There’s been some wishful thinking around the Web that NZ band The Muttonbirds were going to be involved in the LOTR soundtrack. (Now, remember PJ saying he was tending towards using an orchestral score for the film?
I contacted The Muttonbirds’ manager and he said this:
‘yes i am the manager of the mutton birds i can tell you that neither don or the mutton birds or preparing music for peter jacksons movie of lotr’
Their manager is a Tolkien fan, I gather, and hastens to add that they wouldn’t turn it down if it was offered.