1996 Atlanta Opening Ceremonies - Summon the Heroes

[international153]

Great, just great. The previous Olympic opening ceremonies are just truly wonderful from Moscow, Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and Beijing. They're just wonderful. I can't express the wonderful feeling when watching these ceremonies by words, unlike the London crap, Britons have no knowledge of the Olympics even someone said, "opening ceremony london 2012 should be 2000 topless babes" bah! That was the worst comment ever. A lot of countries would boycott if it was did.

[Radders123]

Man I love a good opening ceremony and this was superb!



[pianoking53]

I wish I had been there...too bad I was just a year old. :/

[thelibbysu]

Me and my high school band are playing this same song right now :) John Williams is a great composer :)

[andikac]

it should be Athens' games but the theme song the Power of the Dream is a great work

[edwardinkling]

I was there!

I was five...but I was there!

[Jetli390]

@edwardinkling I was three!! Wasn't it just awesome??

[MageofDarkness1984]

A Green Slipknot member at 2:36

[belcunto]

@MageofDarkness1984 ahhahahah!

[andreidavidcandrianu]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!

[XavifromSeville]

John Williams is one of the best composers ever!! :)

[OrionArmyAngel]

I will place this beautiful video and composition by John Williams in my orange Apple iPod and listen to this special moment while walking.

[belcunto]

@OrionArmyAngel yeah you go girlfriend - you do just that !! Ex-oh, Ex-oh.

[DatbeRight]

This was when Atlanta was white, damn!

[pardomauri]

Breathtaking, glorious, uplifting.

[harleykman]

I wish Bob Costas would shut up

.

and let me hear the music

.

[stevensondavid096]

@harleykman

I do agree si much. I thought for sure he would talk through Jessye Norman's later finale solo

[marselmt]

Um luxo a música

[Ebola112]

great music. john williams is a geenius

[v10lini5t19921993]

My parents once took me to see John Williams and the Boston Pops perform, but that was when I lived in Massachusetts, and it was when I was a baby. He writes very emotional music.

[trackside77]

John Williams is the greatest, when it comes to writing anthems for the Olympic Games. Being British I hope he's asked to write one for 2012, especially as we seem to have a lack of talented musical writers. I dread to think what we might get. Some ghastly girly group.

[darkprose]

If there is anything wrong with these incredible rituals and music, it is only that we don't live up to our own ideals. This is wonderful. John Williams forever!

[papinsac]

John Williams has been doing the games theme since 1984

[gabbynewneo]

John Williams is the best composer of our time.

[KDALove]

Hans Zimmer?

[Towmotorseth]

@KDALove I'm a fan of Hans Zimmer, but he does not compare to John Williams.

[lawtzelap]

@gabbynewneo no doubt about it man

[gicrazyeye]

@gabbynewneo he and howard shore yes. (not danny tho) lol

[xlilxtillx]

i have to play this soon cant wait !

[jonnyboy9464]

i had to play it at my high school's graduation ceremony (for the seniors)

[DarkestLord]

Great Music. Too bad it is ruined by the communist puke spewed by the NBC announcers.

[KDALove]

Great music. Too bad it's ruined by random youtubers injecting politics into this video.

[darkprose]

Yeah, true, communist puke with its idea of people coming together under a common humanity. Good thing democracy isn't anything like that. Whew!

[Pow1583]

I played this in a honor band, its by far one of the most enjoyable pieces to play if the parts are played right.

[vikingguardgurl]

we're trying to play this in band... it's really really hard!

[adkii07]

John Williams Is the Man!!

[xcs0cr201318]

is there anything that john Williams did not write

[isamec]

Star Trek XD

[dorf213]

living legend

[Hairysteed]

I like the 1984 Olympic theme and fanfare better

[CptReed]

just me or does it sound like it belongs in star trek

[sargentaaron2004]

I'm glad someone recorded it, it was this very moment that changed my life forever!

[dmb449]

Your right Samaranch did hate Atlanta from the begining...this was the greatest opening ceremony ever..not to mention the greatest games ever were it counts...in the competitions.

[sportysocrchik98]

Juan Antonio Samaranch hated Atlanta from the beginning so he never was going to give credit when things were good...

John Williams is arguably the best conductor and memorable American composer of the 20th century

[Jetli390]

@sportysocrchik98 He's one of the best of the World!!

[MasterSanders]

Williams and the ASO, the Coolest Combo ever!

[UFOSPACE1999]

they totally fucked up the coverage by talking and talking and talking over the music. SHUT DA FUCK UP!!! They got so much hate mail and so many critics calling for them to shut up during the musical parts, on the next olympics they all shut the fuck up!!!

[90klop]

athens was much better i liked the dj tiesto music and the whole greek mythologie stuff

[alexxzz2008]

agree 1000%

[mwk89]

when you think Olympics music you think this and the Olympic fanfare

[Branflakes126493]

exactly.

[gamedude507]

This was one of the greatest opening ceremonies ever!

[aznn3rd]

You're kidding right? Atlanta was arguably the worst Olympic Ceremonies ever. Even the IOC former president agrees, by not calling it the "best olympics" as he did for every other olympic game ceremony

[mrjinx87]

I think the fact that a bomb blew up in the Olympic Park had something to do with him not calling this the "Best Olympics Ever", don't you think?

[aznn3rd]

that could have been something to do with it. As well as the over-commercialization of the games from a display of genuine culture to a pop culture/ capitalism extravaganza

[ugahush]

Yes and every game since then has been commercial to some extent.

[dnmukhra]

Hells no. Are you on crack or something? Beijing olympics were the best ever. Their opening ceremonies and olympic venues put the Atlanta olympics to shame! Deep down inside, you know it too sucka!!!

[xthewilliam]

haha yeah the show was good.

but the music

wasnt even close to

john williams

[trcline100]

@dnmukhra I can agree, however Beijing was in 2008, Atlanta was in 1996. They did the best they could for the time period.

[isamec]

John Williams is a composer of world peace!!!

[froglover710]

I played this last weekend at ICC with the army band. It was an amazing experience and i absolutly LOVE this song.

[Kenikex]

Summon the Heroes is a lovely piece, BUT, it doesn't compare to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Theme, which is still used today in some broadcasts for any Olympic Games.

[gamedude507]

This theme is also still used in the broadcasts today.

[acoustic8y3]

I love John Williams, but let's not forget his mentor: Bernard Herrmann

[chrshammer]

I hear a lot of different influences in his works; Richard Wagner, Copeland ...

[RealSkyDiver2]

pretty good but the 84 version is still the best.

[alabhaois]

What an absolutely beautiful song!!

[sritger]

John Williams is the MAN...his music is simply breathtaking!

[ligyro]

John Williams is a legend. Greatest composer to ever live.

[supersporkspank]

With the possible exception of elpsiconaufrago, I must be the only person who thinks John Williams is grossly overrated. I've heard people claim Williams is as great as Beethoven; I have no idea why, and it annoys me that people think of him as the "Olympic" composer.

André Matthieu's music for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal was breathtaking. John Williams' music is formulaic and boring to me. I really hope that a Chinese composer will write the music for Beijing 2008, and not John Williams.

[woodyhayes47]

Wow! I respect your opinion...but you must be the first person I've ever heard say John Williams is overrated lol.

[supersporkspank]

Thank you. I appreciate that! :)

[acoustic8y3]

Anyone who has 5 oscars and was nominated 45 times is overrated. But that still doesn't deny his brilliance. The man is no beethoven, but his music often brings tears to my eyes in emotional climaxes. He IS the beethoven of cinema, I guess. Taking over in Bernard Herrmann's shoes.

[spyderwalk]

During Beethoven's time, people said "He's no Mozart" :) They were right. :)

[NitekMuscle]

*picks jaw up off floor*

[j386638]

brilliant composer

brilliant orchestra

brilliant choreography

brilliant scenery

stupid commentator

[woodyhayes47]

hahaha, well put. those commentators never shut up!

[elpsiconaufrago]

John Williams puto!

[DralionProductions]

I fell in love with this when my alma mater's marching band performed this a few years ago.

[Letissiaskatetapes]

8/11/07

God I just love John Williams. Beside the 84 & 96 Summer Games he did "Call of the Champions" in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Those Opening Ceremonies in SLC still bring me too tears over 5 years later. No one does it better than John Williams.

[xSPHVIPERx]

John Williams is the man. Every composer can learn how to compose from HIM

[Phantom034]

That opening with all the trumpets around the stadium,GOD THAT WAS AWSOME!

[akawhippy]

AHHHHHH memories

[Armada1588]

Why do commentators make the dumbest comments at the worst times? Watch the next Olympics and see if I'm wrong; I really wish they would just shut up and let the viewers enjoy what's going on. Oh, and John Williams rocks.

(

[Kevindl1985]

I know seiously. I think we can pretty much tell what's going on during the show or just tell us befor it starts so we can hear the music.

[seahawksfan2006378]

100% agree

[arbitterm]

Oh I agree. They just end up coming off as cheesy and melodramatic. The music creates the feeling of awe, not thier stupid little comments.

[chrismm14]

this is fantastico

[wugmuffin]

Never fails to send shivers!

[vinciandrea]

john Williams is fantastic!!

[euzicos]

awesome symphony.. i remember this orchestra. when i was 13 years old..

[amdwalker30349]

I agree.

John Williams is one of the best composers of our time.

[SchwarzeWitwe2]

Oh definitely.

[h3lls4int]

I always loved John William's music. The ''Summon The Heroes'' was one of the greatest themes for any olympic game.