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WIZARD NEWS EXCLUSIVE
by Marjorie F. Dawson, Wizard News UK Bureau Chief

Howard Shore's music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy has reached an unprecedented number of people, via the films, CDs and regular broadcasts on the radio. So when he arrived in London last week to conduct two performances of the symphonic work premiered in Wellington, New Zealand a while ago, it was an opportunity not to be missed!

 Royal Albert Hall

Howard Shore has conducted the piece several times but probably nowhere quite as ornate and elaborate as the Royal Albert Hall, London. An amazing circular building filled with plush red and gold seating, unless you are upstairs in the cheap seats! It holds about 7,000 and must have been close to capacity which, and with the platform filled with musicians and singers, it looked pretty amazing.

There was also a screen above the orchestra for John Howe and Alan Lee's drawings which were projected during the performance. The singers stood around the back of the orchestra and the special instruments used like the Hardanger fiddle, cimbalom and accordion, had an area to themselves and were amplified, as was singer Sissel.

 Inside Royal Albert Hall

Excitement was in the air and Howard Shore was very warmly welcomed on to the platform with a real thrill as the music began.

'Concerning Hobbits' with its rustic and gentle cheerfulness was among the finest moments of the concert, as were 'Many Meetings', the unforgettable sight of Lothlorien, with the women of London Voices shimmering with ethereal colour, and 'The Riders of Rohan', surely one of the entire score's finest moments, with its plangent Hardanger fiddle, capturing the spirit of one of Tolkien's races of men.

One moment often forgotten but that I really liked is 'A Journey in the Dark', where the Fellowship walk through the darkened glories of Moria, music of wonder, loss and regret. This was such a contrast to one of the evening's most amazing moments, 'The White Tree', taken at breathtaking speed and hugely successful as a result, with its massive brass chords and thrilling strings, it was spine tingling stuff. The voices thrilled and added colour, and Sissel was a delicate soloist in 'Golumn's Song', and 'Into the West'.

I was disappointed that 'The Bridge at Khazad-Dum', at what is a moment of perfect cinematic-musical synergy, seemed a bit leaden. It was the only really disappointing moment of the evening, although I confess that I would cut more from the score that seems to drift out of focus at a couple of points.

For an audience, I am sure, that was not used to regular concert going, not a single mobile telephone went off and, apart from applauding each movement with enthusiasm, the attention was rapt and total, and Shore and his orchestra treated with the utmost respect and attention. It's just a pity that one or two really sad people thought that taking flash photography during the performance was OK. It was a thrill to hear the music and you had to remind yourself that 'this was for real', and the cd was not spinning around in the player, but the music spinning its magic around the Albert Hall instead.

Photos by Marjorie Dawson

Published September 30, 2004

This article is Copyright © 2004, The Author, and may not be reproduced on other web sites or in print, in whole or in part, without expressed permission

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