. 

Theme from "Schindler's List" - John Williams/arr. Frank Bernaerts

In November of 1993, the historical film Schindler's List and its accompanying musical score premiered to critical and historical acclaim. The film told the story of real-life World War II figure, Oskar Schindler, his time as the owner of a factory producing enamelware, and of his secret efforts to re-direct Jewish detainees from concentration camps to work in his factory and possibly save their lives. John Williams, who frequently collaborated with the film's director, Steven Spielberg, was amazed by the film, and felt that composing the score would be too challenging. According to legend, he said to Spielberg, "You need a better composer than I am for this film." And Spielberg responded with, "I know. But they're all dead." Itzhak Perlman, a famed violinst of Jewish heritage, performed the original solo for the main theme. 

The Forest Battle from "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" - John Williams/arr. Klaas van der Woude

The Forest Battle is a concert suite with music from "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi." It was released as a bonus track on the soundtrack for Episode VI, and though the actual music was not used in the movie, moments of music from this piece are featured in a more expansive and fleshed-out way.

Hymn to the Fallen from "Saving Private Ryan" - John Williams/arr. Philip Sparke

"Saving Private Ryan" is another cultural touchstone in the partnership between Steven Spielberg and John Williams. Hymn to the Fallen is the final piece of music in the film, appearing during the closing credits. The work is now used separate from the movie as a standard part of the repertoire for military bands across the United States, often used for funerals, ceremonies, and events involving a reverent attitude towards the sacrifices of the American veteran.

Imperial March from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" - John Williams/arr. Sandy Smith

The Imperial March, also called "Darth Vader's Theme," is a musical theme present throughout the Star Wars franchise. It was composed by Williams for "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," and was premiered alongside "Yoda's Theme" on April 29, 1980, three weeks before the opening of the film, as a part of John Williams' first concert as official conductor-in-residence of the Boston Pops Orchestra. The march is one of the best-known symphonic movie themes; it is used as a leitmotif throughout the Star Wars franchise.

Fanfare and Flying Theme from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" - John Williams/arr. Steve Sykes

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (or "E.T.") is a 1982 American science fantasy film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison, and scored by John Williams. It tells the story of Elliott, a 10-year-old boy, and an extraterrestrial who has been stranded on Earth. Along with his friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. find his way home. The film's concept was based on an imaginary friend that Spielberg created after his parents' divorce. The film was a smash hit at the box office, surpassing "Star Wars" (1977) to become the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it held for eleven years until Spielberg's own "Jurassic Park" surpassed it in 1993.

Riverdance - Bill Whelan/arr. Ray Farr

Riverdance is a song by Irish musician Bill Whelan, originally recorded in March 1993, and first performed as the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest 1994. In Ireland, the song spent a record-breaking 18 weeks at number one on the Irish Singles Charts and is the country's second best-selling single of all time. Riverdance also became a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, where it reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The song's success inspired Whelan to use Riverdance as a springboard to conceive an album of similar material and the theatrical show of the same name, which would open in February 1995.

Ar Lan Y Môr (On the Sea Shore) - Welsh Trad./arr. Leigh Baker

Ar Lan y Môr or "On the Sea Shore" is a traditional Welsh folk love song. It was published with a single verse by the Welsh Folk Song Society in 1937.

Translated lyrics for the first verse:

On the seashore are red roses,
On the seashore are white lilies,
On the seashore is my love
Sleeping at night and rising in the morning.

Earth Rites - Robin Dewhurst

Earth Rites is a powerhouse trombone feature for brass band by Robin Dewhurst, drawing on the combined sonic palettes of Celtic music and jazz bands. Dewhurst is a prolific pianist, composer, arranger in the U.K., and he regularly features as a performer with big bands, small jazz groups, and brass bands. In 2007, Dewhurst was appointed to the prestigious role of Honorary Music Advisor to Her Majesty's Royal Marines Band Service. He is Composer-in-Residence for Stavanger Band (Norway) and has, for many years, been actively engaged as a Senior Lecturer in Music and Head of Performance at the University of Salford, England.

The Ellis Island Lament - Traditional/arr. Robin Dewhurst

Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station for over sixty years from 1892 until 1954. Thousands of immigrants from Wales, Ireland, and Scotland passed through the gateway on their way to the United States as refugees and immigrants. The Ellis Island Lament is one of the many works telling the stories of these immigrants, and another notable work include Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears. It tells the story of the first person to enter America through Ellis Island—a young Irish girl named Annie Moore—and talks about leaving everything behind and starting over in a new place. It compares Ireland (the isle of tears) and the Isle of Manhattan (the isle of hope).

Dundonnell from "Hymn of the Highlands" - Philip Sparke

Dundonnell is the grand finale of Philip Sparke's "Hymn of the Highlands" collection. The composer describes the movement as starting "in martial mood" but soon breaking out "into a wild presto." Eventually, the bagpipe tune from the first movement of the Hymn collection returns before the presto crashes to a close. The movement is named for the village of Dundonnell, which is described as a charming place at the head of the Little Loch Broom which leads out to the ocean near Summer Isles.