Summon The Heroes: Virtual Orchestra

2020
Editor & Producer
Social Content

At the height of isolation due to the pandemic in April 2020, we decided to put together a virtual orchestra in honor of all of the frontline workers. I assembled each individual musician’s submitted video and pieced together the ensemble despite them being scattered across the country. Originally released on YouTube and other social platforms, the segment was later included in the Boston Pops A Salute to our Heroes broadcast in July 2020.

This video won 2 New England Emmy Awards – Editing Short-Form for myself, and Audio for my colleague Nick Squire.

The Boston Pops Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, performs a musical video tribute, Summon the Heroes—featuring the work originally composed by John Williams for the 1996 Olympic Games—as a tribute to today’s first responders who are providing critical and needed services during the Covid-19 epidemic. John Williams joins the virtual tribute with a musical and spoken introduction taped from his home studio in Los Angeles.

The Boston Pops musicians themselves conceived of the idea of a “virtual orchestra” rendition of Summon the Heroes as the perfect piece of music to honor Covid-19 front line and essential workers. Nearly 80 musicians recorded their individual parts in their basement, kitchen, living room, or bedroom! John Williams wrote Summon the Heroes for the 1996 Olympic Games, marking the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games.

Dedicated to the Boston Pops principal trumpet at the time, Tim Morrison, the work was also recorded by the Boston Pops as part of a CD of the same name. BSO Recording Engineer Nick Squire and Video Engineer Brandon Cardley, working from their homes, edited the audio and video from 86 individually submitted video files to create the musicians’ gift to all who are giving so much of themselves during this time.