The Works of Paul Corfield Godfrey and Volante Opera

[simoncrosbybuttle]

@simoncrosbybuttle I'm from Iran and unfortunately, having access to any purchased stuff(musics, movies, etc.) is pretty much impossible for me, unless it is from an Iranian site.
Do you think perhaps, sometimes in the future, this could be possible?

Our distribution for digital is via Propermusic - if you look on their site there may be a partner that can get it to you. Otherwise we can ship physical copies anywhere the postal service goes but import duties etc. will likely hit at your end.

 

[Ent]

As for me, I have the voice of an Ent so find no fit in the vocal.
I was a musician, classical my favorite though I had a lot of fun with Jazz and Dixieland. (Naturally, I played the Woodwinds - clarinets, saxophones, etc.)
I enjoy some opera, especially as long as it's not predominated by the female voices screeching away high up in the clouds (often out of control) - very hard on my cambium layer.
But a lot of it often goes right to my heartwood.

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

Thank you for your explanations, Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Buttle, and welcome to The Tolkien Forum! It is an honor to have you both here with us, and very kind of you to so quickly take notice of our new discussion. Your work is very impressive, and I appreciate all the genius, efforts, and talents that went in to bringing this to life. Opera is such a unique medium, and I love the idea of The Silmarillion being adapted for the stage, as you have done here. May it one day have the opportunity to actually be performed live!

I understand how tricky and impractical it would be to attempt to bring every moment of The Silmarillion to life on stage, so the omission of certain characters and scenes would have been necessary. We meant no disrespect for your work by lamenting the absence of Fingon. It is wonderful you have strived to stay as faithful as possible to the direct texts of Tolkien for the whole project, which is an admirable feat unto itself.

Like Maedhros here, I am also classically trained, having been taking vocal lessons for over six years now. Classical music is my favorite style to sing, and I love musical theatre and opera. Discovering there is a professionally-done opera for The Silmarillion (and more!) has genuinely made my day, along with the treat of having the two of you join us. Thank you!!! 😊 How I would love to learn to sing some of this music someday!

No disrespect taken - I just tend to wade in quickly when I see these discussions as (without knowing how polite you all are) they can sometimes get out of hand and the music is dismissed before given a chance because of a missing character (as I previously mentioned... I've waded into Reddit).

We've published the scores for The Silmarillion and will do so for the other Tolkien works as we record them. The rights are cleared using PRS as long as it's for concert only so if you hear something you want to have a go at just say.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

As for me, I have the voice of an Ent so find no fit in the vocal.

Basso Profundo.

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

As for me, I have the voice of an Ent so find no fit in the vocal.
I was a musician, classical my favorite though I had a lot of fun with Jazz and Dixieland. (Naturally, I played the Woodwinds - clarinets, saxophones, etc.)
I enjoy some opera, especially as long as it's not predominated by the female voices screeching away high up in the clouds (often out of control) - very hard on my cambrium layer.
But a lot of it often goes right to my heartwood.

Having recorded our two Ents for LoTR recently I appreciate the depths that are required for such considerations...

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

Basso Profundo.

Our Treebeard is definitely a Bass

 

[Ent]

they can sometimes get out of hand and the music is dismissed before given a chance

WHAT... ???
Are you stating, suggesting or even implying the human is a hasty creature, quick to judgment without thought and consideration?

(Trust me, you'd be absolutely right if you were..!!)

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

We've published the scores for The Silmarillion and will do so for the other Tolkien works as we record them. The rights are cleared using PRS as long as it's for concert only so if you hear something you want to have a go at just say.

Awesome, thank you! I don’t really record or publish anything I sing, so there would be no concerns there, I think. Most music I have learned for fun, though I have occasionally competed in vocal competitions before, too; would I be allowed to use any of this for it if I wanted?

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

The rights are cleared using PRS as long as it's for concert only so if you hear something you want to have a go at just say.

Good to know! Something for me and @Fingon_Findekáno to potentially work on together... 👀

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

Good to know! Something for me and @Fingon_Findekáno to potentially work on together... 👀

Some small performable songs from LoTR are being prepared for release with the album next year too...

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

Some small performable songs from LoTR are being prepared for release with the album next year too...

Very cool! Are there any specific songs in the soprano range you would recommend for an intermediate voice student to learn/perform?

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

Very cool! Are there any specific songs in the soprano range you would recommend for an intermediate voice student to learn/perform?

Of the published there are a few - Paul will be better to advise on that. Of the ones coming next year - yes there's at least one more for soprano.

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

Being as how you were heavily involved with this, from project manager to sound engineer to one of the singers, what were your experiences like working on it? How did you come to be a part of the team?

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

Being as how you were heavily involved with this, from project manager to sound engineer to one of the singers, what were your experiences like working on it? How did you come to be a part of the team?

I came across Paul's music by accident - searching for settings of poets from World War One for a concert we were doing. I'm a Tolkien fan and knew Donald Swann had set some Tolkien songs but wanted to see if there were any others out there that had officially been given the rights.

I found Paul's old website and sent him an email - only to find out that he lives in the same area of South Wales as I do!

Since then we've been working using my company, Volante Opera Productions, to work on Demo Recordings of his Tolkien works (and a few others) using my friends and colleagues from Welsh National Opera. We had a budget of basically zero and the first album we recorded (The Fall of Gondolin) took two years to complete in our own time away from the "day job" of performing and touring.

It was only when we were completing the work on FoG that we had interest from Prima Facie Records to release it commercially, something that we'd not fully planned upon - we were recording for our own pleasure just to hear the works. So we agreed and set everything on a strict profit share basis.

After that followed Beren and Luthien, the Children of Hurin and then Feanor.

I managed to persuade Paul back to composing and to Tolkien and assisted him on the libretto for The War of Wrath which he wrote for us and we then released last year.

During COVID I managed to also persuade him to go back to his sketches for LoTR and to finish the work on this massive work, which he did as well as plugging a "lost" section of The Hobbit.

A month or two back the estate granted us permission for the newest works (The Silmarillion was covered back in the 80s by a contract and Paul received assistance from Christopher and Priscilla Tolkien back then, but both by this point had either passed or were in a care home) and now we are working away on getting them recorded.

As a professional singer with 20 years of experience I can comfortably state that Paul's music is incredible and authentic to the source material. I've done many (MANY) contemporary works in my time that I would happily never see again, these works of Pauls I'm still here eight years later, as are my friends who are taking part. I can think of no greater compliment to the music than the fact we are all still here and investing our time in it!

 

[Ent]

I am becoming persuaded to obtain and listen to these things, though I must not be hasty.
I'll keep the volume down until I'm certain there is only limited sopranic screeching... I can't afford any more splits in my bark.

but really, I'm very interested. i'm one who appreciates people's efforts in every way - even just for the reason effort has been invested..!!!

 

[Ent]

p.s. - I LOVE well handled and controlled soprano, no matter how high the range goes. It's just the lack of control (and thus, belting the notes in the strain) my cambium reacts to.

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

I am becoming persuaded to obtain and listen to these things, though I must not be hasty.
I'll keep the volume down until I'm certain there is only limited sopranic screeching... I can't afford any more splits in my bark.

but really, I'm very interested. i'm one who appreciates people's efforts in every way - even just for the reason effort has been invested..!!!

No shrieking soprani - some stunning singing from them though!

 

[simoncrosbybuttle]

p.s. - I LOVE well handled and controlled soprano, no matter how high the range goes. It's just the lack of control (and thus, belting the notes in the strain) my cambium reacts to.

Our high ladies are all professional operatic sopranos with many years of training and control. No belting beyond their ranges - they all have at least two octaves of classically trained voice.

 

[Ent]

trained voice.

Wonderful.
There's nothing more pleasing than the trained, smooth, easy-flowing,voice.
I also have some problems with any other range 'straining out the sound.' It just doesn't disturb the cambium as much, and doesn't ever split my bark.
There are some really noteworthy voices in every range in history whose delivery has just been SO 'easy-flowing'.....an absolute delight to absorb.

That said, I do appreciate those who strains efforts, even if it's not quite as enjoyable. I always think "Well, Ent - it's certainly something YOU can't do..!!"

I find a little bit of pondering tends to keep my roots in the ground.

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

What an incredible story and experience to be a part of! Knowing the genuine passion that went into making this, originally just for the fun of it, just makes the opera all the more special and appealing. I am seriously tempted to buy the CDs someday, and I greatly look forward to the releases for The Hobbit and LOTR too!

Is the Akallabêth a part of this endeavor too, or is it more of a separate work?