~by Fealome

When it comes down to the fine detail, a Ringer might easily wonder, “Was there anything Tolkien left out?” From page one of The Fellowship of the Ring it’s clear that the story we are reading isn’t just a story. It a world, a history, a language (or two), an architecture that ranges from grassy hobbit holes to towering citadels. An art form that could be called “magic.” There comes a point when it begins to look less like an epic story, and more like a travel brochure. Where is our round-trip ticket to Middle Earth?

Contrary to common rumor, it is not located in the vast appendices at the end of RotK. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but a ticket to Middle Earth can’t be purchased on Travelocity, either.

However, this elusive ticket (or something as near it as possible) can be bought from a very different venue- the box office. If you’ve managed to collect all three LotR movie soundtracks, you have probably heard the echoes of reedy flutes in Hobbiton, or the clash of metal in Isengard. But take all that movie music and roll it into one sweeping work of art, and then you have a glimpse of Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings Symphony.

As any music fanatic will tell you, the wonder of live sound in a concert performance is something that can never quite be replicated. Going to see The Lord of the Rings Symphony performed live is an experience that a true fan will remember for the rest of their lives. The music, with all its magnitude and depth, will pick you up and drop you like a West Wind into Middle Earth. There, you’ll soar around, taking in every sight with greedy eyes for a good two and a half hours before falling gently back into your seat, dizzy as the house lights slowly come up. As CoE member Dwarflord said after going to the Symphony performance in Vienna,“I feel as if I visited Middle Earth yesterday.”

When I listen to the soundtrack, I tend to see Elijah Wood toiling up Mount Doom in a curly brown wig, or Billy Boyd standing in Denethor’s great hall at Minas Tirith. But at the Minneapolis Symphony last October, it felt like I was listening to a hidden element in Tolkien’s vast world.

So if you’re lucky enough to live anywhere near Cincinnati, Ohio USA, don’t miss the chance to buy your ticket to Middle Earth this September!

Want to buy a ticket, but don’t know where to start? Click here for information!

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