Steven writes: I just got back from the LOTR Symphony in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and wanted to share with you my impressions of the evening. The music was presented in 6 movements and ran for around 2 hours. The first part before the interval was devoted to the Fellowship of the Ring, which meant that the movements for the second and third films were squeezed into the last hour, which was a bit of a shame because there’s some great music in those scores. Nonetheless, the music included was played really well.
The highlight of the first half for me was the build up to the fight in Balins’ tomb which, as on the 1 disc CD, runs into ‘The Bridge of Khazad Dum’ – the way the orchestra played the Fellowship theme here was the best I’d heard it played on any of the Fellowship CD’s. Maybe that’s because I heard it live right in front of me or because the music didn’t need to be orchestrated to match onscreen action, I don’t know! The second half highlight was ‘The White Tree’ when the beacons are lit. Other musical highlights for me were hearing the Isengard theme played live, as well as the Amon Hen music.
The first half featured a young soloist from the RSNO Junior chorus, who did really well when it came to his turn to sing. The female soloist – Ann De Renais according to the programme – did a good job in the second half, though I doubt it was easy stepping into the shoes of Annie Lennox for ‘Into The West’ at the end of the final movement! I should mention the work of the Live Visual Artist here also. There was a nice presentation of concept art on a big screen up above the orchestra, but I appreciated the lighting much more (I’ve got all the Art Of.. books anyway!) here. The way if turned green to represent the Shire and the different Elvish locations, but particularly when the light went red during ‘The Bridge Of Khazad Dum’ with artwork of the Balrog being projected.
I could nit-pick (tracks not included, themes absent from certain pieces – man, I waited ages to hear that Isengard theme!) but I won’t. It was only 2 hours after all, and there’s so much music in the LOTR scores that you can’t have everyone’s favourites included. I’ve only talked about what I personally liked. It was an amazing experience to hear some of my favourite movie music brought to life so vibrantly by a live orchestra and choir. Anyone who goes will, like me, not be disappointed!
If the LOTR Symphony is coming to a concert hall near you, get tickets and go see… or should that be hear…. it.
Movie Chat kicks off the summer schedule with a very special double-feature: ‘Alien’ and Aliens!’ The stirring tale of the crew of the Nostromo, and the further adventures of Ripley have entertained fans for over twenty years. Join us in what is sure to be a lively debate on the styles of Ridley Scott and James Cameron, the virtues and flaws of both films, and a lot of hooting over our favorite lines: “Game over, man!”
TORn’s chatroom takes a break from discussing all things Tolkien every other weekend to watch a classic film en masse as their very own MSTK. Join us Sunday at 2:30 pm EST when we’ll pop our copies of ‘Alien’ (theatrical version) into our DVD players. Then, at 5:30 pm EST, we’ll continue with ‘Aliens’ (special edition).
Also, please check out our tentative Summer Schedule below, as voted on by the fine folks in Barliman’s chat room. Upcoming featured films include: a double-feature of ‘Galaxy Quest,’ ‘Ghostbusters,’ and ‘Princess Bride.’About IRC chat]
Date: Sunday, June 25th Time: 2:30 pm EST Place: #moviechat on the TORn IRC server.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.
America: 5.30pm (New York) 4.30pm (Chicago) 3.30pm (Salt Lake City) 2.30pm (Los Angeles)
Europe: 10.30pm GMT (London) 11.30pm CET (Paris)
Asia-Pacific: 6.30am AWST (Sunday) Perth 8.30am AEST (Sunday) Brisbane 9.30am AEDT (Sunday) Sydney 11.30am NZDT (Sunday) Wellington
Where?
Movie Watch happens on #moviechat 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, target=”_blank”>check out these instructions.
See you all then!
The Summer Schedule Saturday chats approx. 5:30 p.m. EST / Sunday chats begin approx. 2:30 p.m. EST — All dates & times are tentative until confirmed Sunday, June 25: Alien & Aliens Saturday, July 8: Monty Python and the Holy Grail Saturday, July 22: Ghost Busters Sunday, July 30: Princess Bride & Shaun Of The Dead Saturday, August 19: Say Anything Sunday, August 27th: Galaxy Quest & Memphis Belle Saturday, Sept. 9: Finding Nemo Saturday, Sept. 23: Fifth Element
Where: Belmont University in Nashville, TN, USA (Massey Business Center 413)
Who: Amy H. Sturgis, Ph.D.
What: The Magic Ring meets The Lord of the Rings. Before Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings was the Baron de la Motte Fouqué’s The Magic Ring in 1813. Fouqué’s three-volume epic fantasy was immensely popular and influential when it was released. The Magic Ring shares many similar inspirations with Tolkien’s work, including the Icelandic Eddas, the Germanic Nibelungenlied, and the medieval interlace structure. Furthermore, The Magic Ring’s influence can be traced through William Morris and George MacDonald to Tolkien’s very understanding and writing of “fairy-stories.” How did this remarkable work become lost to English readers? Why is it important that it has been restored to fantasy readers and Tolkien fans now? Learn about this important “missing link” in the tradition of The One Ring and its literary story across time!
TolkienBooks.net has published plans for a series of fourteen articles tracing the early publishing history of The Lord of the Rings.
While the process of writing The Lord of the Rings has been described in detail by Christopher Tolkien in the History of Middle-earth series, less is known of the production and early publishing history of the books.
Some of Tolkien’s thoughts and actions are recorded in the selection of his letters that have been published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Wayne Hammond’s Tolkien bibliography includes a fairly detailed chronology of events up to the publication of The Return of the King in October 1955, but there is great deal more information that is not so widely available. This includes Rayner Unwin’s account of his relationship with Tolkien in his book George Allen & Unwin: A Remembrancer, and correspondence held in the Allen & Unwin archive at Reading University.
The articles will cover a variety of aspects of the bibliography of The Lord of the Rings and will, when completed, trace the publishing history from Tolkien’s attempts to secure the publication of both LotR and The Silmarillion in the early 1950s through to the publication of the Second Edition in the mid-1960s. The article titles are:
1. Who will publish this “Monster”? 2. The Early Publishing History of The Fellowship of the Ring 3. The Early Publishing History of The Two Towers 4. The Early Publishing History of The Return of the King 5. The First Impression of The Return of the King 6. The First Boxed Edition 7. The Readers Union Edition 8. The First Deluxe Edition 9. Print Run Sizes and Dates 10. A Brief Guide to the Houghton Mifflin Edition 11. The Ace Books Affair 12. The Second Edition 13. The Lord of the Rings – An Illustrated Bibliography 14. The Lord of the Rings – A Bibliography of Boxed Sets
For further details visit An Illustrated Tolkien Bibliography – http://www.tolkienbooks.net/html/lotr-notes.htm
Movie Chat this weekend features the delectable double bill of Johnny Depp and our very own Orlando Bloom in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl!” Join us Saturday on our IRC server at 5:30 pm EST when we pop our copies of the movie into the DVD player. After the usual confusion we’ll all press play on our individual players and proceed to cheer and jeer (or discuss and argue, if you like!) the finer points of the film. We plan to take a break midway through the film, to allow for stretching of fingers and backs. Barliman will be on hand to serve drinks and snacks (and to enforce the house rules).
Also, please check out our tentative Summer Schedule below, as voted on by the fine folks in Barliman’s chat room. Upcoming featured films include: a double-feature of ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens,’ ‘Galaxy Quest,’ ‘Ghostbusters,’ and ‘Princess Bride.’ [About IRC chat]
Date: Saturday, June 17th Time: 5:30 pm EST Place: #moviechat on the TORn IRC server.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.
America: 5.30pm (New York) 4.30pm (Chicago) 3.30pm (Salt Lake City) 2.30pm (Los Angeles)
Europe: 10.30pm GMT (London) 11.30pm CET (Paris)
Asia-Pacific: 6.30am AWST (Sunday) Perth 8.30am AEST (Sunday) Brisbane 9.30am AEDT (Sunday) Sydney 11.30am NZDT (Sunday) Wellington
Where?
Movie Watch happens on #moviechat 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.
The Summer Schedule Saturday chats approx. 5:30 p.m. EST / Sunday chats begin approx. 2 p.m. EST — All dates & times are tentative until confirmed
Saturday, June 17: Pirates of the Carribean Sunday, June 25: Alien & Aliens Saturday, July 8: Monty Python and the Holy Grail Saturday, July 22: Ghost Busters Sunday, July 30: Princess Bride & Shaun Of The Dead Saturday, August 19: Say Anything Sunday, August 27th: Galaxy Quest & Memphis Belle Saturday, Sept. 9: Finding Nemo Saturday, Sept. 23: Fifth Element
“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…” — SEATTLE TIMES
THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY is Howard Shore’s compilation in six movements of his two-time Academy-award winning score for the popular and epic movie trilogy based on Tolkien’s internationally beloved fantasy novels. “Music is responsible for over 30% of an audience’s response to a film. There is no more exciting example of the profound support music gives to film than Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings films,” says noted composer Christopher Dedrick. “This is a rare opportunity to hear this core performed live.” Howard Shore has composed the scores to more than 60 films and received the Oscar and Grammy Awards for Best Original Score for The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, for which he was also honored with awards from Los Angeles Film Critics, The Chicago Film Critics, and The Broadcast Film Critics. The score for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King recently won the Broadcast Film Critics Award, as well as the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for the Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Into the West.” The soundtracks for The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King have sold over 4 million albums worldwide and both albums have remained on the Billboard Top 100 Soundtracks chart since their original release in 2001, 2002, and 2003 respectively. The UK’s Classic FM voted The Lord of the Rings soundtracks “Best Film Score of All Time” for two consecutive years. Since its debut in November 2003, Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony has been performed in mostly sold-out halls 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, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Moscow’s Kremlin Palace Theater. Some of the world’s leading international orchestras — including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony and the London Philharmonic — has performed The Lord of the Rings Symphony in addition to regional orchestras across the United States.
Tickets are $39.50 Gen. / $99.50 Res. plus applicable service charges and are available now online at ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Chateau Ste. Michelle wine shop, or charge by phone (206) 628-0888
For more information contact Dave Littrell at (425) 486-3755 Visit the Chateau concerts website at www.wineryconcerts.com Produced by The Lakeside Group
