On Saturday night, you can always find me in one place: home. What with the time when most people choose to go out, and Jakarta horrendous traffic, I’d happily avert it all and sit at home with my laptop and a cup of tea. There are only very few exceptions to that, and last night was one of those.

Twilite Orchestra Concert: A Tribute to John Williams, that is.

For once, I didn’t mind when I had to go across the city to get to Aula Simfonia Jakarta (I live on the opposite side of that place, making it somewhat a perilous journey on a Saturday night).

We got there just in time, and we spent a few minutes taking photos of Star Wars characters sauntering in the lobby before going into the auditorium.

It was my first time inside Aula Simfonia Jakarta, and the auditorium was smaller than I’d expected. But it was still grand.

When I saw the concert program, I knew it would be an epic show. The conductor, Addie MS, opened the concert with a greeting, and soon after, Superman March filled the auditorium.

The first half was full of songs from various legendary films (Harry Potter, E.T., Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Superman, and Home Alone). My personal favorites were Hedwig’s Theme from the first Harry Potter film (majestic and magical at the same time), and the theme song of Schindler’s List. For the Schindler’s List theme song, Michelle Siswanto performed a solo, and it was so beautiful and heartbreaking, I got goosebumps. By the end of that song, I felt a lump in my throat.

After the intermission, it was all about Star Wars. The opening was Star Wars theme song, which was welcomed with a thunderous applause. A few Jedi with lightsabers appeared, making it all the more grandiose.

Shortly before the last song of the second half, stormtroopers and Jedi appeared on stage, lining up behind the musicians.

I thought the hall would explode with excitement.

Addie MS waved goodbye and got off the stage after the last song, but not for long! He came back again to perform one last song, and wrapped up the concert.

It was incredible. I went home feeling all giddy with the euphoria, and the music has been in my head even until now as I’m writing this.

What an amazing performance. And Addie MS, you’re a legend.