From April 7-12, The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shown at the David H. Koch theater in New York City. It was performed by the 21st Century Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, soloist Kaitlyn Lusk and conducted by Ludwig Wicki. Read more about them here. Doug Adams, author of The Music of the Lord of the Rings films, and composer, Howard Shore, were also in attendance. Doug was available after each concert to those who wanted to get their books, CDs and programs signed and Howard was available after each Return of the King concert.
I was lucky enough to attend the second trilogy viewing on the 11th and 12th, and it is certainly an experience I will never forget! My tickets were part of the Gondor package, so in addition to tickets for the three films I also received a program signed by Howard Shore, and wristbands to two extra events. But I’ll get into that later in the article.
Before it was time to go inside and get seated, I went around outside the theater and asked people what song and/or scene they were most looking forward to. It was slightly amusing to see how everyone’s first reaction was to panic because they couldn’t decide. Completely understandable, I would have reacted the same way! I got a wide range of answers and it was during this time that I fully realized how lucky I was to be among fellow fans because it was great to see the excitement in their faces as they talked about their favorite moments. Mentions included: Sam carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, the Shire theme, Aragorn’s Coronation, “The Breaking of the Fellowship”, and Flight to the Ford.
I attended the concerts alone but I very quickly got to know the people I sat near and everyone was so nice and passionate. We talked about what we couldn’t wait to see, what songs we were the most excited to hear and general Tolkien-talk. I was surrounded by good people! As someone who constantly complains how difficult it is to find others to watch the LOTR films with, I couldn’t have been happier during these concerts.
As soon as all of the chorus and orchestra were seated, the conductor, Ludwig Wicki, would walk out and this was the moment I felt the most excited because I knew I had over three glorious hours of Middle-earth ahead of me. Though I’ve seen the trilogy too many times to count, it was like I was seeing it for the first time. The live music and singing envelops you in Middle-earth in a way that is different than watching the films regularly. It was fascinating to look at the orchestra and see all of the different instruments, and it was just as fascinating to see Ludwig conduct. Even if you only glanced at him for a few seconds you could immediately see the passion he has for the music!
Aside from the films and music, my favorite part about the concerts were the reactions from the audience. Everyone would clap during favorite moments such as the Fellowship being formed, the Elves’ arrival at Helm’s Deep, the ride of the Rohirrim, the reveal of Andúril, and the destruction of the Ring. I can’t even tell you how amazing the lighting of the beacons scene was, it was one of the moments I was looking the most forward to. It is a beautiful moment in the films, both visually and musically, and the chorus and orchestra just knocked it out of the park. (But honestly, they knocked it out of the park the entire time!) Famous lines such as the “One does not simply walk into Mordor”, and “They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard!” received a monumental amount of cheering, laughter and applause. And the moment that seemed to receive the biggest reaction was Eowyn saying, “I am no man!”
After ROTK ended and everyone on stage bowed, Howard Shore himself came out and gave a quick speech. He thanked the symphony for their brilliant job, the audience for their enthusiasm, Peter Jackson along with other crew members from LOTR, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. Everyone in the theater gave the performers a standing ovation and I am pretty sure I have never clapped so much in my life before. It was a magical experience from the first note to the last and it was an honor to spend it with not only the composer, but the fans. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a LOTR concert, take it, because you will have a phenomenal time!
The two extra events I attended were the post-Shire reception which was held after the Two Towers concert, and the symposium event with Doug and Howard. The reception was just a chance for attendees to mingle and rave about the music and films, which is exactly what I did! The symposium was held the next day, a few hours before the ROTK concert. Doug and Howard discussed many aspects of the music and the process of creating these concerts. Howard talked about how Ludwig first contacted him years ago and told him how much he enjoyed the music and that he would love the chance to play it. After all this time, Ludwig still goes through Howard’s archive occasionally to make sure the concerts are as perfect as they can be!
Near the end of the symposium, fans were given the opportunity to ask questions. Someone asked Howard if he had a favorite theme, and he replied that he really loves the music for Frodo and Sam that plays throughout their journey. Another asked him about the different languages Tolkien created, and he discussed that the chorus gave him the chance to incorporate languages such as Sindarin, Quenya, Dwarvish and Black Speech. He also talked about how they got a football team in New Zealand to do the grunting you hear in the music during the Moria scenes. To find out more about the music, read our article from Doug and Howard’s panel at New York Comic Con 2014.
Now it’s time to talk about the giveaway!
Giveaway Details
- The giveaway is open to all our readers, all over the world!
- One lucky winner will receive a LOTR Symphony CD autographed by Doug Adams and Howard Shore
- To enter, leave a comment below telling us which track from THE LORD OF THE RINGS films (not The Hobbit) is your favorite and why
- Limit one entry per person
- Entries will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday, April 19, 2015
- We will select the winner at random from the entries. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 20, 2015
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