“Then Ilúvatar said to them: ‘Of the theme that I have declared to you, I will now that ye make in harmony together a Great Music… But I will sit and hearken, and be glad that through you great beauty has been wakened into song.'” (AINULINDALË)
In all of Tolkien’s created world, no power is greater or more evident than the power of music and song. Through it Ilúvatar and the Valar created the world. Through music Tom Bombadil controlled nature. Through songs the Children of Ilúvatar rejoiced and mourned and recalled their histories. Even the Enemies such as the goblins had their own songs.
Did Tolkien envision music as a power of itself, or was it merely the outward sign of the deeper powers within each being, or a reflection of the power of Ilúvatar? Who made the best music, and whose music had the most power? What are the most profound instances of the power of music? Join us this weekend in #thehalloffire when we will add our voices to the Music of the Ainur as we discuss “The Power of Song in Tolkien”.
Upcoming topics:
1/16 and 1/17/05: The Silmarillion – Ainulindale & the Valaquenta
Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net IRC server. Need instructions? Go [here].
Chat Times:
Saturday Chat:
5:30pm EST (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 7:30am Sunday morning AEST]
Sunday Chat:
8:00 pm (20:00) CET
[also 2:00pm (14:00) EST and 4:00am Monday morning AEST]
EST = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AEST = Australian East Coast
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