woodwinds in tow, the theme playing in a bed of slightly off-kilter seesawing string figures,

suggesting perhaps the darker or more mischievous forces at work. Most of all the music
corresponds to the magic happening throughout the film, be it owls sudden flight, arrival at
Hogwarts or the protective magic of love. This main theme of the score also has a close
connection to the Flying theme.

2. The Flying Theme (Nimbus 2000)

Williams has often stated that depicting flight and weightlessness, the sense of defying gravity,
being one his favourite film scoring challenges. In addition and to support Hedwigs theme he
wrote another melody which is closely connected to it, so closely infact that it forms the middle
portion of the concert suite of the aforementioned theme. This idea he calls Nimbus 2000 after
Harrys magical broomstick but in the film it is applied not only to flying on broom sticks and stunts
of dexterity and agility (Quidditch most prominently) but also to more humorous and quirky
magical moments. The thematic idea has also two distinctive sections:
The A phrase (example OST CD track 19 Hedwigs theme 1:35-2:00) presents a rhythmic playful
melody which is often carried by the woodwind section and the brass. It has a sense of powerful
forward motion when needed, though the string and celesta variation seems to represent again
agility and flying prowess of the main characters. In woodwind setting the melody quite often
takes a quirky comical stance, bubbling and skipping forward in anticipation as our protagonists
are doing something exciting or magic is happening around them. At its most dramatic the whole
orchestra performs it as a full bodied waltz which usually flows into
The B phrase (examples OST CD track 19 Hedwigs theme 2:46-3:01 and again at 3:25-3:45)
which ascends dramatically higher and higher mimicking the aerial exploits in the film, painting
images of rushing wind and forward surging motion, the excitement and possible dangers of flight
which are underlined by the unsteady and threatening sounding up-and-down motion at the
beginning of the phrase.
Hedwigs theme and the Flying theme are as thematic constructs very much connected, one
usually following the other, allowing Williams for a fluid switch from one idea to the next, keeping
the score alive and moving. The Flying theme has also the celesta in common withHedwigs
theme which is occasionally called to perform fast and difficult passages of the A Phrase at high
speed again closely associated with the owls and magic.
Frank Lehman describes the connection between Hedwigs Theme and The Flying Theme thus:
As for the theme itself, its chord-progression is nearly identical to "Hedwigs Theme," only slightly
more busy (fewer non-chord tones in the melody lotsa parallel block chords supporting the
melodic line), but sharing the same reliance on biii, bii and aug6 chords. It is more malleable than
Hedwigs theme, and Williams enjoys spinning it through numerous odd modulations.[18]
3. Harrys Theme/The Family The