This screening will aim to show episodes 2-3 for those who missed the fist night screening.
Once again, we have the pleasure of of starting Oxonmoot on the same weekend as the release of the new Rings of Power TV series season. For those who wish to have a communal in-person experince, we will put the episodes on in the lecture theatres. Details of this event may change as we learn more about episode length, etc.
An Oxonmoot Institution. Former Archivist and editor of Mallorn Len Sanford shares a sample of the 3,000 pieces of Tolkien artwork he has collected over the years – some serious, some less so. Audience participation is essential!
Len has been a TS member since 1990, and was the editor of Mallorn for eight years. For some years he was the Society’s archivist, following Christina Scull who had made a collection of over 1,000 slides showing examples of Tolkien related art and illustration. Before she left for... Read More →
Ever since the 1960s the composer has been working on sketches, fragments and episodes for what was envisaged as a cycle of musical works based upon The Lord of the Rings. Following on from the success of the recordings of The Silmarillion Paul was persuaded to go back to these beginnings and fully explore, expand and complete the work which has now evolved as “musical chapters from The Lord of the Rings”. This fully operatic setting has now become a companion work on the same scale as The Silmarillion. This adaptation takes place over thirty “chapters” designed to be performed over six evenings – over fifteen hours of music.
This work is currently in the process of recording by Volante Opera and it is anticipated that Prima Facie will release a demo recording of the complete cycle, in the same manner as their Silmarillion recordings, in 2025.
The professional singers, some thirty in number, come mainly from Welsh National Opera. Returning artists from The Silmarillion include: Simon Crosby Buttle as Frodo, Julian Boyce as Sam, Philip Lloyd-Evans as Gandalf, Stephen Wells as Aragorn, Michael Clifton-Thompson as Gollum, Helen Jarmany as Éowyn, Huw Llywelyn as Bilbo, Emma Mary Llewellyn as Arwen, Laurence Cole as Boromir/Denethor, Martin Lloyd as Treebeard/Herb Master, Helen Greenaway as Lobelia/Ioreth, Rosie Hay as Gwaihir, Sophie Yelland as the Barrow-Wight, Louise Ratcliffe as Lindir with George Newton-Fitzgerald and Jasey Hall taking on a plethora of roles. Angharad Morgan will also be reprising her role as Galadriel from The Silmarillion.
In this session, following on from the excerpts from The Silmarillion yesterday, the composer will play some preliminary tracks from the forthcoming recording - including some sections such as the settings of The Field of Cormallen, the opening of The Houses of Healing and the encounter between Éowyn and the Witch-king, all which will be heard for the first time in public. We hope that some of the singers involved will be able to attend the recital.
Shaun is the Chair of The Tolkien Society.First elected in 2013, Shaun has overseen the Society's expansion from 600 to 3,800 members, and its growth in assets to nearly £500,000. Shaun regularly speaks about adaptations of Tolkien's works and the future of Tolkien scholarship whilst... Read More →
