Call of the Champions

Call of the Champions is a fanfare for orchestra and choir composed by John Williams for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

(Faster, Higher, Stronger), which is the Olympic Motto chosen by the founder of the modern Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

The recording of this theme heard during the 2002 Winter Games was made November 27, 2001 in Maurice Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, with the composer conducting the Utah Symphony Orchestra and the 360-voice Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

[1] Because of differing opinions on the pronunciation of the Latin text, the Choir actually recorded several versions, leaving the final decision to be made by the producers.

The issue was whether to use a Classical pronunciation of the Olympic Motto (kitty-us, alty-us, forty-us), a liturgical one (cheetsy-oos, ahltsy-oos, fortsy-oos), or a hybrid of the two (chitty-us, etc.).