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elevorn
Lorien
Jan 11, 7:33pm
Views: 314
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A theme from LOTR
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This is a follow up to a conversation that came up in a post by Magpie about The Hobbit score. Please fogive me as I am at work and and do not have access to the music in order to place you in the right place in the movie we will have use our imaginations and memory to harken back to FOTR. The idea that musical ideas become reused either accidentally, as a tribute, a way to introduce and idea, or as a way of just plain ripping someone off is not anything new in music. That being said, I am not in any way saying that Howard Shore has done anything malicious or even wrong in this post. On the contrary I believe what he has done, however unintentionally, is open up a new way of hearing the music and placing it with a people group.
In the themes of the Shire, and the Hobbits exists at least the first four bars of the Hymn, "This Is My Father's World". It is a beautiful melody, light and jovial and just full of life when you hear it you know what I amtalking about hear, and it will probably make you smile. he uses these bars and actually builds several dramatic moments in the score, and even alludes to the them with an Ocarina or recorder of some kind when the Hobbits begin there final push up Mt. Doom. Its just a great piece of writing for Howard regardless of where the notes come from. Now why does this matter to me? well it matters because of the words of the hymn and how they can certainly apply to Tolkien, a devout Catholic and religious man. Its actually quite interesting that a poster on Wikipedia claims Shore quoted the first seven notes in LOTR, but I see no back up to that other than the fact that the notes are the same, I have not seen where Shore addressed this directly. Back to the issue read the lyrics of the Hymn
This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker's praise. This is my Father's world, he shines in all that's fair; in the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!
To me this embodies Tolkien's ideal of Nature and God (even though this is from a Methodist Hymnal, the Hymn was compased within his lifetime and could possibly have been heard, though it is an American Hymn.) So for Shore to use this kind of thing for Tolkien's Hobbits and the Shire, it just fits. It speaks to the purity of their hearts and their love of nature. and for me it just really brings together the score the movie and the book. (Side note, I used to hum this hymn to my infant son when he could not sleep).
here is a site where you can hear the hymn on Ocarina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdl1UFRg3ck
Here is a link of the Shire Theme for your comparison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy-OP9rGFJE
What are your thoughts on similar instances in the soundtrack?
"clever hobbits to climb so high!"
Check out my writing www.jdstudios.wordpress.com
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A theme from LOTR
