Middle Earth Ranger Forum

So in the latest "young-whippersnapper-news", I just discovered and listened to "The Road Goes Ever On" by Donald Swann. It was brought to my attention by two new letters posted on Reddit when a Redditor's uncle passed away and correspondence was found between the uncle and Professor Tolkien. Nothing groundbreaking but it does solidify my belief that Tolkien was one of the coolest guys in history being so kind as to remember a letter from a fan. (Check out that hand-written typo correction! So cool.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/ ... _deceased/


What was news to me (and I'm sure not news to those more learned than myself) was the mention of a songbook collaboration between Tolkien and a composer named Donald Swann. Naturally I was extremely curious to hear what the Professor considered "moving and very close to my own intentions."

Googling the book led to this rendition by a Stewart Hendrickson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dmRwj6QFIA

Well, I must say it didn't much impress me. Call me a whippersnapper but this doesn't fit my Middle-earth model at all. I guess this is what he meant by "not ‘mediaeval’" in his vision for Middle-earth as to my un-musically trained ears this sounds very modern. Though perhaps that's due to the piano. Maybe if it was a different instrument? Can't say I'm too excited that this is to be considered "very close to [his] intentions." Though it is pretty neat to hear something pre-Jackson and thus not influenced by that particular juggernaut.

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are that it's impressive that such a small song written as book prose and not actually as a song set to music can be interpreted in so many ways.
Yes it is a walking song, but I can just as readily see it sung this way beside a roaring fire by the old Took in the Great Smials or even more jauntily by a rustic hobbit band at a midsummer feast or birthday.

As to the professors opinion, well he doesn't need me to defend it but I will say that perhaps you have to consider the musical world he grew up in and had access to which would have been far less varied and nuanced than what we have now.

We see reinvention of the professors works time and again with books, movies, tv shows and even anime - as a good friend of ours always says on their facebook posts -

Enjoy or not as best suits you

I came across that book (and CD I want to say?) at about the time of the films when it was readily on the market... and do rather share your opinion Cimrandir, at least as regards the performance. That particular manner of high-art singing still sounds 19th-20th c. to me, though that may be when/where I grew up. Though I suppose if the Shire truly is of the time of the Diamond Jubilee, it might be closer than I'd thought.

Hrmm. Time for a re-listen I guess.

There was also a little folksong-ish band about the time of the films who did quite a nice rendition of the Road Goes Ever On, and they may have used that Swan's melody - I don't recall. I don't think they used the one from the films. I'll see if I can find it. Unfortunately they never released that CD publicly b/c they feared a lawsuit. It might have leaked online somewhere though.

Oh, and there was another CD that had an interesting take... ah! "In Elven Lands" by "The Fellowship" Some of it is a bit strange on modern ear because it is so medievalish is my memory, but it was still quite interesting! (And the liner art is beautiful.)

Eofor wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 4:56 am My thoughts are that it's impressive that such a small song written as book prose and not actually as a song set to music can be interpreted in so many ways.
Yes it is a walking song, but I can just as readily see it sung this way beside a roaring fire by the old Took in the Great Smials or even more jauntily by a rustic hobbit band at a midsummer feast or birthday.

As to the professors opinion, well he doesn't need me to defend it but I will say that perhaps you have to consider the musical world he grew up in and had access to which would have been far less varied and nuanced than what we have now.

We see reinvention of the professors works time and again with books, movies, tv shows and even anime - as a good friend of ours always says on their facebook posts -

Enjoy or not as best suits you

True enough to be sure. I wonder if my distaste truly stems from the material as a whole or if it's case of being unable to see beyond what is to what it could be. Despite being raised in a musically talented family with most of my kin being able to sing or play some form of instrument, I sadly can't carry a tune in a bucket. So now I wonder if you took the melody and put it in a different mode or tempo or key (those are music terms, right? ) if it might not sound more Middle-earthy.

Although I will say that I did appreciate how lusty and hearty some of it was. Reminds me of reading how back in the day, men were more inclined to sing, often just for the heck of it and broke out into song often and with great enthusiasm. As you say, it's easy to picture a night at the pub breaking out into one of these.

And now that you mention it, I wonder how the melody might sound on one of Eledhwen's Saxon lyres? That might be quite nice indeed.

Elleth wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:52 am I came across that book (and CD I want to say?) at about the time of the films when it was readily on the market... and do rather share your opinion Cimrandir, at least as regards the performance. That particular manner of high-art singing still sounds 19th-20th c. to me, though that may be when/where I grew up. Though I suppose if the Shire truly is of the time of the Diamond Jubilee, it might be closer than I'd thought.

Hrmm. Time for a re-listen I guess.

Right?! I know that the Professor didn't intend for Middle-earth to be seen as an analog for any particular period in our own history but with all the references to swords, spears, cloaks, and such it's a little hard to imagine something so 20th century sounding being played in Imladris or Minas Tirith. The Shire being the exception to the pseudo-medieval, rather than the rule of course.

Elleth wrote: ↑Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:52 am There was also a little folksong-ish band about the time of the films who did quite a nice rendition of the Road Goes Ever On, and they may have used that Swan's melody - I don't recall. I don't think they used the one from the films. I'll see if I can find it. Unfortunately they never released that CD publicly b/c they feared a lawsuit. It might have leaked online somewhere though.

Oh, and there was another CD that had an interesting take... ah! "In Elven Lands" by "The Fellowship" Some of it is a bit strange on modern ear because it is so medievalish is my memory, but it was still quite interesting! (And the liner art is beautiful.)

Oh, interesting! Thanks for the heads-up regarding the "In Elven Lands" album. I hadn't heard of that band before. I'll track that down pronto!

Hah! This is a fascinating discussion!
It’s funny, but I can totally see this song being very hobbit-ish when performed in this manner, although as mentioned, I don’t think the piano is doing it any favors, nor is the ostentatious warbly vibrato. But if you consider that Tolkien himself grew up in early 20th Century rural England, and as Elleth mentioned, imagined the Shire as very 19th-Century indeed, this seems pretty close to the mark!

Do I like it much? Nah.

But it’s certainly a valid interpretation!

Oh - gah! I meant to track down that CD with the folkish "Road goes ever on." I've looked around but haven't turned it up yet. BUT I did recall at least the group was called "The Border Collies" and saw they're still active -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category ... 078810404/
https://www.reverbnation.com/thebordercollies

edit - just went through three boxes of old CDs. No luck finding the Border Collies LotR disc, but I did find the music CD from The Road Goes Ever On book, and what looks like a bunch of screen captures from the LotR film appendicies - production shots of costumes and such. Any (legal) special requests before I pack them back away? I don't think I can upload music, but a couple stills of costume shots from the appendices should fall under fair use.

OMG OMG OMG I FOUND IT!
"Laird of the Rings" by the Border Collies

... and better yet, someone's uploaded it to youTube.

Very latter-day folkish, but I'm quite fond of it -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEo2u3z6bxo