Press Release: Jasmine Watson & David Salo to Attend TolCon. Northwest Convention Celebrates Tolkien & Fans.
The Northwest Tolkien Society is proud to present the first annual Tolkien Convention (May 14-16, 2004). TolCon, as it has been christened, is a three-day celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien, his writing and the fandom that has sprung up from the amazing worlds he created. The Northwest Tolkien Society’s aim is to focus on more than the just the recent movies and to explore as many aspects of Tolkien’s life and writings as we can fit in one weekend. We enjoy all aspects of Tolkien fandom-whether you think Peter Jackson created a masterpiece, Ralph Bakshi did, or there will never be a movie good enough to be worthy of Tolkien’s name, you will find other fans and panels ready to agree with you.
TolCon will have several programming tracks to examine the varied aspects of Tolkien’s life and writings. Linguistics panels will include lessons in Khudzul, Quenya and Sindarin and workshops lead by Lord of the Ring’s Elvish translator, David Salo. Dancing panels will include Elvish line dancing (yes, you read that right). A Day in the Life of a Hobbit track will include “Who Drank My Half-Pint?” Microbrew tasting (for those 21 and over) from the finest Northwest breweries and costuming panels such as “How To Be a Hobbit, Or Just Look Like One”. We’ve also added a gardening track with workshops such as “Enchanted Gardens: Lothlorian in Your Own Backyard” and “A Tisket-a-Tasket, Middle-Earth in a Basket: Middle Earth Inspired Container Gardens”.The TolFilm Fanfilm Exhibition will showcase films of all types made by talented fans: music videos, parodies, documentaries, and other re-tellings of Tolkien’s tales. Activities geared towards Hobbitlings will be available throughout the weekend. A silent auction benefiting People for Puget Sound will run all weekend and you can bid on items donated from our local businesses as well as signed items donated by some of the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings.
TolCon will also celebrate art inspired by Tolkien through the art show, costume ball, and several guests of honor. We will have the jewelry designer from Lord of the Rings, Jasmine Watson, grace us with her presence, and her jewelry will be on display in our Art Show. We’ll be covering Tolkien “writing” from everything from the Lost Tales to current parodies written by two of our Writer Guests; Molly Winter and Jaida Jones. Our music guests will include Luke Ski, of “Stealing Like a Hobbit” fame, as well as the Forgotten Celts and Dorian Mirth to give the illusion of actually being in Middle Earth.
Tolcon will be held at the Sea-Tac Marriott, so if you reserve a room you will be able to enjoy all of the panels and fun as late as you like before stumbling back to your room, exhausted (Or you may rest in between panels to keep yourself bright-eyed and fuzzy-footed). In the wee hours of the morning, you can use the complementary DSL connection to let everybody who can’t join in the fun know just what they’re missing.
Please join us in a weekend of fun, festivities, and immersion in all things Tolkien.
For more information, check out http://www.tolcon.org, or email info@tolcon.org
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Samay writes:
Hello. I realize you may have several reports of Howard Shore and the U.S. Premiere of The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Columbus, Ohio. I am not sure if I have any new information, but here is a summary of the evening (3/27/04), along with my own perspective:
Overall it was well worth the 2.5 hr one way trip to see this performance. Mr. Shore really is a wonderful ambassador for the music of Middle Earth. Prior to the performance, he did a short Q&A with the audience. The questions were submitted in advance. Here are notable tidbits:
The music used in the film was never cut to fit a particular scene. Rather, if a scene was reshot or redone, Mr. Shore recomposed the music to fit exactly to final cut. This is a departure from the way scores are conventionally written.
Howard Shore emphasized that he wrote the music like an opera, with each gesture being associated to the film score. He gave the example of the moment when Frodo says he will take the ring to Mordor, and the glance the is given by Gandalf. He said this reminded him of WWII, when a father would be proud of his son for the courage shown while knowing that their loved one may never return.
The music for the Mines of Moria was recorded in New Zealand with a Kiwi orchestra featuring several artists of Maori decent.
I was impressed by how familiar Howard Shore was with Middle Earth linguistics. He was able to have an impromptu discussion on the various forms of elvish in great detail
As each of the films became more successful, Howard Shore was able to have more control over picking the particular vocal artists. He had the most control with ROTK, culminating in a long letter he wrote to Annie Lennox about why he wanted her to sing. At the time, that song was not Into the West, but another which is featured as an extra on one of the special soundtracks for ROTK which Shore refers to as a “rarity.”
As the characters such as the hobbits evolved through the trilogy, the instruments used to portray their musical themes changed to reflect this transformation.
Howard Shore just completed recording an additional 50 min worth of music for the ROTK EE DVD.
Now for the concert:
Behind the orchestra and chorus was a large screen. Smaller screens were on both sides in the balconies. These were filled with artists sketches associated with the music as it played. Howard Shore had reduced the 9+ hours music to just over 2, distilling the essence of middle earth. The sketches for me did the same: reducing the depth of color and detail to the lines and figures of Alan Lee.
The music itself was beautiful. At times, it evoked images and emotions much like the film, and I found the projected imagery constraining my ablility to fully immerse myself in its effect. I closed my eyes to remedy this. The concert was organized in six movments, one for each book of the trilogy. The Norwegian soloist Sissel performed soaring high pitched vocals poignantly, and was able to be in the same league as Lennox for a more operatic interpretation of Into the West (though I still prefer Lennox).
I could go on, but suffice it to say that the several minute standing ovation requiring Howard Shore to come back on to stage three times was well deserved.
—–
Roheryn writes:
Report on the US premiere of Howard Shore’s LOTR Symphony
I have a wish for all Ringers – that they could all get to experience “The Lord of the Rings Symphony” conducted by Howard Shore!
I was one of the lucky audience members at Friday’s sold out performance in Columbus, Ohio, which represented the United States premiere of the symphony. (Thanks to TORN, I had heard about the concert months ago, and was able to get my tickets as soon as they went on sale!) TORN has already posted great reports about the previous performances of this program at several other international venues, so I won’t belabor what has already been reported, but I would like to share my personal impressions.
I made the two-hour drive from Cincinnati with my sister “Michelf” in drizzly weather, to meet our Columbus-dwelling sister “Xtina” and her boyfriend. The venue for the event was the opulent Ohio Theatre, a lavish old movie palace that seems to mix the soaring grandeur of Minas Tirith with the golden trimmings of Theoden’s great hall Meduseld in Rohan. (I’ve included a few scans, but my camera was sadly inadequate to the task from our peanut gallery location!) At $15 apiece, we had the least expensive seats in the house. We were in the highest balcony, so we were glad to have binoculars on hand, but the acoustics were fantastic. Sadly, we barely made it to our seats before the program began, and so missed out on Shore’s earlier address to the audience in which he answered questions.
Having listened to all three soundtracks innumerable times, it was enjoyable to hear a fresh rendering of such familiar material. The Columbus Symphony did a great job, and it was interesting to hear some pieces played in slightly different tempos or arrangements. For me, what really made everything come together was the fantastic vocal work of the Otterbein College Camerata Choir and Concert Choir (over 100 voices), who were joined by the Columbus Children’s Choir — New World Singers (36 young people). They did a wonderful job and contributed tremendously to an unforgettable evening. The choir was arranged behind the symphony musicians, with the children’s choir in the center, flanked on the left by the female chorus, and on the right by the male chorus. Several local soloists got to have a moment in the spotlight: a female mezzo soprano sang Gandalf’s Lament in the Lothlorien section, and a baritone handled Aragorn’s Coronation Song, both doing Columbus proud. A young man in the Children’s Choir sang the soprano parts in the Fellowship portion of the show, including “In Dreams,” though somewhat shakily, it must be said. Oh, but haven’t we been spoiled by Ben del Maestro?
For the soprano parts and featured solos in the Two Towers and Return of the King movements, Howard Shore brought out the Norwegian songbird Sissel, probably best known to stateside audiences as the ethereal vocalist on the “Titanic” soundtrack. Wearing an elegant black gown, she was as lovely to look at as to listen to, and her voice completely blew us away! She handled the Elvish vocals as effortlessly as the two English songs, “Gollum’s Song” and “Into the West.” It gives me chills as I write this just thinking back on her enchanting performance!
It was fun to pick out the unusual things, such as the man beating chains on piano wires for the Isengard selection, the wood xylophone for the Ents, the pan pipes as Faramir’s men prepare to return to Osgiliath, the cimbalon or hammered dulcimer for Gollum’s theme, and of course, the Norwegian fiddle for the Rohan selections. The music swept me away, and it was all I could do not to shout out “Forth Eorlingas!” as the horns sounded the charge! If one may be allowed a few nits in such a wonderful symphony, I dearly would have loved to hear Pippin’s Song (The Edge of Night) and the grand statement of the Minas Tirith theme that we get when Gandalf rides to the Citadel on Shadowfax. But we do get a wonderful rendition of that theme for the Lighting of the Beacons (The White Tree), and since Michelf and I agree that this is our favorite scene in the films, we’re glad we got that one, if we couldn’t have both!
The projected montage of Alan Lee’s and John Howe’s illustrations worked well for the most part. A large screen was behind and above the musicians and chorus on stage, with two smaller projections screens in box seat area on the right and left of the stage. Xtina and her boyfriend aren’t nearly as obsessed with LOTR as Michelf and I are, and they felt that the sketches really helped them to remember what was happening in the films at certain points of the music. The maps and sketches were mostly black and white, but occasionally color added an appropriate touch, such as the pan of the mountain tops tinted with a deepening red wash during the beacon fires section.
People watching was fun, with many an Elven princess gracing the gilded Ohio Theatre. Evenstar pendants and Leaf broaches abounded, and even some of the ushers could be seen sporting gold Eye of Sauron lapel pins! I even ran into some gals that I had met among the TORN contingent at The Gathering of the Fellowship in Toronto this past December! They had driven in from Akron and Michigan, and at least one was cloaked in Elven grey! I would guess there were a lot more teenagers there than one typically finds at the Columbus Symphony, and it is my sincere hope that a lot of non-symphony-goers will have enjoyed the experience so much that they will consider another visit to the Ohio Theatre. As was reported earlier this week on TORN, the Columbus Symphony has faced some hard times, and took a real leap of faith two years ago when they committed to put on this event. Happily, the result was an instant sell-out, which led them to add a second show on Saturday, marking the first time in the Symphony’s history that it had sold out two shows in a row!
When the glorious performance came to its conclusion, Howard Shore and his fellow artists were rewarded with a long and loud standing ovation. There were several curtain calls; each time, Mr. Shore graciously waved his arms toward the others on stage to indicate that the praise should go to the musicians and vocalists and not be focused on him. Oh Howard, don’t you know that we recognize that we are in the presence of a musical genius who’s legacy will live on for generations? We are not worthy!
As our little group exited the theatre, we happened to notice a gentleman who had sung in the male choir, carrying his music booklet. When I told him that I was very interested to see how the Elvish lyrics had been written out, he kindly allowed me view a few pages, and even to take a photo (attached)! He pointed out that the words were written phonetically, not as they would be spelled in Sindarin, Quenya, Rohirric, or Khuzdul. So I guess this tidbit qualifies as a TORN exclusive!
—–
chasa writes:
I wanted to pass along a bit more information on Howard Shore’s US debut of the Lord of the Rings Symphony in Columbus. I was really glad to be able to attend the Friday evening show, which was absolutely packed. A few tidbits from the Q&A: one question was about whether or not there would be a special music box set at some point and Howard said that yes, there would very likely be! As a huge LotR music geek, I was really excited to hear that. He anticipated including something like 12 hours of music (obviously much more than is on the currently released soundtracks), with a “rarities” disc that would contain music that did *not* get used on film…possibly showing the development of different thematic elements or maybe first recordings. He also mentioned a book in progress by a Chicago (?) columnist, about LotR music. I’m unclear if he was planning to make that book an inclusion in the music box set. As far as time frame goes, I believe he said a year or so from now, though that seemed a general comment.
Howard also seemed very positive about the desire to do The Hobbit if the rights issues can be hammered out.
The performance was wonderful and I would echo what Deborah said about what a lovely person Howard seems to be. I’ve always gotten the impression that he’s fairly shy and both surprised and touched by the attention he’s received as a result of being involved with the LotR movies — that impression was reinforced by seeing him on Friday! During all of the curtain calls, he seemed much more interested in recognizing all of the other performers on stage before himself. He seemed moved by the enthusiasm with which he was received. I feel *really* lucky because I’ll get to see him again when he comes to Pittsburgh at the end of July, and hopefully at that event I’ll have an opportunity to say hello to him in person and thank him for the incredible contribution he made to the movies.
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Dear TORn staff,
After years of visiting your site daily, I am delighted to finally have a report to contribute myself. I had the pleasure of attending the U.S. premiere of Howard Shore’s LOTR symphony on March 26 in Columbus, Ohio. I also attended Mr. Shore’s autograph signing at the Virgin Megastore on March 27.
My husband and I arrived about an hour early for the symphony on Friday. We encountered no problems during our two-hour drive from Cincinnati and reached the historic Ohio Theater without incident. I stopped at the Will Call window to ask if the staff had any suggestions about where I might go if I wanted to try to get Mr. Shore’s autograph after the performance. I was advised that there are five different exits, and the staff had no idea which exit would give me the best chance of meeting Mr. Shore. Discouraged, I thanked them and was ready to enter the theater – however, at that point, another staff member informed me that Mr. Shore would be signing autographs at the Virgin Megastore on Saturday. Woo hoo! I wasn’t sure if my dear husband would be willing to drive all the way back to Columbus the next morning, but at least I still had some chance of meeting this remarkable composer.
When we arrived at our seats, we were thrilled to find Mr. Shore on stage answering some pre-submitted questions from the audience! The Q&A had just started. The questions were thoughtful, but I don’t have any new information to share. He talked about various influences on the music, working with Peter and Fran, his interest in The Hobbit, the Oscars, etc. It was terrific to actually hear him address these questions live and in person instead of reading an article or hearing a news clip.
The performance itself was wonderful. The orchestra and choral groups were not the strongest that I have ever heard, but they were definitely good. For me, the real joy was to watch Howard Shore conduct and to hear the music played live. Artwork from Alan Lee and John Howe was projected on three screens during the performance, and this added an interesting dimension to the experience. It must have been so challenging to take the full score and condense it to a two-hour symphony, but Mr. Shore did not disappoint. Shelob’s Lair was the only piece of music that I notably missed. At the end of the evening, the audience gave a well-deserved and very lengthy standing ovation to Mr. Shore and the performers. He seemed genuinely touched by all the love in the room.
My husband kindly agreed to drive back to Columbus the next day for the signing event at the Virgin Megastore. I discovered on the Virgin website that the signing would begin at 1 p.m. We arrived a bit before noon, and the line was already out the door. We were positioned in the doorway itself, which seemed like an inconvenience at first (due to all of the people coming and going) but ended up giving us a great vantage point. My husband spotted Mr. Shore’s car pull into a nearby driveway before anyone else noticed. A minute or two later, Mr. Shore strode around the corner and walked by us into the store. We were among the first to see him and applaud. Again, he seemed genuinely touched by the admiration. He had no entourage – he didn’t seem to have any minders at all. A short time later, he started the signing.
Mr. Shore was such a good sport – signing autographs, taking pictures, and shaking hands. My main goal was to thank him for his incredible score and to tell him that his music is such a gift to us. That is really all I wanted to do – more than getting an autograph, the most important thing to me was to have the opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you. I tend not to be star struck, but I found that I was getting a bit nervous as our turn approached. Fortunately, I remembered to say what I wanted to say, albeit not without a bit of embarrassment. I asked him to sign my internet-exclusive ROTK CD (the one with the Howard Shore introspective DVD). My husband asked him to sign our program from the symphony, which he personalized to me and made sure to spell my name correctly. My husband snapped a quick picture. I thanked Mr. Shore for the score, but then I forget what else I wanted to say – after having repeated it in my mind at least 100 times! I am a reasonably articulate person, so I can only attribute being tongue-tied to the fact that I was standing in front of a creative genius. On the bright side, I suppose that I now have a funny story to remember. After I thanked him, Mr. Shore asked me where in the CD packet I wanted him to sign. At the time, I did not hear him clearly. Instead of asking him to repeat the question, though, I merely smiled and said that I thought he was incredible. Oh my. Fortunately, he smiled warmly, said thank you very much, and proceeded to sign in a perfectly appropriate place. When my husband snapped our picture, I regained my composure and was able to express the rest of my gratitude.
This was such a wonderful experience. My work schedule does not permit me to travel to conventions, premieres, etc. and I have never met any of the cast or crew. For Mr. Shore to visit us in Ohio was such a treat – one that I will never forget!
Cheers,
Deborah
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In an effort to make room for new merchandise, TheOneRing.net is going to retire select styles of t-shirts currently on sale. We have a lot of cool things in the works, so next Friday is the final day that some shirts will be available.
We get a lot of E-mail asking us if older shirt styles will ever be available again and so we are warning fans now that as of next Friday, April 3, the “Evil Wizard” shirts will be taken out of circulation. Currently, these shirts are available in black and steel blue in sizes small through extra large ($20) and in double extra large ($25). This will help us make other shirt styles and merchandise available, some of which have been suggested by fans. Thanks to all who have supported TORn by purchasing and wearing our official gear. If you haven’t visited our shirt shop yet, what are you waiting for? [Shop]
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In the last chapter we discussed from The Hobbit, Tolkien makes his
feelings concerning Goblins, and the machines and devices they are
responsible for, quite clear. In The Lord of the Rings we are treated to more of the authors dislike of machinery. Here we find the fallen wizard Saruman, who tinkers in explosive devices and has a ‘mind of wheels and metal’.
How does Tolkien use the agents of evil to get across his feelings and
opinions about machinery? Is there a specific type of machinery that
Tolkien singles out? How does the One Ring relate to all of this? Come
join us in #thehalloffire as we discuss Tolkien and technology.
Upcoming topics:
Weekend 2/3 of April: Chapter 5 – Riddles in the dark
Times:
Saturday Chat:
5:30pm ET (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 9:30am Sunday (09:30) AET]
Sunday Chat:
7:00 pm (19:00) CET
[also 1:00pm (13:00) ET and 5:00am (05:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AET = Australian East Coast
Do you have a possible topic for Hall of Fire? Drop us a line at
halloffire@theonering.net
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Xoanon here, this may have nothing to do with LOTR, but I still feel compelled to write about it. While visiting AICN just now I found out about this large SAVE ANGEL campaign. And I know a lot of LOTR fans will be interested in this.
Joss Wheaton and the folks at Mutant Enemy are STAUNCH Tolkien fans, there have been many a reference to LOTR over the years and I know personally that James Marsters is a big fan. Why should you attend this rally if you are the area? To help fellow fanboys in need!
There is NOTHING like the power of a fanbase coming together to rally the suits, so if you can…please stop by!
Coming To Burbank!! Giant Wednesday SAVE ANGEL Rally!!
Wednesday, March 31 2004
Time: 3 pm – 7 pm PST
Location: The WB Ranch
3701 W. Oak Street
Burbank, California 91505
Hercules from AICN writes: Someone wrote in a week or two ago about spotting pro-“Angel” picketeers around the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, and I thought to myself, “Dang! I can carry a placard! Wish somebody told me about it!”
Now imagine if every “Angel” fan in Los Angeles were to converge on Burbank. I’m pretty sure they all read Ain’t It Cool. This could be our chance.
PRESS RELEASE: SAVING ANGEL CAMPAIGN Announces Los Angeles Rally
Saving Angel to hold Viewer Rally at The WB Ranch on Wednesday, March 31, 2004.
On Wednesday, March 31, 2004, dedicated viewers of The WB television program Angel will gather at the Warner Brothers production ranch in Burbank, California to show support for the series and protest its untimely cancellation.
The rally is the latest step in a campaign orchestrated by Saving Angel (www.savingangel.org and www.savingangel.com), the coalition of Angel viewers who have come together in hopes of keeping the show on the air. SavingAngel has collected over $30,000 from devotees around the world, funding an unprecedented series of measures which have garnered national media attention.
“We had hoped that we would touch a nerve in the viewing public, but never expected the response to be so huge, nor the media coverage to be so encompassing.” said Lisa Rowe, SavingAngel Media Liaison. “I believe that it sends a signal to the powers that be in TV that viewers really do have a desire to watch good scripted shows, and are speaking up about it.”
So far, the campaign has included thousands of postcards and emails to network and media targets on a changing schedule, full-page ads in Variety and Hollywood Reporter, and a mobile billboard driving through the streets of Los Angeles (photos attached). The campaign has emphasized its desire to see quality scripted TV programming remain on the air.
Swing the crebbil!
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