Final Concert Scores Announced

The full program for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary Gala Concert is here! On Monday, October 20 at 8:00 PM, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz salutes iconic Hollywood movie scores—Broadway sparkle, animated adventure, sharp satire, and sweeping epics—by John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Elmer Bernstein, Kander & Ebb, Jule Styne, and more, spotlighting Jewish themes and voices.

Concert Program

“Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof

Vocals: Brad Raymond, The Temple Singers
Rousing and communal, this opening number embodies the heartbeat of Jewish life, blending humor, hardship, and enduring faith. Composer Jerry Bock created a rich tapestry woven from Eastern European Jewish klezmer music, Russian folk influences, and the traditions of American musical theater. Expanded for film by John Williams, the score earned his first Academy Award, marking a landmark in cinematic music that celebrates heritage and continuity.

“Suite” from The Ten Commandments

Majestic in scope, this sweeping suite transforms the story of Exodus into an awe-inspiring sonic journey. Composer Elmer Bernstein’s score radiates both divine power and human perseverance, pairing thunderous brass with solemn strings to elevate DeMille’s grand vision. Its commanding tone set the standard for biblical epics and stands as one of the most enduring examples of Hollywood’s golden-age symphonic storytelling.

“Suite” from Sophie’s Choice

Lyrical yet devastating, this suite mirrors the emotional architecture of Sophie’s memory, shifting from tenderness to despair. Composer Marvin Hamlisch writes with restrained romanticism, allowing silence and dissonance to speak as powerfully as melody. His score became an indelible counterpart to Meryl Streep’s performance, its aching beauty amplifying the story’s moral weight and standing among cinema’s most haunting portraits of remembrance.

“Titles” from Chariots of Fire

Propelled by shimmering synthesizers and spiritual undertones, this unforgettable theme by composer Vangelis redefined the modern film score. Its rhythmic pulse mirrors the perseverance of Harold Abrahams, the Jewish athlete whose victory transcended prejudice. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Score, its fusion of electronic texture and emotional purity endures as an anthem of faith, ambition, and human triumph.

“Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl

Vocals: Deb Bowman
Brassy, confident, and unapologetically bold, this showpiece channels the determination of Fanny Brice, the vaudeville comedienne who rose from obscurity to fame. Composer Jule Styne’s vibrant orchestration fuels Barbra Streisand’s star-making turn, blending Broadway vitality with cinematic flair. The song turns personal chutzpah into a universal anthem of ambition and authenticity—a sparkling manifesto for anyone taking the spotlight.

“Cabaret” from Cabaret

Vocals: Deb Bowman
Glamorous yet foreboding, this dazzling showpiece captures a world spinning toward chaos. Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb wrote with biting irony, turning exuberance into warning as freedom gives way to fear. Ralph Burns’s Academy Award-winning scoring adaptation heightened the tension between decadence and danger, showing how the joy of performance can mask a nation’s descent into darkness.

“Theme” from Schindler’s List

Soloist: Lauren Roth
For Steven Spielberg’s landmark Holocaust film, composer John Williams crafted a haunting and elegiac violin-led meditation that gives voice to sorrow too deep for words. First interpreted by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, the music weaves grief and grace into a single breath. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Score, it endures as a requiem of memory and mercy, reminding audiences that even in silence, the soul can still sing.

“Somewhere Out There” from An American Tail

Vocals: Leigh Ellen Jones, Brad Raymond
Heartfelt and universal, this tender ballad gives voice to immigrant dreams and the bonds of family reaching across distance and time. Composer James Horner, with lyricists Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, created a melody that transcends generations. Winner of two Grammy Awards including Song of the Year, the beloved anthem endures as a timeless expression of hope, reunion, and the courage to believe love can bridge any divide.

“Main Title” from Blazing Saddles

Vocals: Brad Raymond, The Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir & The Temple Singers
Raucous, rowdy, and gloriously irreverent, this rollicking Western anthem rides tall while winking at every cliché. Composer John Morris and writer-director Mel Brooks crafted the song as both homage and send-up, with crooner Frankie Laine singing his heart out in earnest—unaware it was for a comedy. The result is a pitch-perfect parody of frontier heroics, where booming bravado and sly swagger capture the film’s fearless humor and gleeful dismantling of Hollywood mythmaking.

“Main Title” from High Anxiety

Pulsing, suspenseful, and wickedly playful, this mock-thriller overture dives into Hitchcock territory with gleeful precision. Composer John Morris crafts a sly spoof of Bernard Herrmann’s signature Hitchcock sound, weaving rapid string tremolos, blaring brass, and eerie pauses into waves of comic tension. Each excessive flourish heightens the film’s offbeat paranoia, turning fear itself into an orchestrated punchline of cinematic delight.

“Medley” from The Producers

Explosive, cheeky, and gleefully audacious, this medley stitches together multiple songs from one of the most daring and subversive musicals in cinema history. Composer John Morris and writer-director Mel Brooks, in their first film collaboration, crafted music as intentionally absurd and tasteless as the story itself. A landmark in musical irony, it transforms parody into art, blending satire, melody, and sheer comic bravado in perfect chaos.

“When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt

Vocals: Deb Bowman, Leigh Ellen Jones, Hannah Klein, Brad Raymond, The Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir & The Temple Singers
Soaring and inspirational, this climactic hymn embodies the triumph of faith and freedom. Composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz unite sweeping orchestration with intimate prayer, weaving English and Hebrew lyrics that echo the ancient Exodus story. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the universal message extends beyond creed and culture, affirming that miracles remain possible when courage and belief endure.