I feel it in the earth… I smell it in the air… It’s almost time for Middle-earth March…
Continue ReadingI feel it in the earth… I smell it in the air… It’s almost time for Middle-earth March Madness 2023!
But what will the theme be this year? Who (or what) will be the 64 competitors who enter the fray, each hoping to win YOUR vote and become the Champion for 2023?
All will be revealed next week. Meanwhile you can take a look at last year’s ‘Battle of the Ages’ here. Get ready to play along; it’s the deep breath before the plunge…
Last week we brought you the exciting news about composer Paul Corfield Godfrey’s multi-part, operatic telling of the central stories from Tolkien’s First Age. Four of the five parts are available now: you can purchase Fëanor, Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin and The Fall of Gondolin directly from Volante Opera Productions, with the fifth and final part, The War of Wrath, expected soon in 2023.
Staffer greendragon recently had the pleasure of sitting down with composer Paul Corfield Godfrey and tenor Simon Crosby Buttle to find out more about these epic works, which are finally being made available for us all to enjoy. It’s been a suitably (in a Tolkien-esque sort of way!) long quest, which has included copious correspondence between Godfrey and folks such as Rayner Unwin and Christopher Tolkien – and has even featured an appearance by one of the Tolkien family in a performance! Find out all the fascinating details in our zoom chat:
Continue reading “Tales of the First Age in operatic form – learn more from the creative team”Good news for all the fans out there who are disappointed that we have yet to see tales from The Silmarillion performed on stage or screen: composer Paul Corfield Godfrey’s suitably epic opera of First Age stories is now available, in a recording made by singers from Welsh National Opera. We may not yet be seeing these tales; but at least you can listen to them!
There are four parts to this mammoth labour of love, all using text taken directly from Tolkien’s writing (with full permission from the Tolkien Estate). Fëanor, Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin and The Fall of Gondolin are available now; and they will be joined in 2023 by a fifth and final part, The War of Wrath. Here are details from the official press release:
Continue reading “The Silmarillion comes to life in operatic form”“… and actually, I’m about to do The Silmarillion…” says Serkis off-handedly in this Flip Your Wig interview at 3:35.
Thanks to r/lotr for the tip!
Witches and werewolves and vampires, oh, my! J.R.R. Tolkien was not one to shy away from creatures of the night. Just the opposite–he seemed to relish writing horror stories.
When we think of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”, Elves, Wizards, Hobbits, and quests come first to mind. But the Professor’s long quest to create an encompassing mythology for Britain led him to conjure stories within stories. Middle-earth feels real because Tolkien fleshed out its history in-depth. Though they are often only hinted at in the main stories, Tolkien wrote many of these historical references in detail.
In honor of the best holiday of the year (subjectively), let’s explore a few tales of terror written by Tolkien fit for All Hallows’ Eve. These are by no means the only ones. The Silmarillion is filled with stories that invoke a sense of horror in us, such as the story of Húrin and his family. Just thinking about Frodo and Sam’s encounter with Shelob in her lair is enough to make skin crawl. Dig deep, and you’ll find bones aplenty in Tolkien’s work.
Continue reading “Yes, Tolkien Wrote Horror stories”A collection of prior-released stories of Middle-earth’s 2nd Age, The Fall of Númenor brings together Tolkien’s published legendaria during the time of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Prime Video series.
For the Tolkien curator who enjoys new packaging of old adventures, and the new Tolkien enthusiast who’s curious about this span of Middle-earth history, this tome is sure to warm your hands and fire up your imagination as the northern hemisphere turns from autumn to winter.
Chris Reed over at IGN put together this tight little summary of what’s in store. For previous TORn reporting on this story, click here and here.
“I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen, of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been…” Happy reading! – Tookish
