Rare?

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Hello. This is just a simple question thread, but I figured it best to post it here than in the Novices and Newcomers Forum.
I went to a used book store today and stumbled across something quite wonderful.
It is called The Road Goes Ever On and On, A Song Cycle - Music by Donald Swann, Poems by JRR Tolkien
I have heard this book mentioned on this forum before - I think it was in a thread called "Bilbo's Traveling Song".
I was wondering if I have found something really rare. Does anyone know how common this book is?
It has a copyright date of 1967. It contains old music for a number of Tolkien's poems from all of his books.

As to answer the question brought up before... I believe it said something along the lines of "Is the song they use in the movie taken from this sheet music?" The answer is no. THe music written for "The Road Goes Ever On and On" in this book is quite different.

Thanks everyone! smilies/smile.gif

[Child of the 7th Age]

Tigerlilly --

I have a copy of a later edition of this book--a paper third edition from 1978. Is you copy hardbound? My cover is purple and yellow. I think there's an earlier one which is light tan/yellow with musical notation on the cover. Is this what you have? I suppose it also depends what shape it is in.

I honestly don't know how rare the first edition is. I do see them sometimes on e-bay. But you can get the later editions for not too much money. I paid about $13.

Don't know if that helps but it's all I know about it.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit.

[Nazgûl Queen]

I saw the tan/yellow one with the musical notation in our local library once... but my card had a fine on it so I couldnt borrow it smilies/frown.gif

[Birdland]

The book was first printed in 1967, so you probably do have the first edition of the book. (If it is first edition, it will be marked so.) It doesn't seem to be particularly rare, though. First edition copies are available all over the Net, averaging about $100 for a copy in good/very good condition. If it is a library copy or Book Club edition, it will be worth considerably less. It appears the book is out of print, now.

Hold onto it and treasure it. Do you read music? It must be fun to be able to pick out the tunes. Do you like the Swann arrangement of "Road Goes Ever..." or the movie version better?

[akhtene]

It's funny how just after reading the posts here I found three songs with music in one of my Russian translations. And I really had no idea they were there! smilies/biggrin.gif

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

The copy is hardbound. It is a blue-grey color and the title is in gold lettering (the lettering style looks alot like the new font on this website). There is a recatangle picture in the bottom of an artists interpretation of Middle Earth. It is quite colorful and looks very surrealistic.
Birdland - the version of "The Road Goes Ever On and On" in this music does not really sound like a traveling song. It's a little slower, but very nice. It has some nice disonant chords in it. As a traveling song I think the one in the movie is better, but I do enjoy the arrangement in this book as well.

I haven't seen any online before, but I will look to see if I see one like mine anywhere. It's in excellent condition, so I may have gotten quite a deal on it.
Hurray (once again) for used book stores!!!!!

[Birdland]

Here's a good search engine for books: ABE book search (http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookSearch). It will give you the listings for any bookstore selling that particular volume on the web. Just follow the instructions on the search page.

If you are searching for a rare volume, make sure you indicate "first edition", or "hardcover" if the early printings were hardbound, or (unfortunately) "list by highest price".

[Eärendil]

Thanx Birdland! smilies/smile.gif

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Yes, Thank you, Birdland smilies/smile.gif