[Estelyn Telcontar]

It was August, two and a half years ago, in Birmingham (England). The international event to top all fan events, 'Tolkien 2005', was in full progress, and I was enjoying every minute of it - except for the agony of having to choose between so many interesting lectures that were scheduled simultaneously. I had heard people talk about many different aspects of Tolkien's works and had eagerly exchanged opinions with other attendees. After about three days, a certain feeling of overload had set in, and as I looked at the programme, I decided I couldn't take in any more.

And there it was - the announcement that the Cambridge Tolkien Society would be doing a reading of the BBC's LotR dramatisation for a couple of hours on Sunday morning. After so much information about Tolkien and his works, this was the opportunity to get back to the basics, letting his own words speak.

It was a real highlight! Various members read the different characters and narrative passages, sound effects etc. were played from pre-recordings (they had done the whole thing previously, so this was only an excerpt), and some of the songs were sung beautifully by an excellent singer. We, the audience, laughed at the funny passages, were spellbound by the magic of the story, even though we all knew it well, and at the end, I was not the only one who was weeping, moved by the emotions that were brought to life.

For me, that was the answer to the question we often ask ourselves: "Can you go back and recapture the magic?" Yes, you can, and especially so if Tolkien's words are heard aloud, not merely read silently. As a shared (not solitary) experience, it was very special, and something that I will never forget.


Oh, and that reminds me of another special reading experience that also was shared and audible, though I was sitting at my computer alone. Back in the early days of my membership here, chatting was very much a part of the fellowship of Downers. I had read about a previous voice chat which involved people reading characters and narration aloud, and we got enough of us together, despite time zone differences (in Germany, England, and the US, Canada too, IIRC), chose passages/chapters that worked for the number of people, and distributed the roles. It was amazing to put on my headphone, open my book, and hear the voices of people I'd never met personally, speaking the words I knew and loved so well. Hearing two Brits, Rimbaud and Squatter, reading the exchange between the two wizards at Orthanc with their great accents, was wonderful and memorable!


I think that we often don't realize how powerful Tolkien's words are when spoken aloud. He wrote with a sense of rhythm and a poetic beauty that comes across strongest when we actually hear the story. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why audio books are so popular nowadays - but wouldn't it be even better to get people together and read to and/or with each other aloud?! I find it very interesting that the powerful experiences people have shared here take place in situations like that!