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.

universalmusicstore.com is auctioning off some interesting items for ‘Songs of Hope’. CanadianCricket writes: As of this time bids for this Return of the King/Into the West sheet music signed by Annie Lennox are only at $51! I have to believe that with a little help from exposure on TORN’s main page that much much more could be raised for this worthy cause! [More]

Whether through the six volumes of Tolkien’s classic novel or Peter Jackson’s spectacular film adaptation of the epic, The Lord of the Rings has fascinated audiences of all ages for 50 years. Now fans can relive the magic in a new way with Creating The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Composer’s Journey Through Middle Earth. This exclusive concert presentation of the films’ unforgettable music, conducted by its composer Howard Shore, will have its Canadian television premiere on Bravo! NewStyleArtsChannel Saturday, September 4 at 8:30pm ET. [More]

Celtic Band, ‘The Border Collies’ had plans to release a CD taking the songs within the text of the LOTR and setting them and arranging them in a Celtic style, using their own orginal songs and tunes. However HarperCollins, Tolkien’s UK publisher has clamped down a “moratorium” on ALL new projects. According to thebordercollies.com, ‘[HarperCollins] sound final and indefinite in their correspondence.’ So sadly they have delayed the release of that CD. [More]

Mirabella in San Diego writes: I was at my local library and saw a big poster for the following: The Port of San Diego is sponsoring a free public concert by the National City Community Concert Band to present “Music from Stage & Screen” at Pepper Park in National City. They will feature music from West Side Story, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other movies and musicals. The concert will take place on Sunday, August 8, at 6PM. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs!