The sounds of ‘Star Wars’

‘Staaaar WARZZZ! Nothing but STAAAAR Warzzz! Give me those STAAAAR Warzzz! Don’t let them end!”

Bill Murray’s Nick-the-Lounge-Singer version of the “Star Wars” theme may not be the most popular rendition, but it could be the most prophetic. To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, the epic series has refused to be struck down, instead becoming more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” promises more of John Williams’ moving, energetic music. Although the soundtrack won’t be released until Friday (preorder for $13.98 on amazon.com), the titles of the tracks have already triggered speculation about the movie’s plot. So far, innocuous titles like “Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle” and “Finn’s Confession” have not prompted the uproar caused by “The Phantom Menace” soundtrack, which revealed the death of Darth Maul.

One “Star Wars” fan who will be particularly attuned to the new movie’s music is Stuart Chafetz, frequent guest conductor with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra. Last year he led the orchestra in a John Williams concert that closed with a “Star Wars” suite. He still gets a charge out of Williams’ score and said he “can’t wait” to hear the music for the new film.

“It’s become iconic music on so many levels,” Chafetz said in a phone call from New Orleans, where he was preparing a holiday concert. “No. 1 is the fact that John Williams is such a genius composer, and the fact that he understands how to get us with our own emotions. He knows how to write uplifting and tragic, and I think that just affects us all in some way.”

So popular is “Star Wars” music that Chafetz said when he suggested leaving it off the movie-music program he’ll be giving in January to avoid overkill, concert promoters told him, “‘No! If anything, that’s the one thing we want to hear.’ That says a lot. I think it could be performed as often as one likes.”

Chafetz, 52, who lives in California but will return to Hawaii in May to conduct a “Totally ’80s” concert with the symphony, especially enjoys the brass-led fanfare of “Star Wars,” but as a percussion student back in the ’80s, he found a particular resonance with Darth Vader’s martial theme.

The Darth Vader theme, blasting through his stereo, blew him away, he said.

“I’m actually getting chills telling you about it.”