The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King CR - 01. Roots and Beginnings jediking12 2026-09-21 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King CR - 01. Roots and Beginnings
Star Wars: A New Hope - Read Along (Part 1) jediking12 2014-12-08 | An early Christmas gift for Star Wars fans
Things to Come jediking12 2014-11-04 | In the MakingThe music starts at the end of the discussion between Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Gryffindor tower (2:27 into the cue) and continues up until they are seen outside the castle next day and as Harry realizes that the half-giant might have accidentally given their enemy information they race towards Hagrid’s hut. Interesting detail here is that the cue is much longer than the scene itself and the tone of the ever expanding orchestration and building melodramatic rendition of the Philosopher’s Stone motif is far too powerful to underscore these moments of dialogue. Could be that Williams composed this concert version styled piece so that any passage could be used for this particular scene (or possibly other scenes) as needed, the piece containing enough variants for nearly every level of dynamics. In the end the passage approximately from 2:27 until the end of the piece was used (but again with some editing and truncation involved), leaving a lion’s share of the cue unused.
Harry Potter Coca-Cola Commercial jediking12 2014-11-04 | Reference to an old Coca Cola Harry Potter commercial from 2001youtu.be/cVbsaxsPwug
The Devil Snare & Flying Keys jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingThe cue runs as written up until 1:56 after which the relieved flute solo for Ron’s rescue and his comical boast of not panicking is dialed out along with the rest of the cue.Soundtrack Album VS Film CueWilliams combines music from In the Vinesnakes and The Flying Keys on OST track In the Devil's Snare and The Flying Keys but both cues are presented in highly edited form on the album, omitting about half of each cue.
The Dark Forest jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingIn the film a section of the Dark Forest search music and the first rendition of Voldemort’s Evil are dialed out as Hagrid discovers the unicorn blood (0:43-1:40). The music continues as written when the scene transitions to follow Harry and Draco through the blue tinted forest and continues throughout the rest of the sequence. Perhaps Voldemort’s Evil was thought to come in too early with the first rendtion, the film makers wanting to save the appearance of the theme for the actual encounter and not giving away the following scene in the music.
Dark Times jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingIn the film the opening of the cue with the statement of Harry’s Theme and the first appearance of Voldemort Revealed were dialed out, the music opening at 1:18 as we see Voldemort entering the Potters’ house.
Detention jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingThe duet of the recorders has been removed from the film, the cue edited so that it cuts just before the solo starts and jumps right to the ending.
Nicholas Flamel jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingWilliams’ original intention is unknown since the sheet music is unavailable but the sheet music for the revisions indicate that he has written at least two further versions of this cue after the original, the film version being the 2nd rewrite. The latter half of the revised cue is quite clearly repurposed almost directly from the Prologue so most likely Williams replaced the ending with this material but the opening with the Philosopher’s Stone motif might be the one he originally conceived for the scene.
The Invisibility Cloak & The Library Scene jediking12 2014-11-03 | Soundtrack Album VS Film cueWilliams combines the Christmas music from the film into a suite on the OST. This consists of the Christmassy music of 6M1 Hagrid’s Christmas Tree (0:33-end), 6M1A Cast a Christmas Spell and edited down version of the 6M2 Christmas Morning which omits the Invisibility Cloak music (the music running from 0:00 to 1:22 of the film cue)and contains different ending chords, editorially inserted to finish the piece on a resolved note.On the soundtrack album Williams has truncated this cue considerably. This version omits the opening renditions of the Invisibility Cloak and Philosopher’s Stone motifs and begins at 1:19 into the cue. There is a small edit in the middle section which cuts out the brief Hedwig’s Theme rendition of celesta and the choral interlude for the Mirror of Erised is edited out as well (3:39-4:15 of the cue), the music returning with the Harry’s/Family Theme and plays to the end as written.In the MakingIn the film the quick vibraphone, celesta and string motif after Harry has evaded Ms. Norris (at 2:35 of the cue) is followed by rumbling ominous basses, celli and brass, which is tracked from elsewhere in the score as sneaking invisible Harry witnesses the exchange of professors Quirrel and Snape. This celesta, vibraphone and string idea that underscored the previous ethereal escape appears again when Snape senses something intruding on his discussion and makes a suspicious grope in the dark but the rendition is tracked from that previous section of this same cue. More tracked music follows (among it dramatic tubular bells from 8M1 The Chess Board) as Filch appears to alert the teachers and they go off to find the student in the library. The cue as written would have proceeded with the ghostly synthesized music for the Invisibility Cloak at 2:35 after the teachers and Filch left. Harry's/Family Theme in front of the Mirror of Erised is also shortened slightly in the film to conform to the cut.The opening seconds with the subtle quote of the first notes of Hedwig's Theme on oboe for Ron's amazed question and the following brief grim passage for Harry's sorrow are dialed out of the film, the music coming in as we see Harry in front of Mirror of Erised again.It can be deduced that the first version of the music for the scene might have been considered too lively and whimsical by the film makers, the A Phrase of the Flying Theme indeed quite suitable to underscore Hedwig’s flight but somewhat too light and playful for the tone of the scene. Williams’ second version captures the heart and emotion, the warmth and sense of lyricism inherent in the images on screen, focusing purely on Harry’s character and emotional content rather than the magic and whimsy.
Christmas at Hogwarts jediking12 2014-11-03 | This alternate take on the same scene is a piece of ghostly diegetic music, a Christmas carol sung by the group of Hogwarts ghost carolers floating around in the corridors. The melody is the same as for the music box music but this time Williams himself penned lyrics for it as he told to Richard Dyer in a Boston Globe Interview in 2001 as a result of being unsatisfied by the original idea of using Deck the Halls as source music for the Christmas scene, wanting to give the world of Harry Potter authentic holiday ambience of its own (WILLIAMS CASTS SPELL FOR ‘POTTER’ SCORE By Richard Dyer – The Boston Globe, published November 15, 2001).The music is written for alto, baritone and bass singer, ghosts each performing a brief solo section. This music was originally written unaccompanied but the eerie electronic sheen (similar to that of the Invisibility Cloak) was later added and the voices of the singers, already singing ghostly, were manipulated, achieving a suitable ethereal effect. This version ended up used in and film and on the Original Soundtrack Album.Cast a Christmas SpellMerry Christmas, merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell,Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, cast a Christmas spell.Have a Wondrous Wizard Christmas, have a Merry Christmas day,hover around the sparkling fire, a have a Merry Christmas day.Find a broomstick in your stocking, see the magic on display,Join the owls joyous flocking on this Merry Christmas day.Ding dong, ding dong, ring the Hogwarts bell,ding dong, ding dong, cast a Christmas spell.Ding dong, ding dong, make the Christmas morning bright,Fly high across the sky, light the Christmas night.Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell,Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, cast a Christmas spell.It is unclear whether it was the original intention of the film makers to use both or just one of the pieces in the scene but in the end both versions of this Christmas music were used in the film, the ghost carolers heard briefly in the corridor and the music box music playing shortly after in an equally short statement as Hermione steps into the Great Hall to say goodbye to Harry and Ron before leaving for the holidays.
The Moving Stairs jediking12 2014-11-03 | Soundtrack Album VS Film CueOn the soundtrack album Williams presents the whole Moving Stairs sequence but combines the cue with music from the Children’s Suite, a piece called Hogwarts Forever, scored for French horns, basically a long development of the Hogwarts Theme, which is heard on the OST in its entirety as well. This is another example of how music is moulded into the soundtrack experience the composer wants to create for the listeners.In the MakingThis cue went completely unused in the film, Hermione’s pondering left unscored entirely. Williams apparently wrote two versions of the short cue of which there is the evidence in the sheet music as the title on cue sheet is marked Rev. (= revised).
Mail Drop / Mr Longbottom Flies jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingThe Hogwarts Theme that underscored Madam Hooch inspecting Neville was dialed out of the film, the music continuing as Malfoy and Harry begin their aerial chase. Also the second rendition of Hogwarts Theme as McGonagall and Harry walk through the school was left unscored and the music ends at 3:05 in the film. This was probably done to give the audience a few moments of trepidation for Harry’s fate which the Hogwarts Theme might have dispelled with its generally optimistic tone.
Lonely First Night jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingIn the film this piece went unused, replaced by tracked music from 9M2 Leaving Hogwarts. Interestingly the film makers still used a cue that utilized Harry’s Theme for the scene although they were obviously going for a more openly emotional rendition of it than what is presented in the original cue. This material from the opening of Leaving Hogwarts is edited into the last few seconds of the original piece in the film as Harry and Ron arrive to McGonagall’s class.
Diagon Alley & Gringotts Vault jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingIn the film the opening of the cue remains intact until 0:16 when Diagon Alley is revealed. In the place of the specifically written thematic material for recorder, tambourine and fiddle the film makers used a festive march from a later cue Entry to the Great Hall (3M5) (0:56-end) that underscores the whole promenade through the district up until the reveal of the Gringotts Bank where the original cue with its horn fanfare returns. Further in the scene the original cue is dialed out just as Harry and Hagrid are going to go down to the vaults (2:47) and the rhythmic motif for their vault opening activities is left unheard. The score returns when Harry sees his fortune in the vault (3:22) and continues as written to the end of the scene.The opening of this cue was also revised a number of times during the recording sessions with several attempts at recording an insert for the Baroque/Medieval section and the fiddle solo but sadly in the end the whole passage was discarded in the film.Soundtrack Album VS Film CueThe OST version of the music is a curious hybrid of its own. The opening of the film cue for the disappearing wall is omitted and the Diagon Alley material at the beginning of the track (0:00-1:16) is derived from the Children’s Suite movement of the same name, not the film cue. The film cue continues at 1:17 with the last flourishes before the Gringotts horn fanfare and continues to the end as written. It could be speculated that the composer thought that the film take on the Diagon Alley material was not striking enough so he used the Suite movement instead which does contain a considerably slower and more developed statement of the material.
Yer a Wizard, Harry! jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingIn the film only parts of this cue are used. The opening Hedwig’s theme and the the following dialogue underscore (0:00-0:50) are in place but when Harry receives the letter a short passage of Hedwig’s theme is tracked in place of the Hogwart’s theme. The music for the subsequent dialogue (1:00-2:20) about Harry’s past is dialed out as is the second rendition of Hogwarts’ theme as Hagrid praises Dumbledore. The music then continues as written when Hagrid threatens the Dursleys and plays out all the way to the end of the cue as intended
Hagrids Arrival jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingThe first 25 seconds of opening transitional Hedwig’s theme material was not used in the film and the film makers let the sound effects of storm and waves usher us to the island instead. In the film the music opens with Harry’s theme as we see him forlorn on the floor drawing on the dust.
Letters from Hogwarts jediking12 2014-11-03 | Soundtrack Album VS Film CueThis piece is presented heavily edited and combined with cue 1M5 Mail Delivery, on the Original soundtrack album under the title Visit to the Zoo - Letters from Hogwarts.
Visit to the Zoo jediking12 2014-11-03 | Soundtrack Album VS Film CueThis piece is presented heavily edited and combined with cue 1M5 Mail Delivery, on the Original soundtrack album under the title Visit to the Zoo - Letters from Hogwarts.
Prologue: Arrival of Baby Harry jediking12 2014-11-03 | In the MakingAs might deduced from the slate number 1M2 the Warner Brothers logo was supposed to follow the Prologue in some early incarnation of the film but it was later switched to its final place at the start of the film. Perhaps it was this that necessitated the rewrite of the Hedwig’s Theme for the logo.Soundtrack Album VS Film CueOn the OST album Arrival of Baby Harry corresponds to the 1M1 Prologue for the most part but with one major difference. On the album some of the original music has been cut and replaced, specifically the section running from 1:49 to 2:29 and augmented with music from a completely different source. This additional material is a piece composed and recorded at the recording sessions for a Coca-Cola commercial meant to be used to promote the film and Williams named the piece Hedwig Tries a Coke or Coke Add 60s (naturally it has no cue number). This piece, approximately one minute long, is used in its entirety on the OST. It is inserted into the music at 1:44 of the OST track Arrival of Baby Harry and runs up until 2:44.Hedwig Tries a Coke contains a different celesta opening compared to the woodwinds and strings of the Prologue and opens up to a full choir and orchestra rendition of the A Phrase of Hedwig’s theme. This is followed by a descending flute figures that can be heard in Harry’s Wondrous World that lead into a statement of Harry’s/Family Theme and ends with a robust statement of A Phrase of Hedwig’s Theme on french horns that flows to a quick celesta coda. This is nearly seamlessly edited with the ending portion of the original Prologue. It is a curious editing choice for the sake of listening experience but illustrates the often different nature of the soundtrack album production compared to the actual film score.
