The Cowboys Overture by John Williams

[1xXnaomiXx2]

@jerryberglund this isn't YS there conductor is Asian

[1xXnaomiXx2]

This song is so fast it's crazy ims in youth symphony ll youth symphony l played this awesomely :)

[zehero134]

playing this in my hs band also

COWBOY OVERTURE Y U O HARD???

[caukasianinja]

So hard to play. Playing it in a High School Honor Band. Can't tongue that fast. Bleh. Great peice though.

[jerryberglund]

Ok, if htis is a youth symphony orchestra its really great played. Kudos!! Its just wonderfull.

[psommerd]

Played this last year, wasn't too difficult by keeping up with all the notes at that speed can be hard.

[th30wn3dpk3r1]

our director told us we'd be playing this, and just by listening to the first 30 seconds i'm really excited!

[BlindDilemma]

@kittysusca Good point. However, if there was no orchestra, I kind of doubt there would be an audience.

[icrest1]

My band is playing this in middle school. It doesnt seem hard though. I cant wait to work on it some more.

[diaperrashable]

holy crap

[skwaag5233]

We were going to play this song but our director got sick and we had to cut thsi piece out :(

[xPremavix]

we're playing this for our high school band and some of it's pretty tough. i have to say though, once you get all the crazy 16th notes down (i play clarinet), it's a really fun piece and i love listening to it.

[Rasterius]

Fantastic trumpet section and overall amazing group well played!

[kittysusca]

I dont think this guy has an orchestra.Why would they NOT show the musicians?Is this a gag?If the conductor is out there,Id love an answer

[IMbirdieful]

@kittysusca It's John Williams. That's all anyone needs to see. :P

[davidmatthies]

@kittysusca Valid question...if you look closely, you'll see the audience behind me. The camera is in a fixed position for the backstage crew to keep track of what's going on on the state. It's not a manned camera, therefore other angles weren't filmed. I wish too that the full orchestra could be seen. It was an amazing time.

[jmfausset]

This isn't John Williams conducting, bit it is worth the watch and this is my favorite score from a film.

[ZackMyslinski]

If you want to see something very stupid yet funny, mute the video and watch john Williams dancing!

[jimbobago]

@ZackMyslinski If you're referring to the conductor in this video, it's not John Williams.

[emtb31]

4 people are hearing impaired

[Awshbuscus]

Playing part of this for a marching parade tune in Marching Band. It's so much fun!

[TheLazyEuphonium]

My middle school is playing a simplified version because this song is 10 min. and we have 5 other songs that we need to do.

[bigbonedp]

Conducting who and where?

There don't seem to be any strings on your left where the concertmaster would normally sit. And the sound is a very studio sound. Just curious...

[alithebee]

I listened to this to hear the harp part but you can barely hear it :(

[1mARv1n]

7:38 ET?! oh wait.. nevermind

[ShY1CAS]

true IRish....ritE faG......anyWAYs..

[gldmj55]

very aaron coplandesque

[redrosetuba]

Pretty good job here.

[VerilidaineStarbuck]

Played this song seven years ago as a second violin in high school orchestra and to this day it's one of my favorites. I have a great recording of my orchestra doing it at the CMEAs. :)

[Fabian95xx]

we play it with the VJBO, we all between 16 and 21 years old.

[austinthebookworm5]

Conductor's pro

[austinthebookworm5]

Thumbs up if Jeff Bond brought you here

[Musicianfromvlbg]

I'm playing it in May with the Military Music Orchestra of Vorarlberg (West Austria)

[missbassoon1992]

bassoon 1 on this song =D playing it for spring concert this year. I am loving the high notes XD

[DevilWearsPradaa]

Have to play this for my wind ensemble evaluation tomorrow. D: Nervous.

[gravics]

Outstanding performance. Very well done.

[GrayMentos]

euphonium part is death

[darkmikolai]

@GrayMentos

srsly



[spartan152ful]

great song to play but hard to play sometimes

[13Orcun]

don t forget his source of inspirations. you can hear similarly from composers like holst, walton. i like his music very much but before him they exist.

[thegoodgeneral]

@13Orcun And before Holst and Walton, there were Rimsky-Korsakov and Strauss and Wagner and Beethoven. You can see certain influences, but their styles are all different. They're only there when you're trying to focus on such things, i.e. ruining it for yourself.

[13Orcun]

@thegoodgeneral yes you are right, but it seems to me more from english composers. i think the most important thing is a degree of orginality in this case. i ve just wanted to remind them and some of them is more similar than others. korsakov and strauss have very different styles.

[jaszybell9]

this song is sooo fun to play lol but at the end you're like out of breath

[wjpp1214]

I don't get what the two people who disliked the video were thinking. Did they decide after clicking on the video that they no longer liked the song? Because there's nothing wrong with sound quality or anything.

[neverforgetsteve]

I am second chair trombone and my high school band is playing this piece. It's not the notes that make it difficult, it's just the counting of the rythms and the upbeats.

[gund2281]

@neverforgetsteve It's also the subtleties of all the accents. When to be louder, when to be softer. It's a grade 6 and it was always one of our favorites to play!

[kailabffjonas]

@neverforgetsteve

Lucky! i Wana Play This!

[Elricfan13]

@neverforgetsteve I'm a flutist ans my school is playing this song, too. The woodwind part is so complicated. Compared to my friend's who is the tuba part.

[MrBrendan111]

Hah we're playing this song in Distrcit Band but its not quite 10 min long xD

[samtheman264]

@WhiteDraenei He writes "real" music as well, I haven't listened to any, but I'm sure it's amazing as well.

[xtaylorlautnerx15]

i am in the marching unit at my school and this is the opening and closing song for us. search TheNBMU

[Picklesthedrummer7]

This movie is such a classic too, the music definatly helps make it amazing!

[johnLA1961]

@Picklesthedrummer7 My favorite John Wayne movie

[btsears]

oops on the piccolo @2:13!

[biodude37]

@btsears What was wrong with the piccolo?

I didn't hear anything wrong... (or did I?)

[btsears]

@biodude37 They came in a beat early.

[Ranger556655]

@MiniBikeOutlaws i got 2 play that!!! =D it was badaaaasssss. im not all that gud and it certainly didnt sound that gud but it was very fun

[collarhorse]

I am currently part of a music camp and for 4 days we have practiced this piece and have very nearly perfected it, it is challenging certainly, and we are only high school students that have auditioned for this camp. Definitely not professionals. Love this piece anyway.

[Immy244]

our music centre's concert band played this at the royal albert hall last night which was amazinggg!!!

[DoubleDChris]

Marvelous orchestra! What's the name of it?

By the way: Good job, davidmatthies!

[hearingmusiconutube]

i love this song. Cant stop hearing it!!!!

[hearingmusiconutube]

the piccolo stands out to much. at some times, it turns very flat and it is very noticable.

[kstroh1000]

Can you please e-mail me kennethstroh@msn.com with the name of the piece of music from the movie The Cowboys-John Wayne, during the movie the boy 'Slim', plays a piece by Antonio Vivaldi. What is the name of that piece of music.

[chiarasany]

Es muy divertida.

[recj2]

we playin this in our middle school band tyvm u dissin us? O.O

[mrbassbone]

This IS the Original John Williams Arrangement and this is being performed NOT by a HS Orchestra but by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

[borntojustlive]

my 6th grade band is playing this. beat it

we rock

[bandgeekjones]

You're playing this in 6th grade? You're gonna get creamed, unless it's a simplified version. It left the wind ensemble at my high school reeling.

[MountDoomPictures]

@borntojustlive

Riiiiiiiiight!

[DarylDallas]

Bravo!

[NiNJaSh0tz]

My 7th grade band is playing this. Very fun for Bb clarinet or Trumpet, i play both :)

[singerguy93]

I'm playing this with Rowan University's concert band. I lovee this piece :D

[ditzy124]

My 8th grade band is playing this (:

[speedyy231]

The best ever

[Ammit5]

Hell yeah! John Williams!

[sklinger]

One of my all time favorite pieces of music! Thanks for posting!!!

[hewyc1]

That's a wonderful conductor! It makes you feel more confident and you actually enjoy a concert with a happy and energized conductor. Does anyone know what orchestra this is?

[BigBlueFan1987]

Song is from one of John Wayne's best movies called the Cowboys

[HEYkidILOVEYOU]

i played this song my sophmore year!

i'm so excited to hear it again[:

[speedyy231]

I played this in Music Camp, a couple years ago... Where I was the oldest kid there, and I was only 13!. A bunch of little kids mastered this song, and it's not an easy song. I love this song.. Brings back memories of the Manhattan School Of Music summer camp.

[samtheclarinetist]

Really? I played it at MSM summer '09. Did they play it in a previous year or were you there that summer? I was only 12, I never really mastered it...

[tboneman15]

My high school wind ensemble is playing this right now and it really isn't that hard. I'm the sole Tuba, so don't you all complain who are going to be doing the All-State for Louisiana.

[shrimptim]

haha someone's big headed

[raelovestby]

Go LMEA. haha.

One week left. :)

[Akama35]

lol wow......so many people from lousiana all state looked this up....now i dont feel left out :P

[lavaball123]

im the tubist for the louisiana all state orchestra

it should be fun!

[tangdynasty]

whoa! You wouldn't happen to live in Louisiana, would you? We're doing this piece for All-State... =P

[raelovestby]

Heyyy! I'm in all-state too! 1st violins!!!

[voicesinurhead01]

Tight, looks like a lot of people looked up the piece on Youtube including myself. I'm 4th horn.

[AZNcelly]

I play cello btw, and I'm in the all-state orchestra. doing this. Wish me luck!

[AZNcelly]

Oh my GOSH!! I'm gonna suck at this! T_T BUT I WILL DO THIS. I WILL.

[failmeister51]

John Williams is the man, we played this song last year in our band

[dnarbredlih]

Tah Kah Tah

[dnarbredlih]

My middle school band might play this at the end of the year, frankly, I'm exctited

[zanelloluca]

great explosion on 6:22! wonderful excitment!

[mattmaker1]

my high school marching spartans of sycamore illinois is playing this piece [shorten] as our opening for "Copland and Cowboys" for a marching band show, i play susaphone and i love the piece :)

[matts05]

im from illinois too and we played this song too. sycamore, eh? do u no aaron klein? lolololol

[MEthistime]

Take a listen to John Williams theme song for Hithcock's last film, "Family Plot" if you get the chance. Also great, just like most everything John Williams lays his hands on.

[ForTheMusic83]

I played this last year. It was AWFUL. But it is a spectacular piece.

[darkangel2008hk]

who compose it .. it is soooo good

[shinnerbeer]

John Williams

[JustUs756]

i love how into it he gets =] my band is playing this song at graduation and we could rlyy use some help

[cougars644]

I played this song in high school it was just an incredible song to play.

[3ll3ogator]

this is like the best song ever not including copland's rodeo :]

[firestar124]

I like that part that starts a 4:55

[TheMikester307]

I think it has a little of the flavor of Copland in it but it's all Williams and all wonderful!

[jerryboi511]

The middle part of the song always sends chills down my spine. I like how it slowly builds up from melancholy to majestic, then back again. Great piece.

[Boomayy]

This is absolutely amazing! My band is play Evening at the Pops or something like that, which has 4 of his songs in it. This is one of them. :D

[the85darkknight]

I did this one in high school. It's the most memorable John Williams work that I did not know at the time. I wish everyone could see the report I submitted to the IBO about John Williams. He has inherited and advanced the work of Bernard Hermann.

[firestar124]

Really? I did this in middle school.

[Allicat8318]

John Williams is the greatest film composer to ever live.

[themickeymouseband]

You said it. 100 years from now people will still listen to Williams. He is the classical music guru.

[TheJoshuaCarter]

@themickeymouseband too bad John Williams wasn't alive in the "classical" era of music. n00b. He is a 20th century composer.

[JWFan221]

@themickeymouseband: his music is technically called pop- because its popular..... :-)

[smarman12]

working on this peice currently

[Clarinet1986]

That's yo cool. We want to play it with our

wind orchestra and played it the first time yesterday and it's great - and funny :)

[F45B]

We just played this 2 concerts ago, such a fun piece to play!

The melody gets shared around quite a bit also so everyone gets a taste of it.

We had a joke that this song should be called "The Space Cowboys" due to the similarities with some of his later work :D

[Leglibe]

I played this at All-State Senior Orchestra a few weeks ago. It's now my favorite piece.

[xxxSleepmanZzz]

maryland all state?

and its my favorite also, especially the slow part in the middle, so peaceful, all the other parts are so moving and energetic, just love it

[egmies]

what orchestra?

[alejocello]

I didn't know this Williams' work. It is great. I loved your playing, and, the trumpet solo at 5:41 was beautifully played.

[MattCockburn]

this song will always shoot me back to being 10 years old and my dad bringing home the cowboys on VHS. i still feel like a kid when i see it and I hate bruce dern for killing the Duke!

[wesj1989]

One of my favorite John Williams songs. The man is brilliant!!

[PinkPanther30330]

I played my 8th grade in year in the all district honor band...hard but totally worth it!

[sworly]

listening to this piece makes me happy

[Maynardthe2nd]

how, the horns are crazy at the beggining

[AliceXx93]

it would have been nice to see the band :S

[h2osprey]

it's not a band, it's an orchestra

[49912132]

we played this nd recorded it . Great fun :D

[tenniscrazy2]

I love this one. Beautiful song.

[plaba2007]

wow whoevers playing...there good...but...

it seemes like they're falling behind or something...

the director is kinda rushing at some points

[cheddart11]

were playing the original wich is this one at my skool its so dam long and double tounging make it harder

[sekusinu]

I forgot who asked me. But they wanted to know if they should single or double lounge. I would recommend double if you can do it.

[sotsclarinet08]

hey thanks, i have not heard this which surprised me ha. My university marching band is playing this (Troy University Sound of the South) for our 2nd show and I needed to hear what it was like. Great Job!

[Branflakes126493]

this song is really fun to play on trumpet. awesome video.

[sekusinu]

I'm playing first horn for the concert this Sunday. I love the horn part for this!

[singingdollxo]

im playing the first horn part too in my orchestra! i'm having trouble on tongueing it though, single or double?

[sekusinu]

Double if you can.

[bobdylanrules]

great song I play the euphonium and it is a very tough part since some of the places that the strings have the melody we are having to play and it is all double tounging. The orchestra playing this was really good.

[LaMusicaVa]

This is one of my absolute favorite film scores. I think 'The Cowboys' is one of those films that would be nothing without their musical score. If you listen carefully to the soundtrack, and then watch the film again, you'll see what a master John Williams is at underscoring action with just exactly the right music.

[gab1279]

Wow, outstanding orchestra!! Love the energy from the podium. :) Thanks for posting this great piece!

[TCFHendo]

Im a senior in high school playing this. Im in the wind ensemble, Tuba, one of the finest tuba players in my county, and this piece is hard. If your playing this in middle school you are amazing. The tuba part consist of DOBULT TONGUING and i play the melody, whic his constant 16th notes. It is no easy task for a tuba player to double tongue mind you!

[llamagangster25]

what the person underneath me said!

:O

[beastmodeee25]

wow everyone says it's so hard..

even though my middle school band is playing it lol

losers!

:)

[theTalkingRice]

then its probably the watered-down version

or maybe u go to a school designed for middle-school musicians

[LS6FD]

That's because you're not playing the actual version dumbass

[lazybreeze13]

THANK YOU. That's so applicable to anyone who played this at levels below high school wind ensembles/collegiate bands. The theme of the song may have been taken, but it's doubtful that inexperienced players were able to get through this entire song and manage to receives superiors.

[qtktpi]

i agree, it's pretty difficult, and most anyone under those levels cannot even tongue that fast

[jakepirtle]

I guarantee it's not the john williams arrangement. And if they are playing the john williams arrangement, then will sound like crap, because NO middle school band in the nation can play the john williams arrangement of the cowboys well.

[ZeroAxlXpwnage]

mine did...not telling cuz well its internet so i cant tell u wat skool but we got unanimous superiors wen we performed

[dnarbredlih]

Ahem, excuse me but i think differently : (

[mrbassbone]

@jakepirtle

You would lose that guarantee. This IS the John Williams arrangement and performed by The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I have played both the Concert Band transcription as well as Williams arrangement.

Shell

Bass Trombone

The Mantovani Orchestra

US NAVY MUSICIAN RETIRED

[speedyy231]

@jakepirtle Thats not necessarily true. I went to a music camp a few years back, it was hosted at the Manhattan School of Music. I was the oldest. I was 13 at the time, and they mastered this song in two weeks! But, hey were the best musician kids in NYC, so I guess thats not a middle school.

[kawaiifuu]

This song is so beautiful. TT^TT I'm playing this in my high school Wind Ensemble, and it definitely poses challenges! Aahhh it's so wonderful!!! *3* Really really lovely job, the dynamics were fantastic --- the musicality too!!~ <3 Lovely lovely~~~

[jorgepba]

Gracias. Excelente interpretación de esta bella overtura del maestro.

[ignikamatoro]

clarkse monergmery.

[ignikamatoro]

sorta thanks. Tuba are ccol.

[ignikamatoro]

Listen to Hobo, jimmy, besides we were in the same band in allcounty.

[Jimmytuba08]

Was the version you played exactly like this? If it was, congrats! This isn't an easy piece even for college players.

[an1m3add1ct]

what county are you in?i also played this song in an all county band a couple of months ago

[HoboTehOboe]

We played this for All-County but in a version without all the strings and that. It was really fun. Its a really cool song as long as you dont mess it up. Btw I played Clarinet on this song.

[ignikamatoro]

It was easy,eh?

[Jimmytuba08]

No, no... Don't get wrong...I'm not saying it was easy...I just can't imagine 7th graders playing a DIRECT transcription of this piece...as in everything is exactly the same as in this video only without all the strings...the reason I say this is because I'm playing this for a concert next week with the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. Even the tuba part, the part I play, is in no way shape or form easy. I'm not saying y'all are bad...I kinda went a little overboard with my earlier comment...

[savexmyxsoul]

in my 8th grade band we're playing this, but a rearranged version lol. but my teacher she played this for us and we were all shocked lol. it's lovely.

[yullian20]

I can't get enough of this! Makes me want to go riding my horses out west!!

[Icemansax]

what are you conducting?

[ignikamatoro]

In allcounty we played this.

Note;: I am a 7th grade oboe and made all county 1st chair.

[Jimmytuba08]

The version you played was probably MUCH easier than this...no offense, but I can't see a 7th grader playing a piece of this calibur unless it was an incredibly simplified version...

[ignikamatoro]

I'm not that bad now ask Hobo, she knows.

[HoboTehOboe]

Well we sounded amazing and it wasnt as easy as you probably think it is. Oh and Im not in 7th grade. Im in 8th. But I play much better than that and so does ignikmatoro. He's a really good oboe player. But even if it was easy we were amazing and didnt mess like anything up. So with that being said.....ALL-COUNTY WAS AMAZING FOR US!!!!!

[Jimmytuba08]

I stand corrected...sry...I was all too quick to jump to the stereotipical middle school player tag...I wasn't good enough to even attempt this piece in middle school...y'all've got a bright future ahead of you if you can play this up to par in middle school.

[caliLAB]

John Williams is my favorite!!

I played this in symphony a couple of years ago. What a great piece.

[Dragonsview]

I love J. William's "The Cowboys", but I really enjoyed watching the conductor dance around :D I hope I'm that energetic when I become a band director :)

[bookishmuch]

This is one of my favorite pieces of his, it is so great and such a fabulous movie too!! GO John Wayne, he is the ultimate!!! My other other favorite score is Schindler's List, it is just so beautiful and heart rending, but this is so happy and yet so deep at the same time. absolutely perfect.

[kipmarlap]

perfect music,perfect conducting, perfect song, the whole thing was genious. Thank You for posting this awsom video, i really enjoyed all of it. (o:

Excellent piece, although it is not as popular as some of William's other works, it is still amazing. In my opinion, it is one of his best. I am curious though, what are you conducting to? Anyway, thanks for posting. I have been looking