Howard Shore and the LOTR Symphony

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Hey all. I recently returned from my awesome trip to Columbus, OH where I got to see Howard Shore conduct the LOTR Symphony. I recommend trying to make this show if it is coming to a city near you (you can check howardshore.com for the schedule). Or, if it's not coming to a city near you, but your city has an orchestra... write them and request that they look into doing that. FredO of the fan club boards did that in Pittsburgh, and they took his advice. He now has a bunch of free tickets for the show!

Anyway, I wanted to report some stuff that Mr. Shore mentioned at his CD signing yesterday...
When asked if he was going to record the symphony to be released on CD, his answer was "yes"
He also said that they are looking into recording the whole scores for all three movies. He said that FOTR would take 3 CDs, while TTT and ROTK would take 4 CDs! Wow, I hope they do this, because I would buy it for sure!

Has anyone else been to one of these concerts? It truly was an experience. Many audience members were crying... it was beautiful! Howard Shore was truly a delight, and quite a sport as you can see here - http://www.ladyofrohan.com/shore1.JPG
Haha!
My favorite thing was that the symphony includes much music that wasn't recorded onto the sountracks, including the ever-loved "Shadowfax theme"!!!

Well, that's my report/news brief!
And here's a group of happy fans - http://www.ladyofrohan.com/shore2.JPG

[Gorwingel]

Well I am going to be attending one of his shows coming up in Seattle on July 17, and I can't wait :D

I am very happy though that you had such a great time. But I hope though that he does a signing here too, though I have heard nothing about anything of that kind.

He has always looked like such a great person, and I have of course wanted to meet him.

Oh, and I would buy the whole score. I sure hope they come out with it, because currently the scores are my favorite CD's

That photo is so great too :cool:

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

You may want to keep in touch with someone at the symphony about a signing being done there. They didn't advertise it at all for the Columbus show... the people who knew about it were those who asked at the concert, or those who asked an employee of the Symphony before hand. Also, it wasn't even set until about a week before the actual show. So, I'd keep on them about it, because it may not be a publicly advertised thing.

[Knight of Gondor]

I would REALLY want to have the entire movie score released on CD! When I'm acting out the motions of battling Uruk-hai on Amon Hen, I hate to have the music skip some stuff! Like the all-male choir when the axe-toting uruk comes down on the hobbits, but Boromir saves them by blocking the blow? Those parts were cool, but left out.

I really hope he does release them all, and I trust that all you eyes and ears out there will keep us posted.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

If you are interested... I have put together a musical montage video of the Howard Shore moot. It's approx. 20 MB big, 5 minutes and 11 seconds long, and it's in Quicktime format. It'll only work correctly if you have the most recent version of Quicktime downloaded onto your computer.
If you want to view this, I beg you to right click and save it to your own computer, because I don't have the bandwidth on my server to support everyone just trying to watch it on the web.

RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE HERE (http://www.psy-strike.com/shoremoot2004.mov)

[Essex]

I'm going to the concert at the royal festival hall in London on May 23rd. Anyone else going?

This should make an excellent end to the weekend as it's the day after the cup final. (as long as we beat the mancs on saturday)

[Mariska Greenleaf]

I'm going on the 16th of April. Oooh, close!
I'm happy to hear that it was indeed a very moving and emotional performance, that's what I hope and expect.

Many audience members were crying... it was beautiful!

Since I cry with almost everything, it will be a tearfull evening for sure...

[Gorwingel]

You may want to keep in touch with someone at the symphony about a signing being done there.

Tigerlily,
I will check this out. Because I could most definitely see this happening because of the immense interest in the films up here. The Seattle Symphony is not just having one show, they are having four! But I could see them being kind of quiet about it because I know a lot of people who would be very interested in meeting Mr. Shore (not just because they would be LOTR fans, but because they are music people, and there are just not that many times where you get the chance to meet an Oscar winning conductor).

Thanks for all your information :D

P.S. I know this is terribly off topic but... When did you move to Detroit from Chicago?

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Last summer, actually... though, I'm still in charge of the line party there. Ha! I just plan events now for when I can actually come to them. I tried giving the job to someone else, but I guess no one wants the burden (which it can be at times) The drive is not all that terrible, anyway, so I don't really mind all that much. It gives me an excuse to travel. :)

[Mariska Greenleaf]

Well, yesterday was the premiere of the lotr symphony on the European mainland, and I was there!
It was absolutely wonderful, very moving, and the ovation Howard Shore got afterwards was overwelming.
Apparently Tolkien's great grand son was invited as a special guest, which was surprising, according to the newsbulletin here, because Tolkien's familiy wasn't too happy with the movies.

I would suggest anyone to go, if the show is near your place. :)

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Mariska, do you know anything about further European performances? Is there perhaps an internet site with information? I'd love to know if it will be near here...

[Gorwingel]

Well Estelyn, you can go on www.howardshore.com

They currently have a list of all the upcoming performances (European and North American), and links to where you will be able to get tickets. The one that I assume Mariska attended is the one that was just in Belgium on the 16th.

I hope this helps :cool:

[Orominuialwen]

Does anybody know whether the Symphony has come to Chicago yet? I'm hoping it hasn't because I think it's fairly likely that it would come there, considering the city's size. I live around 3 hours away from Chicage and my dad has promised to take me and my brother to see the symphony if and when it comes there. Does anybody know anything about how expensive it might be?

[Essex]

To all those Brits who are thinking of seeing Howard Shore and the LPO perform the LOTR Symphony, grab a ticket for the royal albert hall performance on Bilbo and Frodo's birthday. I got the news from Ian Smith's website.

The symphony is amazing. Saw it yesterday at the royal festival hall. too many high points to list here (and the only low point was that they didn't play the piece where fordo and sam are climbing up mount doom) but it has now given me even MORE of an appreciation of the music. It's stunning to watch Howard and the LPO perform. You can see they are working their socks off.

The singers were very good, (although the missus didn't like aragorn's replacement, and I admit he was a bit too baritone but still good), but the thing that held us all was the atmosphere. There was clever use of alan and john's drawings that we've seen on the EE DVDs. And it's intersting that the pictures they have used do not give the plot away of what happened in the book. (as if anyone there had not read the book or seen the film.....!). The symphony does not go over repeated ground (accept for the main 'theme tune'), I was at first dissapointed not to hear Evenstar in the LOTR part, but of course it cropped up in the TT part. The final last 'tracks' were extremly well performed, from 'The End of all things' down to the last part after 'Into the West'. The standing ovations were well earned.

To add to all this, I managed to collar Brian Sibley in the interval for a few seconds to thank him for his BBC radio adaptation that I've grown up with.

Beg, borrow (but don't steal!) to get a ticket to september 22nd. I'm trying to talk the missus into letting me go to the albert hall too.

[thalionkrisiel]

I am going to see the concert in Sydney on the 18th June. I have heard nothing but excellent reports and I am so excited about seeing it. I actually went and picked up my tickets today :)

Any other Aussies going?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Thalionkrisiel,

I hope you'll share your response to the music here. I have tickets for the Houston concert on July 1. Shore himself will not be coming, but I am looking forward to hearing the music and seeing the images on the large screens.

~Child

[thalionkrisiel]

I will :)

[Orominuialwen]

Well, I have answered my own questions! :cool: The symphony is coming to Chicago on October 9th and 10th, and tickets are $33-78 US, depending on whether you get good or bad seats. Needless to say, my family will be in the $33 seats! ;) Not that I don't wish it otherwise, but my dad's the one paying, and I don't want to push my luck!

[mollecon]

I wish that I sometime could hear this music 'live' But going to London in September for the sake of hearing it seems a bit much :(

Quote:"...because Tolkien's familiy wasn't too happy with the movies."

Mariska, that's not entirely true. The family was actually not agreeing on the subject, and the one you mentioned have been known to aprove of the movies - while some of the older familymembers didn't.

[Mariska Greenleaf]

Mariska, that's not entirely true. The family was actually not agreeing on the subject, and the one you mentioned have been known to aprove of the movies - while some of the older familymembers didn't.

You are absolutely right of course, Mollecon, but that's what it said in the newspaper. I'm sorry if I didn't make that entirely clear.

Child, if Shore isn't there, someone else will lead the orchestra I guess? It won't be the same I'm afraid... It will be fantastic of course to hear the music played live and I've enjoyed it with all my senses, but the most wonderful part of the evening was the standing ovation Howard Shore received, for several long minutes.

[thalionkrisiel]

I went to see Howard Shore last night at the Sydney Opera House. All I can say is: OMG! and: Go if you have the chance!

It was truly incredible to see the man himself conducting his own creation. I was very moved by the entire concert and sat with tears in my eyes for most of it. I always find Gollum's Song very poignant, as well as Into the West and to hear them live just gave me goosebumps. My favourite movements were the first and second...I couldn't help but hear lines of dialogue in my mind when specific parts were played.

It was also very cool to see people of all ages there.

I'd love to go again!! Any other Sydney people who have seen it?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Thanks for those comments! Yes, I would rather hear Shore himself but I was frankly surprized that it is coming to Houston at all, since we tend not to get such things. In any case, I have tickets for July 1 and am looking forward to it.

~Child

[Lûthien Nénharma]

I am at the time being learning how to play into the west..IT ROCKS!

[Lathriel]

I ENVY ALL OF YOU!!! You are so lucky, I would love to go but when he visited Canada he only went to Montreal, he didn't even come out to Calgary, AB or some other place out West. If he had gone to Vancouver I would probably have begged my fammily for tickets because it is not too far, however Montreal is. I guess I will have to write an e-mail after I come back from vacation, but I don't know if Calgary's philharmonic orchestra is big enough.

Although I envy you guys good for you that you were able to go. :)

[Gorwingel]

Well I will be attending the Symphony in Seattle tonight :D

I of course will be offering a full report tomorrow, and I can't wait :cool:

[Gorwingel]

Well, I'm back and I had a very good time :)

I don't know where to start, but it was very cool. One interesting thing was that we ended up in seats only about 8 feet from the stage! We couldn't really see the choir in the back, but we did have a great view of Howard, I could even read some of the music, and I saw that his coat had pink lining! (which I found to be quite surprising)

The music was wonderful and they did a great job. The Symphony looked like they were having a great time. The entire first half consisted of the music from Fellowship, and then the second half TTT and ROTK. The drawings by Alan Lee were cool (because many of them looked like they had been specifically drawn for the Symphony), but at times I did find it to be overkill. My favorite musical part has to be "Return of the King" from ROTK. It is my absolute favorite part on the soundtrack and it was performed wonderfully during the concert.

The choir was wonderful, the symphony was wonderful, and we gave them an about 5 minute standing ovation. It was a wonderful evening :cool:

Well now I'm off to San Diego for Comic-Con. I will be gone for two weeks, but I will write when I come back.
See Ya!

[Mariska Greenleaf]

Well, it's good to hear that you enjoyed it, Gorwingel!
You were apparently lucky with your seats, which wasn't the case for me, we had lousy seats, but because so many people didn't show up (can you believe that???), we were allowed to move a little closer. But that was still far away...

We could perfectly see the drawings though. You know that every time there is a performance they do so with the "local" orchestra? I must say, no matter how much I liked it, that the belgian musicians often made mistakes, especially the picollo solo (not sure it is a picollo, but I'm talking about the Shire theme) was very trembling and sometimes out of key, because the man who played it was obviously very nervous...

[Lathriel]

I just read an article in the Globe and Mail.

It said that because the LOTR symphony is so popular it is helping out all the symphony orchestras. Classical music doesn't attract enough people but because film music is becoming more popular it is helping out orchestras etc. I think that is really neat.

[Iaurhirwen]

I'm trying to convince my parents to let me go, and I need to know the lenghth of the symphony . . anybody have the information within the next day???? Thanks!!!

[Mariska Greenleaf]

If I remember correctly, it lasted about two houres and and fifteen minutes, with a break included. But maybe someone who went to the symphony more recently could be more precise. I really hope you get the chance to go, it's worthed!

[Mariska Greenleaf]

It said that because the LOTR symphony is so popular it is helping out all the symphony orchestras. Classical music doesn't attract enough people but because film music is becoming more popular it is helping out orchestras etc. I think that is really neat.

And the finest example of that was in the newspaper this morning!
Apparently, Howard Shore was quite impressed by the Flemish Radio Orchestra, and therefore invited them over to Hollywood a couple of times.
And now, because of this, they get to play the filmmusic (which will be composed by Mr. Shore) for the new Martin Scorcese movie!
Needless to say that I'm very proud that of all orchestras Howard Shore played with, he liked the Flemish one best;... :p

[Orominuialwen]

Well, I'm going to see the symphony tomorrow night. Due to my father forgetting to buy the tickets until the last minute, the cheap seats were all sold out by the time we tried to get tickets, so we had to get the more expensive ones. That's fine by me, since it means we get fairly decent seats, instead of being up in the peanut gallery. :cool:

[Kitanna]

I went last weekend to see the LOTR symphony at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago and it totally blew me away. Though Howard Shore was there and came out after the performance I was a little disappointed he didn't conduct. But still going for the music from the films was what I went for. It was amazing and I wish I could go back to that night and hear it all over again.

[Enorëiel]

I get to go to the LOTR sympony this Saturday! I am really excited! The only thing is that Howard Shore isn't going to be there. :( I'm not quite sure who is orgistrating it but it's not him. All the same, I am truly hoping that it'll be the same concert that everyone here has gone to - I'll let everyone know how it goes.

[Sapphire_Flame]

*waves at Enny* I'm going to be there too! :D :D Where will you be sitting?

Oh, and I looked it up; some guy named Markus Huber is the guest conductor. *pouts* I swear I heard that Howard Shore was going to be there.

Oh well. Will be many different kinds of lofty. http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de//jump.gif

Abedithon le,

~ Saphy, a very happy Utahn ~

[Orominuialwen]

I'm sure you guys'll love it. It was great when I saw it, even though Shore was there but not conducting. The music is so amazing, and one of my favorite parts must have been when a guy was banging chains on the floor during the Uruk Hai bit. It was uber cool.

[Sapphire_Flame]

*dances* That was so cool! It was sad that they didn't play Shelob's Lair, but the rest of it was awesome. Susan Egan did such a good job singing. *nod nod*

And, I'm very glad that they didn't do the whole track of "The Steward of Gondor". Trying to imitate Pippin's Woeful Singing O' Death(tm) would be sacriligious.

So awesome! ^_^

Abedithon le,

~ Saphy ~

[Enorëiel]

Can we say awesome? I've never seen (or should I say heard) something so amazing! (Ok... unless you count the movies :D ) Hearing the music live was incredible - it puts you right there in the story.

I did have my favorites... The Bridge of Khazad Dum, The Hornburg, The Return of the King and The End of All Things. But the whole thing was great. I'd love to go back and relive that night again.

If anybody else has the chance to go see this (besides those who already have) take it! You won't regret it in the least!!

~Enny~

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

So, I take it you both went to the Detroit Symphony's concert, right?
I was there too. I thought that they did a better job than the Columbus Symphony, but I was disappointed with the choirs. Ah well.
I can't believe Susan Edgan was the vocalist... she was the original Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and the voice of Megara in Disney's Hercules, way cool. I met up with some other local fans for dinner before the show, and then we got a shuttle to the actual symphony.
I have two photos to share:
http://www.elvishinspirations.com/LOTRFOX3.JPG
http://www.elvishinspirations.com/LOTRFOX4.JPG
I'm the blondie in the group photo.

[the phantom]

I received a notice last week that I could see the LOTR Symphony here in Omaha early next year (February, I believe).

My father and I are definitely going. Afterwards I will post my thoughts.

[Rochelle]

Where can I go to find out where they'll be stopping? I'm in the Seattle area but am very interested!

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

I believe that Howard Shore has an official website, I don't know the address off hand, but it should say. Otherwise, check your symphony's website.