🎶Music for Middle Earth

[Elthir]

One of my favorite parts (Bagby's Beowulf) occurs at around 1: 10: 49, with the line . . .

"The truth is known that mighty
God has always ruled mankind."

… followed by a bit of entrancing music. But that's just one of the many parts I especially love!

 

[Desert Loon]

Wow. My horizons are expanding. Thank you!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Well, what the heck -- since I've already broken my own self-imposed rules, I may as well add this little piece I've always liked:

An electric keyboard, with (I guess) a Leslie, but nice music.

Hey, thanks for all the recommendations -- new things to explore!

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

Sorry, I didn't realize you meant just music for Rohan or I'd have restrained myself (which I can actually manage to do every once in a while ). How about something like this for the horse riders? I guess they weren't really westernish but this always reminds me of horses.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

"Hand me up thet thar helm, pardner".

Kidding!

The "rule" was imposed only on myself, not you guys. And I immediately broke it, anyway, so no worries.

For hard-chargin', pulse-poundin', horse-ridin' music, how about Franz Waxman?

The best scene in a not-so-great movie. Not-so-great recording of a not-very-large studio orchestra, either. For a much better recording of a big orchestra:

 

[Miguel]

That's a nice video to wake up in the morning.

 

[del-Kinofnerdanel]

This thread is already a treasure chest!
(Nothing can outrank Melkor's Lament for me, though.)

It was a language in which there seemed to be many words that he knew, though spoken more richly and strongly than in the Shire, yet he [Merry] could not piece the words together. At times some Rider would lift up his clear voice in stirring song, and Merry felt his heart leap, though he did not know what it was about.

How about these as battle songs of the Rohirrim? (First one is more authentic, it starts around 0:45)

 

[Alcuin]

Perhaps it’s out of place here, but the fourth movement of Shostakovich's Symphony no. 5 has always reminded me of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. It doesn’t take much imagination to hear the charge of the Rohirrim, the attack of the Witch-king, the death of Théoden, Éomer rallying his cavalry and defying the approaching the Black Fleet, and Arwen’s Standard breaking in the breeze as Aragorn and the army of Lebennin leap onto the quays.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Perhaps it’s out of place here

At this point? Naahh!


Pelennor. Lots of possibilities from classical composers, especially
19th century Romantics, but here's one from a Shostakovich contemporary:

How about these as battle songs of the Rohirrim?

I like that first one in particular! I've seen a couple of theirs -- need to look some more.

The Rohirrim weren't always at war though, so maybe a more festive piece wouldn't be out of place here, from another pagan folk group:

 

[del-Kinofnerdanel]

So cheerful and light-hearted! It is perfectly fit for a fine night at Meduseld - in which case Teir Abhaile Riu and Nil Se'n La by Celtic Woman or Free Ra Huri by OMNIA could also bring the fire!

Slightly offtopic, but this is such a wondrous interpretation in my opinion.

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

So I was listening to David Gilmour from Pink Floyd (my favorite band, period) on my way to work and got to the song, High Hopes. I love this song for how beautiful the instrumentals are but the lyrics kind of remind me of the Elves remembering Beleriand and leaving for the West. I know that that's not what the original meaning was wen it was first written but if you look at the lyrics they could be interpreted that way...

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before times took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
When friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some in a tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river

Forever and ever

 

[Miguel]

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Well, that looks painful.

Slightly offtopic

I don't think you need to worry about that, at this point! By the power uninvested in me, I now declare this the "Middle Earth Music" thread!

In that spirit, I wonder how many here are familiar with the work of the Tolkien Ensemble, from Denmark, and what you think of them? I bought two of their CD's when they came out; though I was initially somewhat lukewarm, some of the pieces have grown on me. Here's one:

On another front, the allies of Sauron deserve some music. Given the vague descriptions of the Easterlings, it's sort of wide open. I'll nominate this one:

The only problem with it: after looking at the landscapes in the video, I think I'd prefer staying home, over invading anybody -- whatever Sauron's blandishments.

EDIT: I see CL beat me to The Tolkien Ensemble, by a couple of years:

http://thetolkien.forum/index.php?t...e-tolkien-ensemble-and-christopher-lee.21170/

Though nobody answered him!

That's about all I could find here, so I'm carrying out my threat of a title change, which means it's now a free-for all: what music do you find appropriate for Middle Earth?

I'd still like to see more examples of music that might have actually been heard, though!

 

[del-Kinofnerdanel]

Okay this is officially my favourite thread now, you all gave me hours worth of wandering on the better side of Youtube
It is so thougthful to include the Easterlings! Firstly, I would like to add a song with an evil overtone to their soundtrack, then I'll continue with more historically accurate pieces.

Back to the music of the western parts of Middle-earth.

I seriously try not to spam this thread too, but I highly recommend the entire Witcher 3 soundtrack! Forgive me if it doesn't fit well with your vision of the legendarium, it might be nothing but a personal obsession of mine. And the next song has actual elven lyrics!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

All interesting entries, Kinofnerdanel.

I've seen the Sumerian clip before; I wonder how "accurate" it is. I have an anecdote on Sumerian, but won't go into it here.

Good catch on the throat singing. That's what's going on in the clip I posted, just in case anyone thought it was electronically distorted voice. Way OT, but if you want to see Turgen Kam live, here's his "Altai-Turkic/ Mongol House Music" audition on Ukraine's Got Talent. No captions, unfortunately, but you can get the gist:

I'm almost sure he's not a secret double life for this guy!

 

[del-Kinofnerdanel]

I've seen the Sumerian clip before; I wonder how "accurate" it is. I have an anecdote on Sumerian, but won't go into it here.
View attachment 5588

I also doubt it's accuracy... Seemingly clickbait.

That fusion of throat singing and techno is amazing, I play it on repeat! I am grateful you sent it on friday night, me and my gals will definitely dance to this tonight. And despite your squint, you have a very keen eye for doppelgängers
Here is a hardcore medieval party song (with questionable accuracy again). Rókatánc is hungarian for "fox dance".

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I can see the hobbit-children dancing on the tables at Bilbo's birthday party!

Reminds me of this "Medieval Tavern" in Prague:

I don't think those dancers would have appeared, though -- even in the Pony.

But I can picture the musicians as a Dwarf band!

 

[Miguel]

Those dancers movements look very interesting

Eriador's bandits? xD

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

On the subject of orchestral music, I just realized that "The Lord of the Rings Symphony" by Johan de Meij, is now thirty years old. I picked up the CD long ago. A couple of the movements I like:

You can find the rest on youtube.

 

[Desert Loon]

Here's a nice medieval German song, accompanied by either lute or harp and triangle: