Overview

"I wrote The Mission Theme in 1984 at the request of the NBC News Division, and was delighted when they chose it as their musical signature for the NBC Nightly News featuring Tom Brokaw. Although used in small sound-bite versions, the music was heard each night during Mr. Brokaw's long and distinguished career at NBC.

While writing this piece I remembered my father expertly tapping out Morse Code signals, or the clatter of the old ticker tape, so I decided to start the music with a kind of allusive reference to these pre-Internet means of news delivery. The opening figure provided a rhythmic pulse over which I could lay the main Mission theme.

Because of time constraints common to the medium, I don't believe the full version presented here has ever been heard on television, and so if orchestras and audiences might derive a little pleasure from this piece without the aid of their TV sets, I would feel as though we're having a truly good-news day."

John Williams

Score Specs

Duration 3:30

26 pages

10"x14" spiral bound full orchestral study score

Instrumentation

FLUTE 1
FLUTE 2
PICCOLO (Flute)
OBOE 1
OBOE 2
ENGLISH HORN
Bb CLARINET 1
Bb CLARINET 2
BASSOON 1
BASSOON 2
BASSOON 3

F HORN I
F HORN 2
F HORN 3
F HORN 4
Bb TRUMPET 1
Bb TRUMPET 2
Bb TRUMPET 3

TROMBONE 1
TROMBONE 2
BASS TROMBONE
TUBA

TIMPANI
PERCUSSION SCORE
PERCUSSION 1 (Snare Drum, Field Drum, Piatti)
PERCUSSION 2 (Chimes, Vibes, Sus. Cym.)
PERCUSSION 3 (Glockenspiel, Chimes)

HARP
PIANO

VIOLIN 1
VIOLIN 2
VIOLA
VIOLONCELLO
CONTRABASS