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| 5-21-05 Latest News |
Howard Shore Concert Press Release
Xoanon @ 10:13 am EST
HOWARD SHORE’S THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY TO RECEIVE FIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE U.S. IN MAY 2005 BEFORE BUSY SUMMER SCHEDULE FEATURING ENCORE PERFORMANCES IN HOUSTON, PHILADELPHIA AND PITTSBURGH, AS WELL AS SEVERAL PERFORMANCES IN EUROPE “[Howard Shore’s] instinct for melody is superb, his integration of legitimate ancient music sources with contemporary-sounding tonal clusters and harmonic invention is terrific, and, most of all, he creates, as both Jackson and Tolkien did before him, an entire imagined universe that is both detailed and consistent.” New York, NY, April 29, 2005 – Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony will receive five performances in the U.S. in May 2005. On Saturday, May 14, the work will be performed in Richmond, Virginia by the Richmond Symphony and in Des Moines, Iowa by the Des Moines Symphony (with a repeat performance in Des Moines on May 15). A short time later the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra will give three performances at George Mason University (May 27, 28, and 29). Evidence of the Symphony’s surging popularity can be found in the number of orchestras that have signed on for repeat performances. In July, for example, three orchestras that presented the work last summer will give encore performances: The Houston Symphony Orchestra (July 8 and 9), the Philadelphia Orchestra, which will play the work at the Mann Center (July 15), and the Pittsburgh Symphony, which will give two performances at Heinz Hall (July 21 and 22). Other North American engagements in the coming months include three concerts in Toronto (June 4 and 5) with the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic, and performances by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (July 15 and 16). Later in the summer, the Lord of the Rings Symphony will return to Europe. On August 8 and 9 it will be performed in Athens, Greece by the State Symphony in the Acropolis’s Odeon Herod Atticus, one of the city’s most famous outdoor theaters. Less than a week later the NDR Philharmonie will present it at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany (August 13). Norway’s acclaimed Oslo Philharmonic will play the Lord of the Rings Symphony in Oslo’s Frognerparken on August 27 for a crowd expected to top ten thousand; the same orchestra will give another performance on September 3 in Bergen. The vocal soloist in the Athens, Oslo and Bergen performances will be the Norwegian pop star Sissel. A list of performances of the Lord of the Rings Symphony scheduled for the 2005/2006 season will be announced in the coming weeks. Shore takes particular pride in the fact that performances of The Lord of the Rings Symphony around the world have been given not by a single touring orchestra but almost entirely by local performers: “The symphony has been presented around the world, but regardless of where it has been done the performances have been given by local artists. That’s the real joy of it for me: this work is helping awaken community interest in the symphony orchestra.” In addition to Shore, there are five other conductors performing the piece around the world: John Mauceri, Alexander Mickelthwate, Markus Huber, Alastair Willis and Terry Edwards. Carl Mancuso, Vice President of Heinz Hall, commented: "We are excited to bring The Lord of the Rings back to Pittsburgh this summer. Not only was last year's run of three concerts a sell-out, but the concerts attracted a nontraditional and very enthusiastic audience. As we seek to develop audiences of the future, The Lord of the Rings is just the ticket." Howard Shore wrote his six-movement The Lord of the Rings Symphony for symphony orchestra, adult and children's choirs, as well as solo instrumentalists and vocalists, totaling more than 200 musicians on stage. Working with conductor John Mauceri, who first suggested that the music of The Lord of the Rings be preserved as an independent work for the concert hall, Shore created a two-hour symphony drawing from the nearly 12 hours of music he composed for Peter Jackson’s phenomenally successful film trilogy. (Shore received three Oscars and four Grammy awards for the soundtrack recordings). The six movements of the symphony correspond to the progression of the epic story across the six books that comprise the three-volume trilogy, capturing the enormous complexity and limitless imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation – from the simple, pastoral beauty of the hobbits’ Shire to the magic and mystery of the Elves and the monumental battle scenes – in music by turns explosive, ethereal and, ultimately, transcendent. As Doug Adams, author of the soon-to-be-published book The Music of the Lord of the Rings, explained in a Chicago Tribune interview, “There’s a different style of music for each culture of characters: hobbit, elf, dwarf. If you go to the symphony performance it’s very much like an abstract version of Tolkien’s story.” Shore achieves this enormous feat by the ingenious use and juxtaposition of a plethora of recurring motifs – more than 50 in all – associated with the various characters and places in the books. Shore’s employment of some instruments foreign to the traditional Western symphony orchestra and of choral settings in Tolkien’s languages help conjure up the ancient beauty of Middle Earth, its diverse inhabitants, and the harrowing struggle between the forces of good and evil. Howard Shore is currently working on King Kong, another film project with Peter Jackson. He is also working on an opera, The Fly, based on his film collaboration with David Cronenberg, for Los Angeles Opera. Earlier this year, his score for The Aviator (his third collaboration with director Martin Scorsese) won a Golden Globe as well as a Critics’ Choice award and his soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the song “Into the West” both won Grammy Awards. His scores for the previous installments of the trilogy – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – each won a Grammy as well. Shore likens the daunting experience of writing the music for the three Lord of the Rings films to that of the humble hobbit asked to carry the ring. “When I started,” he told the Chicago Tribune, “I was the hobbit with the ring saying, ‘I will do this. I will take the ring to Mordor, although I do not know the way.’” Shore considers his work on The Lord of the Rings to be the culmination of everything he has done in his first 40 years of writing music. Critical acclaim for Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony “[Howard Shore’s] instinct for melody is superb, his integration of legitimate ancient music sources with contemporary-sounding tonal clusters and harmonic invention is terrific, and, most of all, he creates, as both Jackson and Tolkien did before him, an entire imagined universe that is both detailed and consistent.” — Newark Star-Ledger "There's no denying the sweep and rich texture of the work, with its Celtic-like tunes, moody pop songs, and effective use of choral voices (think Carmina Burana, only darker). And Shore's nod to Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle at the very end, with the orchestra reveling in the healing power of a major chord, makes a satisfying coda…When the last notes dissipated, it sounded as if the demonstrative audience would keep the ovation going until long after all signs of Elvish had left the building." — Baltimore Sun "Shore's musical opus is every bit as impressive as Tolkien's literary one, standing on its own as a sweeping, operatic experience, even when liberated from the majesty of Jackson's trilogy.” "The ‘Lord of the Rings Symphony’ is still a big success because of the power and appeal of Shore’s themes.” — Columbus Dispatch Upcoming performances of Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony May 14: Richmond, Virginia May 14 and 15: Des Moines, Iowa May 27, 28 and 29: Fairfax, Virginia Jun 4 and 5: Toronto, ON July 8 and 9: Houston, TX July 15: Philadelphia, PA July 15 and 16: Buffalo, NY July 21 and 22: Pittsburgh, PA August 8 and 9: Athens, Greece August 13: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany August 27: Oslo, Norway September 3: Bergen, Norway
— Newark Star-Ledger
Since its debut performance in Wellington, New Zealand on November 29, 2003, Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony has been performed to full houses more than 50 times on four continents. Audiences from Sydney and Tokyo to Los Angeles and London have greeted the two-hour work with rousing ovations following performances in some of the world’s most famous venues – including Sydney’s Opera House and London’s Royal Albert Hall. Some of the world’s leading international orchestras – including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the London Philharmonic – have performed the Symphony as well as regional orchestras from Albuquerque and Salt Lake City to Dallas and Hartford. In fall 2004 alone The Lord of the Rings Symphony received 25 performances in America and Europe including a remarkable and historic concert by the National Philharmonic of Russia in Moscow’s Kremlin Palace Theater.
About The Lord of the Rings Symphony
— The Seattle Times
Richmond Symphony Orchestra/Landmark Theater
Des Moines Symphony Orchestra/Civic Center
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra/George Mason University
Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic/Raffi Hall, Kitchener (6/4) and Thomson Hall, Toronto (two performances on 6/5)
Houston Symphony Orchestra/Jones Hall
Philadelphia Orchestra/Mann Center
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/Artpark Theater
Pittsburgh Symphony/Heinz Hall
State Symphony/Odeon Herod Atticus
NDR Philharmonie/Schleswig-Holstein Festival
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/Frognerparken
Oslo Philharmonic/Festplassen
| 5-19-05 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend - LoTR Unfilmable?
Demosthenes @ 10:21 am EST
It's been branded 'unfilmable' -- even by the author himself. Indeed, Tolkien described Lord of the Rings as "a book very unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic representation" (Letter #194). Even, his biographer, Humphrey Carpenter felt that, although Tolkien sold the film rights to LoTR, he had no real expectation that it could be successfully filmed. Yet it exists in film form, filmed to completion. Was JRR Tolkien then, wrong, in his estimation? What, indeed, do we mean by unfilmable, unadaptable and untranslatable? Even, today, and in spite of the efforts of Peter Jackson and his film crew, does Lord of the Rings remain unsuitable for dramatic representation? If so, why, do you believe so? Or has technology -- combined with extended screentime -- put paid to the concerns that made Tolkien automatically write of the chances of a successful film? Join us on the TORn IRC server this Saturday May 21 in #thehalloffire as we discuss whether or not Lord of the Rings is really unfilmable. Time and date: America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. Suggested reading: Upcoming topics: "Is LoTR unfilmable? Was Tolkien right?" If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Join HoF Announce! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
Saturday May 21
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Where?
Unfilmable thread
- Saturday May 21
- Sunday May 29
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 5-17-05 Latest News |
Dork of the Rings cast at Tolcon
Xoanon @ 7:44 pm EST
Tim Richardson, Director of "The Dork of the Rings" writes: After weeks of mind-numbing preparation, my follow dorks and I descended on Seattle for their annual Tolkien convention May 13-15, 2005.
We appeared as Special Guests and ran two panel discussions on the making of THE DORK OF THE RINGS. We also had a promotional booth where we ran video clips and people could be harassed by characters from the movie including Randolf, Frudo, Martha the Steward and a Nosedrool. We also premiered our finished trailer at their FanFilm Exhibition.
Those who made the trip with me included Ian Strandberg (Art Coordinator), Justus Post (A.D./Audio Engineer), James Pickens (Producer/Technical Director), Michael Kouroubetes (Writer/Producer), Bryce Cone (Frudo), David Kiefer (Randolf) and Kay Eller (Martha the Steward).
We got to hobnob with a variety of fans of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and our Nosedrool's large proboscis attracted the attention of three lovely young Canadian girls. Randolf also attempted to convince the door woman outside the $50 a plate Feast of Rohan to dump some hobbit stew in his wizard's hat but to no avail.
There were several Guests of Honor who we got to chat with including Kirin Shah who was Elijah Wood's scale double throughout the trilogy. It was pretty cool to be able to snap a photo of him chatting it up with our Frudo-words can't describe it-.it was like some strange real-world/movie-world dimensional overlap where the parody Frodo meets the real life Frodo body double. My head hurts.
Peter Lyon was wonderful to meet and chit chat with. He designed and built many of the "hero swords" for the trilogy and continues to work for the WETA workshop in New Zealand. He got a real kick out of our movie and we gave him an autographed DOTR shirt and promo CD to take back to show Richard Taylor and the gang. So who knows-maybe Peterson Jackson himself will hear about our production. We look forward to the lawsuit
A special "thank you" goes to Rebekah Washington (who arranged our appearance at the event) and all her staff. We enjoyed infesting your terrific event with our lovable dorkness. Hope to see you again next year!
| 5-16-05 Latest News |
Tolkien Festival Report & Pics
Xoanon @ 6:57 pm EST
Amatire writes: Hi, I just thought you might be interested in a little info on what the 6th Annual Tolkien festival at The Shire Country Park Birmingham was like.
I think probably the most important thing to tell you about (in case you have not heard yet) was the display talking about the plans for Moseley village centre. To commemorate the life of JRRT and the establishment of the new Shire Country Park, Tim Tolkien (I'm not sure how he's related, great, great nephew or something?) has designed a huge metal statue of Treebeard which will stand in the central island of the village green. This is really exciting, because until recently there was little to indicate to the public that Tolkien had had anything to do with Birmingham. But this statue and the new Park at Sarehole, both show the City Council is finally giving Tolkien some recognition and that they appreciate the value he can have to tourism in the city. Bizarrely the Council have stated that it must be taller than a lamppost so that it will stand out. So according to the plans it will be between 25-30ft tall, and almost as wide. Treebeard will be carrying two passengers; one in each hand: not Merry and Pippin this time, but JRR and his brother Hilary as they were as children when they were growing up in the area. On the ground will be scattered leaves in silver or green (steel or brass), which will be inscribed with personal dedications and can be bought either by contacting the statue organisation directly (info@moseleystatue.org) or by auction on EBay. There were also plans on display to create a gate for part of the new Tolkien Trail based on Bilbo's front door, with the doorframe carved to resemble the One Ring.
A number of LOTR characters acted as stewards, including two rather intimidating Nazgûl and the official Tolkien Society Hobbits. Though out of the four of them, I only came across Pippin, trying to answer the infuriatingly difficult quiz questions on the 'win an Elrond Goblet set' competition.
The Shire Productions company gave performances of extracts from the Lord of the Rings in the atmospheric setting of Moseley Bog. Vintage busses took people on tours of the local landmarks associated with JRRT, including the Two Towers, (Perrott's Folly and the ornate Victorian water tower) and St Phillip's Grammar School.
There were craft tents and poetry tents (the readings from Beowulf there were very interesting because they gave you a chance to compare Tolkien's epic poems with real Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse). But by far the best place to be in my opinion was the Tolkien Tent, which housed Isengard Smial, the local branch of the Tolkien Society. I joined in one of the lessons in Sindarin by Ranger Zainab Thorp.
She is a local teacher who is hopefully going to be involved in setting up a set of elvish courses for the University of Central England just round the corner from the bog. The one I watched was "How to date an elf"! So we learnt chat up lines, and some things a little more intimate.
"sui aerlin myrn hin lin" = your eyes are like dark pools.
"Finnel l'n sui malthen sillen" = your hair is like shining gold.
"Ce bainwain" = you are most beautiful
"Anirach cenea talan nîn?" = do you want to see my talan?
Or even better:
"Ce! Talann'n, Si!" = You! my talan, now!
And how to put off an over amorous advance.
"lau!" = no way!! (whilst pulling out the pepper spray).
If that doesn't work, you could always try "gwedithach n'n?" = will you marry me? which will scare off any modern-minded immortal elf who wants to avoid eternal commitments.
It was fun to watch complete novices getting their first taste of Sindarin grammar. Fortunately she skipped most of the letter mutations so it was relatively easy to follow. For me it was useful to get a few tips on pronunciation, seeing as I've only had the film as a guide so far and most of the actors were told to pronounce the words however they felt comfortable, for better flow. I did learn a few things I hadn't known before.
They originally thought there was no word for love in Sindarin. But a year ago a new text was uncovered that may have the answer: 'Melon' (as opposed to 'Mellon' = friend, in the same way that 'malen' = yellow and 'mallen' = gold.) She pointed out that because of this, the Moria gate may not have opened at first because Gandalf was being sloppy with his pronunciation. As in the film when he is telling Frodo what the word for 'friend' is in elvish he is very careful to say both syllables clearly "mel-lon." I'm not sure I agree with that idea. After all I'd imagine he translated it into Westron so that Gimli and Boromir (not to mention Merry, Pippin & Sam) could understand.
She also said that the most popular requests the specialists get for translations are along the lines of "Melon gen an-uireb!" ("I will love you forever") and similar things to carve into a wedding ring. She also told us that elves put wedding rings on the index finger of their right hand, and that Tolkien chose silver rings for engagements and gold for marriage. Far be it from me to criticise the Professor, but I would have thought it would work better the other way round, elves being lovers of the stars and all that… *ahem*
All in all it was a good day, though I wish that I could have stayed longer. Mine was only a flying visit.
Houston Symphony LOTR Tickets Now On Sale
Xoanon @ 11:41 am EST
Jan from the Houston Symphony writes: Tickets are now on sale for the Houston Symphony's performances of Howard Shore's The Lord of the Rings Symphony. Friday, July 8, 2005, 7:30 PM and Saturday, July 9, 2005 7:30 PM Jones Hall Alastair Willis, conductor Houston Symphony Chorus Houston Children's Chorus Kaitlyn Lusk, lyric soprano Concert ticket prices are $21-$56. Tickets are available at the Houston Symphony Customer Service Center, 615 Louisiana, by phone at (713) 224-7575 and online at here. The Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Symphony are offering a family package that includes four rear orchestra level tickets to the symphony concert and four passes to the The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition ? all for $189. To purchase this package you must call the Houston Symphony Customer Service Center at (713)224-7575. To learn more about the Houston Museum of Natural Science The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: The Exhibition please click here: http://www.hmns.org
615 Louisiana
Houston, Texas 77002
Charles Hausmann, director
Stephen Roddy, founder and director
| 5-15-05 Latest News |
Hobbit Band Interview
Xoanon @ 6:44 pm EST
Michael writes: Doubtless a number of folks in the UK may be unfamiliar with the rock group HOBBIT, but these four fellows have been expressing their admiration, through music, of Professor Tolkien's Middle-earth since the late 1970's. Now, two years in the making, their album 'All for the One' sees its realisation. 'All for the One' is actually HOBBIT's fourth album being preceded by 'Join the Celebration', 'Two Feet Tall' and 'Rockin' the Shire'. After a somewhat extended absence from the music scene HOBBIT have reformed and the release of 'All for the One' is a collection of hitherto unreleased material. There is of course an extant amount of musical interpretations and borrowings from Professor Tolkien's works yet in many respects HOBBIT have succeeded in constructing a more personal series of compositions, flushed with immediacy and skill. HOBBIT would view their work as a journey of sorts through Professor Tolkien's literary landscapes; Fantasy Rock, as HOBBIT's work has been coined, draws, in part, from a well of musical influences which range from the likes of Jethro Tull, Yes, Styx and Led Zeppelin, to name a few, combine this with a fervent appreciation of Professor Tolkien's works and the end result, I feel, has resuscitated this genre with aplomb. Certainly 'All for the One', in my view, succeeds in conveying the listener along a varied and melodious road through Middle-earth. The album opener 'Everywhere' lifts with a driving rhythm and twin vocal deliveries; it is one of several compositions which will resonate with many folks who have sat at Professor Tolkien's wordsmithy and found themselves 'opening the book' at which point the 'flora and fauna' that resides therein begins to spark and flicker from the Professor's anvil. HOBBIT have also provided a short narrative of sorts between the tracks which serves as a form of continuity, guiding the listener on and opening the track afore them. With tracks such as 'Nazgul' and 'Echoes in Mirkwood' HOBBIT have added another dimension to the songs with the use of vocal distortions to create a monstrousness and menace. The changes in musical presentations also add to a variation of the compositions thus preventing any stagnation of form. In terms of both character and place such vocal and musical divergence help sustain a sense of the multifaceted denizens and landscapes that breathed out from the pages and formed the rich tapestry found within Middle-earth - not an easy task when one considers the magnitude of such a vast world and its inherent events and actors. 'All for the One' contains several real gems and amongst such is 'There and Back Again' which, I feel, really gets to the heart of HOBBIT and just what they're seeking to convey: 'There's an invitation just for you to come down 'Hey Bombadil' is another track that really works given the ambiguous nature of its subject. Yet here the twelve string and dulcimer combine to produce a strong melodic canvas upon which the vocals dance. This track is full of life and the lyrics are succinct enough to capture an aspect of Bombadil without oversimplifying his character together with music that relates a particular merriment without becoming trivialized or predictable. Fans of Prog Rock will find much common ground also within 'All for the One' from the power chords which give muscularity to several tracks to the acoustic interludes and wind instruments in such tracks as 'Lothlorien'. With changes in key that hint at a bipolar figure the spectral image of Gollum is well conceived in 'Whispers', here his spirit is menacing and keen. There are several aspects which, I feel, define 'All for the One'; a sense of fun is evident and HOBBIT obviously enjoyed the creative processes involved in seeing the crystallization of the album - revisiting the books together with very informed and well constructed compositions that at time are marvellously intricate and dynamic in their execution ( HOBBIT also credit the music of Mendelssohn, Dvorak, LeGrand, Albinoni and Rachmaninov as influences). The only niggle I had really was the inclusion of some high-pitched (think chipmunks) voices intruding on 'Rivendell', I think these may have been representative of elves. [Turk has since informed me that they are in fact Hobbits and that the group included them as a nod to long term fans which is always a nice touch from a fan’s point of view] Here I felt that the track was strong enough and that such effects interrupted its flow; but then I may, here, be missing the point and being somewhat harsh of an album which certainly sounds that it was a joy to create and perform, both in the studio and stage. Moreso it may also be recognized as a fan's labour of love and appreciation of Professor Tolkien's Middle-earth. Two tracks really evoke this, 'Destiny Chaser' and 'Last to the Havens' elicit the characters of Eowyn and Sam respectively. It is refreshing to see the facets of these two characters, who are often overshadowed, acknowledged in such a marvellous way - especially Sam. The genre of Fantasy Rock, here, acknowledges its creative influence so well and the fact that HOBBIT are devotees of the books shines through both in the depth of their lyrics and the musical apparel of their subject. This is purely an album to be enjoyed so go on, join in the dance. 'There is a world that lies within, you will live it once you've been Hobbit Interview for Tolkien Society UK Here’s a little background: Turk: I 'moved' to The Shire as a 13 yr. old while doing a book report on The Hobbit for a school English project. Then as a 16 yr. old, I became a full time 'resident' of Tolkien's Middle Earth after a friend (much to my pleasant surprise, and eternal thanks) 'turned' me on to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Then, after meeting and co-founding the group with Gene, it was obviously apparent that he too had been a long time 'resident', so writing Tolkien related music/lyrics seemed not only a logical move, but a very easy one! My influences: Jethro Tull (my all time favourite), Yes, Beatles, early Queen, early Rush, early Bowie, Kansas, Dio, Ozzy, and Kate Bush (I just absolutely LOVE Kate!!) to name only a few! This all, combined with the difference in vocal approach, Gene (the ‘light’), and myself (the ‘dark’) worked out together in a very nice contrast for Middle Earth. Gene: I played in bands as far back as the 60’s and have yet to come down from the British Invasion. I was a huge Beatles fan, followed by Zeppelin, Yes, Styx, and Rush. However, I was also a great fan of English Literature & Poetry. I was reading a book about Robert Plant in the mid-70’s and discovered the Tolkien influence. After reading the books, like most people, I became part of Middle Earth. Turk and I met later that year and have been like brothers ever since, always in touch with ME. Q.2 Do all the members of Hobbit share this interest? All of us but the drummer/Rusty (who can't sit still long enough to read anything past a sentence or 2!). He ironically, came up with the idea of calling the band Hobbit, based on the amount of songs (not all, but most) we were writing at the time involving elves, dwarves, nazgul, hobbits, etc. We found out quickly after Richard became the 4th and final member in that 1st 'Age', that he had also been an established 'resident'. Q.3 How did you approach the concept of Hobbit - I mean had you a clear idea of the direction you would take in terms of sound and layout? Turk: I think we always felt that the 70's-melodic-art-pomp-prog-rock sound was the only electric genre/era that fit the Tolkien world we were living in, so we just went with it and began the 'journey' right away. The 'folk' back then did 'coin' a genre for us, by calling what we did, "Fantasy Rock", heh heh. Gene: We were influenced greatly by Zeppelin, Yes, Tull, and Styx, in that decade. At the same time we became Tolkien freaks, so this combination just happened. We didn’t conscientiously write music a certain way. I think as time passed we just became this musical style and lyric expression. Q.4 Did you find it hard to write in that as the songs were about aspects of Tolkien's Middle-earth they, in turn, had to feature a sense of a tangible and 'emotional' landscape and feeling which is conveyed in the books? Turk: We've never really had a 'hard time' with the writing. . . we have had an awful lot of FUN, though! As to our "All For The One" -- Tolkien-only LOTR concept album, released last year (we had wanted to do this back in the 1st 'Age'), we were always conscious of either 'flavoring' a song properly, or 'songing' the flavor, whichever was needed, to transfer that 'emotional landscape' of the books to the music and/or lyrics as honestly as possible. . .in our minds anyway?! Gene: This wasn’t a strategy, but it evolved like this: Turk’s songs are much more about subjects in the books, with colorful characterizations and personification. I like to write with lyrics and phrasing style that is generally more mystical and uses metaphors here and there, to relate to our own lives. Most of us who have read the books (some many times), relate to this great story even subconsciously. Finally, I’ve been into classical music for a long time, as well as rock. I can’t imagine Middle Earth without either one. “All For The One” captures both extremes of good and bad, light and dark, etc because of this blend of melodic and power. Q.5 Do you construct each song around the lyrics or is it the other way around? Turk: It varies, but I guess the music comes first in the majority. Sometimes though, you just come up with a really neat vocal/melody first, get excited, and then write the music to it. . .which does happen quite often! Thankfully, and lucky for us, we never held to any standard 'rule', which is just the way we like it! That way, there are many more surprises whichever 'fork' in the road one takes?! (ha ha) Gene: For me, it’s always a vocal melody or musical riff that comes first. From there, I start singing without any words – just vowels, consonants, phrases, etc. We call it “Elven Tongue”! This produces a pattern to fit the initial musical creation. That part may be like a verse, transition, chorus, or otherwise. It doesn’t matter at this point. The next inspiration is some keeper lyrics from the gibberish. From this springs the theme or hook line of the song. I thrive on melody, where Turk does it with power and terror! I guess every writer has his own technique, but this is generally how I get there. Finally, even though Turk and I kind of formulate the songs, Richard’s contribution is always present. Everything we write is copyrighted as all three of us. Q.6 In the tracks 'Destiny Chaser' and 'Last to the Havens' the subjects are Eowyn and Sam respectively. What touched you about these two characters that inspired the tracks? Gene: In “Destiny Chaser”, I had the verse riffs and vocal melody only for a while, and then came up with the chorus. The phrase Destiny Chaser sounded real cool and fit the part. Then I thought of what it meant, and how it related to LOTR. Bingo! Eowyn was like that, in that she was not content to wait for time to take its own course. So, the first actual lyrics were the chorus. Once the identity fit Eowyn, then the remaining lyrics were easy to fit the melodies that I started with. I think this song is a good example of how our long musical history with LOTR seems to bring thoughts and themes together even subconsciously. “Last to The Havens” started out as some acoustic guitar riffs from Richard. The first verse came next, and we liked the melodies. It was some time later that we came up with the actual chorus part at the end. That’s where “last to the Havens” entered the song, but it wasn’t instantly about Sam, it just sounded good. Then we realized that this was a song for Sam, and wrote the other lyrics and dialog to capture this. Let’s face it, everyone who ever read the trilogy admired Sam. He was not the star, but he exemplified the uncommon hero that we loved. I know people who have never read the appendix of events long after the story ended. It’s short but very touching. That’s why we always thought of this song as the ending to the album. We think the last 15 seconds say it all, including “close the book”. Turk: Whew, how much space do we have?! Ha. . .will try to keep this short? Eowyn is the 'poster girl' for all strong, independent, a "little rebellious", yet beautiful, caring, and 'feminine' women! She is also, in fact, the most important female in Middle Earth, mainly because of her obvious "Destiny" to slay the Witchking, who, by prophecy, no man could kill (even Gandalf, a Maiar, admitted that he was not strong enough to defeat him!) If she does not 'chase'/fulfil this destiny, the Battle of Pelennor is lost! You can then 'vision' the Lord of the Nazgul destroying Gandalf, then rounding up his 8, with all attention on Gorgoroth, flying post haste to Mt. Doom (with a few thousand orcs following) to find/stop and kill our beloved, stumbling and barely alive hobbits, then returning "the precious" to Sauron. . .game over. . .Garn!! After all that, she then becomes co-protector of the eastern borders of Gondor, loving wife of Faramir, and mother of the continuing line of Stewards, to protect forever the line of Kings! One very amazing woman, indeed. . and very deserving of a song, don't you think?! Now, how can you do justice to Samwise Gamgee in one paragraph? This hobbit is THE single most important character in the whole tale, and the real hero in my humble opinion?!! Without his loyalty, friendship, stubbornness, determination, stamina, and undying love, Frodo doesn't even make it to Mordor, much less into Mt. Doom! The heartache he has to suffer from his best friend, courtesy of the One Ring and Gollum, would have easily turned the average person away. Spiritually and physically, this is one very tough little hobbit!! I mean, he's every second on constant alert and battle with Gollum, he sees his friend deteriorating by the minute, fights orcs, fights off the giant spawn of Ungoliant in Shelob, is even a "ring-bearer" for a short period, carries Frodo on his back for the last 'steps', and earlier in the journey, he was actually going to take on Strider!! He's a 'gardener for-crying-out-loud!! Then, after all that, he watches over the Shire for many years, and during those years 'fathers a 'host' of children (one becoming a hand maiden to Queen Arwen)!! And. . .he is then invited by the Firstborn (with the Gods' blessings) to come to Westernesse and live in The Halls of Mandos forever! Quite an impressive feat, eh?! Sooooo, we though Sam well deserved of some 'music' time also! Q.7 How do you feel, personally, about AFTO? What do you feel you have accomplished with its realization? Gene: For me it’s the most creative work we’ve done. It lacks some of the power and more pop rock that Hobbit has been known for, but it’s a creation that spans great depth. We didn’t set out to write and record a concept album like this, let alone 74 minutes. After the first group of songs, it just evolved into this. Remember, when we first started out back in 1978, we were told my people in the music business to move away from all this stuff about little people and fantasy. When we regrouped four years ago, it’s like this creation found us. It was the statement that we couldn’t make back then. Anyway, it fulfilled everything I wanted. I explored lyrics, melodies, musical transitions, without any set rules. I’m not sure how one singer could have captured both light and dark in Middle Earth. That’s where the contrast of Turk and I blended like never before. I’ll admit that to listen to the entire album at one time is not for everyone, but for real LOTR fans it’s a pretty complete journey. Still, it does represent what we feel in music about Tolkien’s great work. We’re very satisfied. Turk: To me, it was one of the (if not THE) best experiences, and MOST fun I've had as a Hobbit. "The Hobbit Fellowship" re-visited, Middle Earth, and the writing/recording of music. . .you just can't get any better than that?!! As far as "All For The One" goes: we had a dream waaaaaaaaay back in the 1st Age (AFTO being the 4th Age), of doing an ALL LOTR concept album, so we are firstly, very happy to have been able to make that dream a reality. In fact, we wanted to do it so badly, and our love for the 'Good Professor' and his creation was so strong, that Gene, Richard and I, paid for everything out of our own 'pocketses'!! I'm very proud, and extremely pleased at how it turned out, and also feel confident that we DID do proper justice and tribute to the tale. And of course, we always hope that when 'folk' sit back and listen (please, un-interrupted if possible) that they will agree?! Q.8 What can we expect from HOBBIT in the future? Gene: We’ve been working on a number of new songs, and continue to explore unique styles and themes. We don’t plan to create a follow up to “All For The One”, where it’s a non-stop collage of things. If we produce another album it will be a collection of good songs that stand alone. We will probably release a couple of these as MP3’s online first. Turk: Well, right now we are kind of resting in our Shire after our own journey! But even as we kick back with a mug of ale and some "Longbottom", there are a few different 'fagots burning in the fire'. There is the much anticipated "Ringers: Lord of the Fans" film documentary coming out soon, that we have some pics., some classic concert video clips, and a little of 2 songs recorded in the 70's and 80's [ many thanks to Carlene, Cliff, Josh, A.J., and Chris Seeman!]. . ."Midyear's Eve"--Two Feet Tall CD, and "Join The Celebration"--Rockin' The Shire CD, making an appearance in. There are also some 'archived' songs from '85 (3rd Age) that we and our good friend Lee Bradfield, are trying to decide how/when to release. We are also considering a possible DVD project. And, of course, there are about 10 snippets of new material we've been slowly playing around with, so as Gene always likes to say. . "you never know what might happen?" Finally, we'd like to thank you Michael and The Tolkien Society (profusely!!) for your time and fellowship, and the opportunity to get our story out there! We are honored, and very much appreciate you!! And Like I always say. . .until next time. . .HI HO!! CD:ALL FOR THE ONE (2003 / Midwest Records) Gene Fields (vocals / guitars / keys) Hobbit web site: www.hobbitcd.com
and look at yourself
Senses are wide open, let the trilogy in
It's not a book on a shelf,
It's a word to be heard
About things I believe that each of us
Will carry on our way...'
Come follow the tale that is calling you
I think it's the reason we're here...'
Q.1 You obviously enjoy the works of Professor Tolkien. How and why did you decide to create musical arrangements of which the primary focus is drawn from The Lord of the Rings and, of course, The Hobbit?
Paul "Turk" Henry (vocals / bass / guitar / narration)
Richard Hill (lead guitar / keys), Rusty Honeycutt (drums)
Available from: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hobbit3
| 5-13-05 Latest News |
The Science of Middle-earth Book Tour News
Xoanon @ 1:08 pm EST
Sat 18 June and Sun 19 June: Darwin Centre Live at the Natural History Museum, London: 12 noon and 2.30pm on both days -- with live webcasts I'm also making appearances in Stockton on Tees, Leicester, Glasgow and Reading. Full details of all events can be found on my site, 
Olog-Hai writes: For all TORners in the UK, here's an update on my ongoing tour promoting my book 'The Science of Middle-earth', which started life (of course) on Green Books (where it still continues).
Monday 16 May: Borders, Market St., Cambridge, 7.45pm. Hosted by Naked Science (Cafe Scientifique): a double-act with Michael Hanlon, author of 'The Science of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy'.
http://www.henrygee.org.uk
Hall Of Fire This Weekend - The Noldor Revolt!
Demosthenes @ 8:47 am EST
The Two Trees are destroyed and Morgoth has fled. Yet, even as the Valar and the Elves mourn, the Powers ask Feanor to sacrifice the Silmarils so the Two Trees might be resurrected by Yavanna. But does Manwe understand the gravity of what he's asking for? Or are the Powers the thieves that Feanor believes? Regardless, the request, coupled with the news of Finwe's violent death before the doors of Formenos, seems to set in train an unstoppable sequence of events that sends Feanor and the Noldor into total revolt. Even the thought of having to slay their own kin can halt the Feanor, his sons and the rest of the Noldor from their vengeful course. America: Europe: Asia-Pacific Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. "Silmarillion Chapter 9 - Of the Flight of the Noldor" "Is LoTR unfilmable? Was Tolkien right?" If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Join HoF Announce! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
'After a time a great concourse gathered around the Ring of Doom; and the Valar sat in shadow, for it was night. But the stars of Varda now glimmered overhead, and the air was clear; for the winds of Manwe had driven away the vapours of death and rolled back the shadows of the sea.' The Silmarillion
Time and date:
Sunday April 3
2.00pm EST
1.00pm CST
12.00pm MST
11.00am PST
7:00pm UK
8:00pm Central Europe
5.00am (Monday) Brisbane
5.00am (Monday) Sydney
7.00am (Monday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
- Saturday May 7
- Sunday May 15
- Saturday May 21
- Sunday May 29
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 5-07-05 Latest News |
Join The LoTR EE Marathon On TORn!
Demosthenes @ 8:14 pm EST
In celebration of TORn's sixth anniversary, we are holding a Lord of the Rings EE movie marathon on our IRC server. Join us on irc.theonering.net in #moviechat with your DVD player over the next three nights to watch FoTR, Two Towers and ROTK in their entirety. The details: Saturday 7th May, 8pm EST -- FoTR EE Where: TORn IRC server on #moviechat Why: TORn's turning six! Alternatively: 'Why not?!' How: You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. You need: DVD player and your LoTR EE discs! Or you can just join the chat if you want, we don't mind! And it's okay if you join late! The fine print: Each evening, at the end of the first disc, a 10 minute intermission will occur so everyone can have a stretch.
Sunday 8th May, 9pm EST -- Two Towers EE
Monday 9th May, 8pm EST -- RoTK EE
Hall Of Fire This Weekend - The Noldor Revolt!
Demosthenes @ 8:08 am EST
The Two Trees are destroyed and Morgoth has fled. Yet, even as the Valar and the Elves mourn, the Powers ask Feanor to sacrifice the Silmarils so the Two Trees might be resurrected by Yavanna. But does Manwe understand the gravity of what he's asking for? Or are the Powers the thieves that Feanor believes? Regardless, the request, coupled with the news of Finwe's violent death before the doors of Formenos, seems to set in train an unstoppable sequence of events that sends Feanor and the Noldor into total revolt. Even the thought of having to slay their own kin can halt the Feanor, his sons and the rest of the Noldor from their vengeful course. Join us Saturday May 7 in #thehalloffire as we dicuss The Silmarillion Chapter 9 - Of the flight of the Noldor! Time and date: America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. "Silmarillion Chapter 9 - Of the Flight of the Noldor" "Is LoTR unfilmable? Was Tolkien right?" If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Join HoF Announce! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
'After a time a great concourse gathered around the Ring of Doom; and the Valar sat in shadow, for it was night. But the stars of Varda now glimmered overhead, and the air was clear; for the winds of Manwe had driven away the vapours of death and rolled back the shadows of the sea.' The Silmarillion
Saturday May 7
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
- Saturday May 7
- Sunday May 15
- Saturday May 21
- Sunday May 29
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce