An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya’s Oscar nominated “May It Be.” For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience. [More]
Category: Music
Dan writes: SoundtrackNet takes a look at the new expansive box set containing the complete recording of Howard Shore’s award-winning score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. “Howard Shore’s Oscar-winning, Golden Globe-winning, and Grammy Award-winning score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was just the beginning of an epic 12-hour long Lord of the Rings saga that would catapult him to the forefront of the film music world. Now, for the first time, the complete soundtrack to the extended DVD cut of the first film has been released in one very pretty package. Each film in the trilogy has a different tone, but in hindsight, The Fellowship of the Ring stands out more than its successors: it is the one that introduces and develops the majority of the key themes that would come to play massive roles in the world of middle-Earth and our understanding of it.” [More]
New CD to be released at Evening at Bree party!
Emerald Rose has announced the completion of their newest cd, “Archives of Ages to Come”, and they plan to release the cd at TORn’s Evening at Bree party at Dragon*Con. The band will be premiering selections of the new material this weekend for audiences at the ELF gathering in Orlando.
Emerald Rose has performed for TORn fans at many LOTR events, including post-Oscar parties in Hollywood. This is the band’s fifth cd, and their most musically diverse, ranging from traditional Celtic ballads and instrumentals to driving rock songs inspired by world mythology. [more]
Vivendi-Universal Games Registers Historic Milestone in Game Music
They have come relentlessly. Like an army of Uruk Hai. Month after month, the fans have come to www.LOTR.com to hear the music. More than a million have come, downloading MP3 after MP3 of Chance Thomas’ original music from Vivendi-Universal Games’ Lord of the Rings series.
“The response to Chance’s music at LOTR.com has been fantastic,” says Guy Welch, web marketing manager for VU Games. “Chance’s delivery of web-ready files, online liner notes, and behind-the-scenes photography helped us quickly create a unique way for fans to experience this brand.”
By the end of August 2004 the total had reached 1,080,213 downloads. And the phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down. According to VU Games’ tracking, fans downloaded more music in the last month than they had in any previous month. This in spite of the fact that the most recent games (War of the Ring, The Hobbit) were released about 10 months ago.
“We’re not just talking about hits, measured in tens of millions. We’re talking about actual mp3 downloads, ” Chance said. “I never imagined the music would find such resonance with the fans. This isn’t Green Day or Britney Spears or the Black Eyed Peas. It’s a bunch of middle-aged guys playing violins. Orchestral, choral, and acoustic underscore written and produced exclusively for games. I’m not sure if anything like this has ever happened with game music before.”
But music agent Bob Rice, who represents many top game composers including Thomas, has a different view. “Actually, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Chance’s music for Lord of the Rings has richness, it has melody, it’s inspiring. And that’s why over a million people have taken the time and made the effort to download it. They want to hear it again and again. It’s just great music.”
Gael Schults, a life-long student and performer of ancient music ascribes the lure of Chance’s themes to their interplay of authenticity, accessibility and emotion. “Chance Thomas was able to get in touch with some deep emotion on that music. I still wake up hearing these pieces playing through my head, in those half-sleeping moments just before morning consciousness. It is a rare composer who can bring both the heart of ancient folk tradition and modern accessibility to the same table with this degree of palatable success.”
When asked what this means for music makers in gaming, Chance said, “Taken alone, this might be no more than a spectacular aberration. But in the context of everything else that’s going on these days – the sold-out live game music concerts, the recognition from BAFTA and the Grammys, and the relentlessly rising bar of game music quality – I think it portends amazing opportunities for us, and points to a significant trend sweeping through the entire world of entertainment.”
G.A.N.G. founder and President Tommy Tallarico, a renowned advocate for game music adds, “The winds of change seem to be upon us. This is just more proof of how important video game music has become in our culture. Not only is the game experience itself benefiting from talented and experienced composers like Chance, but this proves that the fans are interested in the music outside the game as well.”
Fans seem to support Tallarico’s view. Game music enthusiast Jesse Wang, representative of so many, said in a recent email to HUGEsound, “[These] soundtracks are absolutely amazing. I have never heard such passion and musical depth in a game soundtrack.” Adds Shults, “Chance’s innate ability to feel the ancient music so strongly…exceeds normal musical boundaries in it’s ability to be true to the writings of Tolkien as well as to Ancient Peoples everywhere, whether real or imagined!”
Chance Thomas’ themes for Vivendi-Universal’s Lord of the Rings game series can be downloaded at www.LOTR.com.
Abdullyne (and many others) write: I was watching the closing ceremony yesterday on US network, NBC, and thought I heard some strains of the LOTR soundtrack. I heard the beautiful Minas Tirith theme loud and clear. It was during the segment on the Greek athlete, Kyriakides’ career.
CHICAGO, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Fans of the music of Academy Award-winning Howard Shore will have two opportunities to interact with the composer during the Chicago performances of “The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements” on October 8 and 9 at the Auditorium Theatre. Mr. Shore will host a 45-minute question & answer session prior to each performance from the Auditorium Theatre Stage; the Q&A sessions are only open to patrons holding tickets for those respective nights. Mr. Shore will also host a 90-minute post-show dessert and champagne reception each night immediately following the show. The reception tickets, which are $75.00, are limited to 100 patrons per night and may be purchased by calling (312) 951-0080.
The performances each night begin at 8:00 p.m. Fans wishing to interact with Mr. Shore at the Q&A session may arrive at the Auditorium Theatre at 6:00 p.m.; seating will be general admission. Mr. Shore and Doug Adams, author of the upcoming book The Music of the Lord of the Rings, will take questions from the stage beginning at approximately 6:30pm. Upon conclusion of the Q&A session at 7:15 p.m., patrons will be reseated in their ticketed seat.
The post-show reception will be in the Auditorium Theatre’s 2nd-floor dress circle lobby. Mr. Shore will sign autographs, pose for pictures, and otherwise mingle and interact with attendees. Dessert from Eli’s Cheesecake and champagne are complimentary. Other cocktails and soft drinks are available via a cash bar.
“The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements” features more than 200 musicians and singers performing music from all three films in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The presentation will also feature original concept and storyboard artwork from the films by artists Alan Lee and John Howe. Projected images will chronologically align with the music as the story of the hobbits’ journey unfolds. Tickets, which range from $35.00 to $80.00, are on sale now, and may be purchased at the Auditorium Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or by calling (312) 902-1500.
“The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Symphony in Six Movements” is presented by Jam Theatricals.