Countless songwriters and composers have drawn inspiration from The Lord of the Rings; this list mentions only a few of the most well-known musical derivations. Many composers simply set to music Tolkien's own words, from the poetry scattered throughout the LOTR books; others use the larger universe of Middle-Earth to pen their own lyrics reflecting themes or events from Tolkien's works.
The Tolkien Ensemble
Founded in 1995, the Danish ensemble has produced the most complete set of Tolkien's poems and songs set to music of any group. Their four CDs – At Dawn in Rivendell, An Evening in Rivendell, A Night in Rivendell and Leaving Rivendell – include musical renditions of arcane LOTR verse such as "Snowmane's Epitaph" (two lines long in the book) and "Malbeth the Seer's Words". Christopher Lee, who played Saruman in Peter Jackson's LOTR movie trilogy, intones some chants on two of the Rivendell CDs. The Tolkien Ensemble includes singers, an accordion and several stringed instruments.
The Lord of the Rings Symphony – Johan de Meij
The first symphony of Dutch composer de Meij, The Lord of the Rings is comprised of five movements entitled Gandalf, Lothlórien, Gollum, Journey in the Dark and Hobbits. The symphony was well received when it premiered in 1988, and an orchestral version was released in 2001.
The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack – Howard Shore
Perhaps the most recognisable “Tolkien music” today, Howard Shore's iconic score from the Peter Jackson film trilogy features instantly-recognisable themes for the Fellowship, the kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan, and Saruman/Isengard. The music is orchestral and operatic, at times including vocal chanting and solo work in a variety of Middle-Earth languages. The CDs include end-credits songs sung by Enya, Annie Lennox and Emiliana Torrini.
“The Road Goes Ever On” Song Cycle – Donald Swann
With the distinction of being approved by Tolkien himself, Donald Swann's (of Flanders and Swann) song cycle is quirky and folksy. The selection of poems is unusual, containing Treebeard's “In the Willow-Meads of Tasarinan” and a poem called “Errantry” from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Later editions of the song cycle include the haunting “Bilbo's Last Song”, a previously unpublished poem which Tolkien dedicated to his secretary Joy Hill; and “Lúthien Tinúviel", a poem from The Silmarillion. Tolkien suggested the tune for his Quenya hymn "Namárië"; as a result, the Gregorian chant-style song fits rather oddly with the rest of the song cycle.
The Lord of the Rings Musical Soundtrack
With creative contributions from Finnish folk group Värttinä, AR Rahman and Christopher Nightingale, the Lord of the Rings musical received mixed reviews and closed quickly in both Toronto and London. However, the music is still admired by many Tolkien fans. None of the songs use Tolkien's exact lyrics, but many cover similar territory (“The Cat and the Moon” is more or less a paraphrase of Frodo's song at Bree, and “The Road Goes On” is an obvious homage to Tolkien's poem “The Road Goes Ever On”). The soundtrack includes several songs by Galadriel, who appears throughout the show as a background presence.
Anois
Anois, headed by Veronica Metz, is a Dutch band which performs Celtic music. Anois has composed and performed several songs using Tolkien's lyrics.
BBC Radio Adaptation of LOTR Soundtrack – Stephen Oliver
The twelve-part BBC series contains not only the familiar theme music by Stephen Oliver, but a number of songs and pieces of scored music. The CD includes a version of “Bilbo's Last Song” sung by a boy soprano.
The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins – Leonard Nimoy
Infamous among Tolkien and Star Trek fans alike, this puzzling piece features Leonard Nimoy (in authentic Spock haircut) singing about Bilbo, the “greatest little hobbit of them all” with “fuzzy-wuzzy toes”. The music video also features a number of dancing teenagers wearing pointy ears and large “Hobbits Unite” badges.
John Sangster
The Tolkien-inspired works of this Australian jazz composer include The Hobbit Suite, Lord of the Rings (in three volumes), Bilbo Nods Off and Landscapes of Middle Earth. Highly acclaimed, the Lord of the Rings music ranges from traditional jazz to film score-like orchestration and string quartets
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