Page 3 Profile: John Williams, composer

John Williams (Getty)

De de de de de de de de... What’s that?

The Jaws theme song. Williams is one of greatest film composers. His work has been recognised with 21 Grammys and he’s been nominated for 48 Oscars, second only to Walt Disney. The soundtrack for Jaws, which has become a universal signal of doom, jumpstarted his career.

Da da da daa da, da da daa da.... That’ll be Star Wars.

The 81-year-old has just signed up to score the seventh instalment in Lucas’s intergalactic series.

Doo doo doo da da, doo doo doo da da.... Jurassic Park?

Williams has also provided scores for all but two of Steven Spielberg’s feature films, including for Close Encounters of The Third Kind, with its five-note signature.

Doo doo doo da-da... That’s the one.

And whether it’s the magic of Harry Potter or the childlike innocence of ET, there’s no arguing he has an unparalleled knack for capturing the spirit of a film.

Da da de de, da da da, da da de de, da da da da... Indiana Jones?

One of his favourites, he’s said he looked back to the ‘melodic swoops’ of old love stories. Now, propelling himself again to that galaxy far, far away, he shows that he’s still able to provide the perfect music for any era, place, or planet.