And Helen Trevillion of course. She doesn't record directly Tolkien-ish songs right now, but'her songs are still definitely worth listening to. She did record a few Elvish songs when she was younger, one of them being a vrey nice version of Elbereth Gilthoniel. Sadly someone used it for this Legolas fandom clip, but oh well..She's gotten much better after this though (mostly better voice, but also better at recording. She's a DIY artist. ) . She was only 16 or so when she recorded this if I remember correctly. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=jp0ihOe1ZLU
There are many old folksongs that creat the same atmosphere, but I can't find them anywhere on youtube..I used to play this Irish? Breton? harp duet a few years ago, Silver moon my Mistress is. It definitely sounds '"elvish", but I can't find it anywhere on Youtube. I may try to record it myself or something like that, but since I'm not exactly technical..actually uploading that might take a while. :P
So! that's my little list for now, I don't have time to come up with more now. I'm going to listen to some of the songs from your lists now. I love Debussy by the way! He's my favorite classical composer, I'm going to play one of his pieces on harp for my conservatoire exam. I generally don't realy like classical music, but he's one of the few I do love.
Meríndë wrote:
:-[ Ooops. I somehow overlooked this thread and posted this as a separate one..sorry.
That's OK, Meríndë. This thread had been buried in the General section as it had begun before we established this board for creative subjects. Your post reminded me of it, so I merged the topics and got it placed here where it needed to be. It was not a problem, no need to apologize.
I know this is an old thread but I was inspired by a song I was listening to this morning to add something to it. The song is "Rediscovery Part II" by "Symphony X" from "V The New Mythology Suite". This album is based off myths of Atlantis and Egypt and channelings from Edgar Cayce. Even though it doesn't specifically refer to the Legendarium, I find it evokes the same feelings and themes, and speaks to the plight of the Edain in this age of faded glory. Of course there is the Atlantis/Numenor parallel as well, anyway here are the lyrics:
A voice from the past echoes the fate -
a tale of all things yet to come
as it once was, so it shall be again
modern day Children of the Sun
Seek the hidden rhyme and there you'll find
a new world order
Feel the mystery - so much to see through the
eyes of hope
The Thoughts of Ma'at, forever secured -
locked in the Ages
Goddess of Truth speaks eternally
from the depths of the pages
Seek the hidden words - as time unfolds
you'll find the answers
Feel the mystery - look to the Sea, under
Skies of Hope
What have we done? Can we right all the
wrongs - the evils and fears, for thousands of
years, that forever drain our vitality?
Can this go on without dire consequence?
Our tragic ways, the end of days that shadow
the dawn of eternity...
He's taken form in human - likeness
and manifests himself in all our darkest
dreams
Preying upon centuries of weakness
Feasting on despair and our own selfish
greed
Bow down to me - (we will never understand)
Then take my hand and you will see - (we'll see...)
you will see paradise - (a paradise?) - of
pain and death
awaiting for you all - (we'll decide the future)
Lost evermore the essence of truth, although
she tried in vain to bring us peace, it will
ever rest in our hands
We've cried a thousand tears for all we had,
and all the things we could have been,
we must find our way again
Fools who looks for answers in a rhyme,
seeking out a lie, an illusion
I am the future, the ageless mutation
Five beyond the skies align, Zeus to Ra - the
final sign
My opposition's drawing near, feeding on his
fear - tasting anguish
I have the power - the ageless invasion
Five beyond the skies align, Zeus to Ra - the
final sign
From the Messenger on Wings, Peace and
War - a line of Kings...
Again the Titans clash on the edge of this
earthen plane
Now from the depths they speak - echoing
from the wave
- From the Waves...
"Choose the way, five paths there for you to find
turn the page, the question lies between the lines can
we change?"
This line reminds me of Sauron's corruption of the Numenoreans:
He's taken form in human - likeness
and manifests himself in all our darkest
dreams
Preying upon centuries of weakness
Feasting on despair and our own selfish
greed
This line particularly struck a chord with a section of Lost Tales I that I also read today:
Lost evermore the essence of truth, although
she tried in vain to bring us peace, it will
ever rest in our hands
We've cried a thousand tears for all we had,
and all the things we could have been,
we must find our way again
Lost Tales I- Music of the Ainur:
page 57: "Therefore he devised that Men should have a free virtue whereby within the limits of the powers and substances and chances of the world they might fashion and design their life beyond even the original Music of the Ainur that is as fate to all things else."
Our fate will ever rest in our hands, though we be born of Arda marred, Illuvatar's mysterious gift holds the key to Arda healed. Not the Vala, nor the Eldar (not even Melko) ever had such a power of freedom, for their fate is bound to Arda's. This gift suggests to me the power of transformation, just as death is a transformation, so too do we Edain have the power to transform ourselves and the world around us. While the Vala and Eldar seem to me to be about preservation of past glory in the undying lands, the great lands are left to the Edain to work our will upon. I feel the role of the Secondborn is to transform the themes of Melko woven into Arda since the beginning, so that the duality and discord between dark and light, past and future, preservation and destruction, might be brought into unity.
(This post wasn't as thought out as I'd like it to be and I didn't cover every point I thought of, but perhaps I can flesh it out when thses nebulous thoughts in my head become a little more concrete)
So, any thoughts?
While I haven't heard the actual music spoken of, the lyrics bring quite a bit to our attention for sure! Yes, the Atlantis/Numenor parallel does echo here. I believe you are onto something describing the Human gift of Freedom being the very best part of ourselves - and yet, most of us can use this pretty irresponsibly, perpetuating more ages of most just not "getting it" hehe! It can be frustrating if you look at it from the level of the collective or the masses - but when looked at from the level of the individual - we know each individual that "gets it" is much more powerful than many who don't. The more individuals heal themselves, the better it automatically works on the collective. Working with the collective first never does any good, and I think this is one important things the Elves demonstrate in the stories. I hope at least some of us learn! :-)
I usually listen to rock music, so I am constantly on a quest to find more of that kind of music that brings me closer to the Legendarium. Here are two of my favorites that I have found so far. They use Tolkien as their subject matter and are able to portray the stories in a unique way: Summoning A dark ambient band from Switzerland. They are unique in that most every song they write somehow relates to Tolkien's writings. The song I linked is from their album "Oath Bound" and is entitled "Menegroth".
Blind Guardian This song I took from their "Nightfall in Middle-Earth" album, a concept album about the Quenta Silmarillion; this one in paticular is about the tale Beren and Luthien.
AH, well on the rock music front, some of us old-school "metalheads" (hehe) really like much of what is coming out of Europe - the USA's mainstream right now doesn't even have a clue. We like things ranging from Lacuna Coil (actually pretty popular in USA) to Nightwish Sirenia, Unsun, and beyond. We even like it when the USA's Kamelot does that song with Amon Amarth, and when Epica's Simone Simmons sings with them too. Of this sub-genre, my hubby and I think Leaves' Eyes is completely awesome - they have been described as "Kate Bush with a better band" hehe! Although not particularly Tolkien inspired, they are literature and heathen inspired, and that is pretty good hehe ;-)
areth thou'nyamire, I agree that these lyrics are very evocative. It speaks, to me, of faded glories and the hope of redemption.
Let me say that your response, concerning the Freedom of Men (the gift of Ilu'vatar), is very profound. I pretty much share the same views on this subject.
I am gratified by your depth of insight. Thank you for posting this. I look forward to hearing more from you.
"The time of Moonsheen has passed. The noontide of the dominion of Men is waning. Soon will come the era of Starshine. And the ages will partake of both; the grace of Moonsheen and the glory of the Days of the Sun" -Mormeril
Well, earlier in this thread, I promised to share 'The Sylvan Court' by Linn Hampton and Allison Barnes. Unfortunately, I just kept running into technical problems. Youtube to the rescue!!!! These are not identical to the album mentioned, but that's the beauty of traditional Celtic music - you don't have to look far to find it. I find this music to be both relaxing and uplifting, and feel that it captures the love of Arda, and being alive in general, that the Eldar expressed in their own music.
On a slightly different subject, I feel that the points made about the Secondborn are the beginning of a great conversation, but one that would cause topic drift from the purpose of this thread. After talking about it with Meneldur, I've taken the passages that center on the subject, and moved them here -
Thank you, Edhelhael.
I've been wanting to moderate this topic as well but was too busy to make time for it.
It has also drifted a bit from my original intention, though that's no big deal. I would want to make a difference between "music that takes one closer to Faerie" which is how I originally intended it: say, as a way of facilitating meditation.
That music can, but does definitely not need to be "about" the legendarium. Actually, almost all music that has the legendarium as a subject mysteriously fails to do anything at all with me, with the exception of the Tolkien Ensemble and Howard Shore (until now). I've seen an interview with Howard Shore where he explained how he tried to capture the bittersweet overall feeling of the end of the Third Age - victory over Sauron, but the end of the presence of the Firstborn in Middle-Earth by way of combining minor and major intervals in his themes, and it is very effective.
