JUST DOWN WEST STREET ... on the left

JOHN WILLIAMS (b. 1932) wrote JUST DOWN WEST STREET…on the left for the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra as a birthday gift for the TMC’s 75th anniversary in 2015. He says of the piece, “JUST DOWN WEST STREET…on the left offers a simple directional guide from the monument in Lenox, and it is also the title of this little piece from which, I hope, the players of the TMC Orchestra might derive some small pleasure. It is also my hope that it might offer them a modest opportunity to remind us all of how lucky we are to have them.” This brief work joins the ranks of the concerto for orchestra genre, showcasing the special qualities of each orchestral section and, as the composer suggests, giving each performer something fun to play.