Summon the Heroes is a one-movement orchestral composition written for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The piece is the third of four compositions that John Williams has written for the Olympics.
Jon Burlingame described the piece as having "antiphonal brass choirs" and added that it was "longer and more complex" than Williams' previous Olympic compositions. Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks has also noted "Roman and Greek-like historical appeal" in the brass writing that the work "featured with nobility."
All the titles in the Full Orchestra series have been placed in a practical, accessible format which can be performed by school orchestras with confidence.
Instrumentation
conductor
1x flute 1
1x flute 2
1x piccolo
1x oboe 1
1x oboe 2
1x Bb clarinet 1
1x Bb clarinet 2
1x Bb bass clarinet
1x bassoon 1
1x bassoon 2
1x Bb trumpet 1
1x Bb trumpet 2
1x Bb trumpet 3
1x horn in F 1
1x horn in F 2
1x horn in F 3
1x horn in F 4
1x trombone 1
1x trombone 2
1x trombone 3
1x tuba
1x timpani
2x percussion 1
2x percussion 2
1x piano
1x harp
8x violin 1
8x violin 2
8x viola
4x cello
4x bass
