Our good friends at WaterTower Music have informed us that the score for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has commenced recording in New Zealand. Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: recording has begun on the score of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
Category: Music
In addition to being a Tolkien enthusiast and an artist, Cockshaw is also a film score geek. In this article he draws on the analysis of musicologist Doug Adams to reflect on how Shore deftly employs musical constructs to bring Middle-earth to our ears.
Continue reading “The Ring resounds in Middle-earth”
Among some of the most profound pieces of Tolkien’s writings are those concerning the concepts of death and immortality, and the ultimate fates of Elves and Men. And a little more than a decade ago, as the tale of Aragorn and Arwen unfolded in The Two Towers, it was the evocative voice of Sheila Chandra that spoke to the hope and heartache of their destinies.
A vocalist of Indian descent hailing from the UK, Sheila Chandra performed “The Breath Of Life” (also titled “The Grace Of The Valar“) as Aragorn’s unconscious form floats downriver while Arwen holds him in thought and sends him a blessing from afar – “May the grace of the Valar protect you“.
The song’s lyrics (adapted from Tolkien’s writings) were written by Fran Walsh:
Shadow lies between us, as you came, so you shall leave from us.
Time and storm shall scatter all things.
Sorrowing you must go, and yet you are not without hope,
For you are not bound to the circles of this world, you are not bound to loss and to silence.
As our exclusive series of interviews with vocalists from The Lord of the Rings continues, join us today as we talk to Sheila Chandra about how the song, its mood, and her delivery of it were all carefully crafted with the aim of conveying the understanding and mature love that is shared between Arwen and Aragorn.
Continue reading “TORn Exclusive: Interview With Sheila Chandra”
Just a couple of hours ago, the Hobbit Production Video #14 popped up on Peter Jackson’s Facebook page. This final video blog covers the recording of Howard Shore’s magnificent musical score for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The score was recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by renowned orchestrator/composer Conrad Pope. We’ve got the video for you just below in HD, courtesy of Peter Jackson’s YouTube page. Enjoy! Continue reading “Peter Jackson releases final Production Video of 2013!”
Following on from our review by Aragorn the Elfstone, of the Desolation of Smaug special edition soundtrack, our Happy Hobbits and Cliff “Quickbeam” Broadway were lucky enough to go to Water Tower Music and have an exclusive preview of The Hobbit DOS soundtrack! Purple packaging, unlockable videos, and Howard Shore’s triumphant return to Middle-earth!
Enjoy 10 minutes of the extended soundtrack now!
Continue reading “Unboxing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Soundtrack”
Howard Shore’s score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was, for many of us, a nostalgic trip back to Middle-earth. Regardless of the differences between some of the music on the album and the final film,
the score brought us back comfortably to musical territory that we knew – while also setting up a number of themes that would come back full force in the next films.
Let me tell you – if any of you were hoping for more original material from Mr. Shore, you’ve got your wish. In spades. Continue reading “‘The Desolation of Smaug’ Special Edition Soundtrack reviewed by Aragorn the Elfstone”