THE KITCHENER WATERLOO PHILHARMONIC CHOIR SCORES THE GOLD ‘RING’ WITH PRESENTATION OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY PERFORMED LIVE AT CENTRE IN THE SQUARE, KITCHENER JUNE 4 AND ROY THOMSON HALL, TORONTO JUNE 5
Canadian Howard Shore’s magnificent The Lord of the Rings Symphony will transport audiences into Tolkien’s world with live performances by the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Markus Huber and a chorus of more than 250 voices from the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir, Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Youth Choir, Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Children’s Choir and Consort Caritatis under the artistic direction of Howard Dyck. Performances will take place Saturday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. at Centre in the Square, Kitchener and at Roy Thomson Hall, Sunday, June 5, Toronto at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
“This is a real coup for us,” says Artistic Director, Howard Dyck. “Although this kind of undertaking is normally tackled only by large symphonic organizations, the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir is undaunted by this latest challenge. Indeed, we are the first choral organization in Canada to mount a production of Howard Shore’s monumental score.
”In addition to presenting this important musical work locally to area students and to hundreds of Tolkien fans, we will also be consolidating our Toronto presence where we have performed every year since 2001. The Lord of the Rings Symphony will enhance the KW Philharmonic Choir’s reputation as one of the most dynamic choral organizations in the country.”
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. It has been performed around the world to critical acclaim (most recently in Moscow). The Symphony follows the chronology of the story-telling in the films and is accompanied by projected images featuring the original, conceptual artwork of Canadian illustrator, John Howe and his colleague Alan Lee, which inspired the majestic imagery of the film.
Says Shore “My initial inspiration over the four years it took to write The Lord of the Rings Symphony was always Tolkien — his books were always open on my desk. There is a real emotional attachment to it – not just from the performers but from audiences all over the world.”
“Anywhere in the world it’s been performed- Atlanta, Chicago, London, Taipei- it’s all been done locally,” says Shore. “To me that’s the real joy of it, awakening interest in symphony orchestras.”
The orchestra will provide all the musical thrills of the score with an array of unusual instruments including metal bell plates, Irish bodhrans, Japanese Taiko drums, Tibetan gongs, and an Arabic Ney flute, to name a few. Centuries of stylistic tendencies are treated with equal respect, creating a uniquely all-encompassing vision. Singing in multiple languages including the Tolkien-spawned languages Quenya, Sindarin, Khuzdul, Adunaic, Black Speech, and Old and Modern English is a massive undertaking for the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir.
Maestro Markus Huber based in Germany and Bulgaria, has conducted The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Chicago, Detroit, and Salt Lake City and worked with Howard Shore directly on the Taiwan and New Zealand productions.
Born in Toronto, the 57- year -old Howard Shore has composed the scores for over 60 feature films and recently received a Golden Globe award for The Aviator. He is currently working on the music for King Kong, shooting in New Zealand in June and directed by Peter Jackson.
Tickets to The Lord of the Rings Symphony are available as follows:
Kitchener: Centre in the Square
Saturday, June 4, 2005, 7:30 pm
Box office: 519-578-1570 toll free: 800-265-8977
Ticket prices: $60/$65/$70
http://www.centre-square.com
Toronto: Roy Thomson Hall
Sunday, June 5, 2005
2 pm and 7 pm
Ticket prices: $45 – $85
Roy Thomson Hall Box office: 416-872-4255
http://www.roythomson.com/boxoffice.cfm
or through Ticketmaster 416-870-8000
http://www.ticketmaster.ca or at all Ticketmaster outlets
Principal Sponsor Kitchener: DALSA Corporation
With support from Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
The Lord of the Rings Symphony concerts in Kitchener and Toronto are produced by John Cripton and Linda Sword, Great World Artists.
