Schindler’s List bests Chariots of Fire and Star Wars as favourite film score
John Williams’ score to Schindler’s List has been voted the nation’s favourite piece of film music.
The composer’s Oscar-winning accompaniment to Ste - ven Spielberg’s 1993 feature, about a German businessman who saved more than 1,000 lives during the Holocaust, topped the list compiled by Classic FM and Radio Times.
The film also knocked Howard Shore’s score for The Lord Of The Rings off the top spot this year, while Hans Zimmer’s music for Gladiator was in third.
John Barr y took fourth and fifth with Out Of Africa and Dances With Wolves respectively.
Williams secured five entries in the top 20, including Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone and ET The Extra-terrestrial. He told Classic FM: “I’d like to express my gratitude to the listeners of Classic FM for selecting my music from Schindler’s List for this high honour. It was a privilege to be involved in the making of this film, and it’s very gratifying to know that so many people around the world continue to embrace it after nearly 30 years.”
Italian composer Ennio Morricone had three entries – The Mission, Cinema Paradiso and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly – in the top 20 following his death in July aged 91.
More than 21,000 votes were cast by Classic FM listeners and Radio Times readers.
Andrew Collins, presenter of Saturday Night At The Movies on Classic FM and Radio Times’ film editor, said: “It’ s been awhile since we polled the discerning listeners of Classic FM and readers of Radio Times about their favourite film themes and what we learn about their choices is that the greatest hits remain immovably and unimprovably great.
“Nobody would deny the near permanence of John Barry or the late Ennio Morricone or the trailblazing Vangelis in any top ten.
“The Lord Of The Rings, a true masterwork of narrative scope and innate personality, will always give the other fabulous scores something to aim for.”