"The Mission" is an

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

l suite composed by John Williams in 1985 as a

television news music Television news music is used by television stations to brand their news operations. Each television station uses an identifiable news theme; some themes are used by multiple stations while others are composed specifically for a certain station. ...

package for

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

. It consists of four movements: ''The Mission'', used for ''

NBC Nightly News ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' for its weeknight broadcasts since June 22, 2015) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NB ...

'', with variations used for some other NBC programs, ''Fugue for Changing Times'', used for ''Before Hours'' during 1987–1988'', Scherzo for Today'', used for ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' until 1990, and ''The Pulse of Events'', used by ''

Meet the Press ''Meet the Press'' is a weekly American television news/interview program broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though the current format bears little resemblance to the debut episode on November 6, 1947. ' ...

'' and special

breaking news Breaking news, interchangeably termed late-breaking news and also known as a special report or special coverage or news flash, is a current issue that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming or current news in orde ...

reports.

History

At the time Williams was approached to write the NBC News suite, he was already well known for his work on ''Star Wars'', ''Superman'', and '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. NBC engaged Williams due to the network's desire to contrast with the synthesized music common for news programs at the time. Williams stated he wanted to convey the concepts of nobility of purpose, consistency, and dignity. The original recordings were made with an 80-piece orchestra.

Movements

The suite consists of four

movements Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...

. The original recording included two versions of each movement to open and close each show, and eleven bumpers conveying varying moods.

''The Mission''

The first movement is also called ''The Mission'', and has been used for ''

'' since September 9, 1985. It has also been known as ''The Sound of the News''. Its opening features a distinctive syncopated fanfare over a violin line. A reviewer for ''Slate'' compared it to the work of Richard Strauss and

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

, and noted that the piece makes "you feel that you’ve been asked to join an exciting journey for truth.” ''The Mission'' was re-recorded in October 2004 with a 100-piece orchestra conducted by Williams at the

Sony Pictures Studios The Sony Pictures Studios is an American television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard (south), Washington Boulevard (north), Overland Avenue (west) and ...

. This recording has a crisper and cleaner sound. The opening theme of ''The Mission'' was updated on November 8, 2004, in preparation for Brian Williams succeeding

Tom Brokaw Thomas John Brokaw (; born February 6, 1940) is an American retired network television journalist and author. He first served as the co-anchor of ''The Today Show'' from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of '' ...

as the anchor on ''Nightly News'', and the closing theme of ''The Mission'' was updated on March 26, 2007, as the program began broadcasting in high-definition. Another update was made in 2011, containing only subtle changes. Variations of ''The Mission'' have also been used for ''

NBC News at Sunrise ''NBC News at Sunrise'' is an American early morning television news program that aired on NBC from August 1, 1983 to September 6, 1999. The program featured the top news headlines of the morning, sports and weather reports, and business segment ...

'' prior to 1996, for ''

The Chris Matthews Show ''The Chris Matthews Show'' was a half-hour weekend news and political round table program produced by NBC News. It was taped in Washington, D.C., and nationally syndicated by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. The program debuted on September ...

'', and for ''

'' from 1990 to 2013, when it was replaced with a new piece by

Adam Gubman Adam Gubman (born April 7, 1979) is an American songwriter, arranger, and composer. Gubman's work varies from music from video games to pop and to television program's soundtrack, and it has been featured on dozens of television shows and comm ...

conveying a "more newsy and less cinematic" sound. The theme has also been used on some NBC affiliates for their local newscasts. Australia's

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia ...

adopted the original theme for its

news bulletins News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or televi ...

in the late 1980s. Seven has since updated its version of the theme three times independently from NBC that each have utilized a modernized "hard news" cadence compared to the original theme's strictly orchestral composition. One Seven Network affiliate,

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

(for its ''Nightly News'') in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, also use the theme for their local news programming. Before 2015, the intro for the news of the Radio Television of Djibouti also used to feature a short part of the Seven Network's theme.

''Fugue for Changing Times''

'' Fugue for Changing Times'' was used for ''Before Hours'', a 15-minute early morning business news program hosted by Bob Jamieson, which aired between March 1987 and September 1988.

''Scherzo for Today''

''Scherzo for Today'' is a short two-minute piece composed for use as the opening theme of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ''

''. Its mood was intended to be celebratory and flashy. Like most scherzos, it is light and upbeat, and utilizes ternary or "ABA" form. The "A" theme, carried by the strings, is rather jumpy and loud, with the

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

serving as a raucous accompaniment, and the "B" theme, the theme of ''The Today Show'', is smoother and more melodic. The new music gave the program a distinctly modern and refined sound. The music was used until 1990, when it was replaced with a variation on ''The Mission''.

''The Pulse of Events''

''The Pulse of Events'' was originally intended for

midterm election Apart from general elections and by-elections, midterm election refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the term ...

coverage on November 4, 1986 and was later adopted by ''

'' in 1990 and

interruptions in 1993.NBC News Special Report open in 1993
/ref> It was meant to convey a worldly and serious tone. ''Slate'' characterized the piece as having "fast, complicated modulations that sound more urgent and wary than 'The Mission'' They foreground the show’s relentless, logical ethos."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mission, The Compositions by John Williams NBC News Seven News Film theme songs Television news music packages 1985 compositions