Lord of the Rings Symphony Debut

Tolkien's work may have its musical eqivalent. Although transcendent in some places and workmanlike in others, the soundtrack for the film mirrored the design of the film. And although the film was as faithful to the book as a commercial film can be, the two, book and film, are in the end entirely separate creations. The book is masterful. The movie is wizard-like. The soundtrack is faithful. Elrond, Gandalf, Sam. Middle Earth awaits its symphony.

According to Shore, his challenge was to capture the spirit of the books.

"It was about creating a piece that was the musical equivalent of the books, and there's over 50 leitmotifs in the music. It uses Tolkien's languages—elvish and dwarvish—and I think by working with the choirs, it was a way of bringing back the poetry and the lyrics that were in the book."

Tolkien symphony debuts in Montreal on CBC Montreal