Surprise birthday party for Deer Hunter artist

CORK schoolchildren won the heart of a world-renowned classical guitarist yesterday after springing a birthday surprise on him.

John Williams, whose recording of Cavatina became the theme song for the 1979 Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter movie, was in Cork’s central library for an informal masterclass with 80 children from inner city schools. It was his 67th birthday.

He had agreed to do the event free of charge before his performance at the Cork School of Music last night.