Concerning Hobbits

houstonwhistler · Post by **houstonwhistler** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:09 am

I know it's a few years old now, but in the first of the "Lord of the Rings" movies a whistle was used in the theme music for the hobbits and for the scenes set in the Shire. I think the piece was called "Concerning Hobbits" after the chapter in the book that that part of movie was based on. Does anyone know where the sheet music is available for that piece?
I remember seeing the Houston Symphony perform the music from the movie and seeing the tuxedo clad whistle player sitting among the "classicly trained musicians." Or maybe he was classicly trained, too. Maybe he studied Whistle playing at Juliard or something, I don't know. But I do know that at the end of the performance the conductor( I believe it was Howard Shore,the composer) asked him to stand to accept his share of the ovation and everyone clapped louder for him and I even heard shouts of "Bravo!" It's nice to see Whistlers get their props.

HW

hathair_bláth · Post by **hathair_bláth** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:13 am

Didn't Sir James Galway play the whistle in all the Lord of the Rings music?

houstonwhistler · Post by **houstonwhistler** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:24 am

He may well have in the movies, but I don't think he toured with traveling company. He would have been heavily advertised and tickets would have been much harder to come by.

HW

Romulo · Post by **Romulo** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:38 am

houstonwhistler wrote:He may well have in the movies, but I don't think he toured with traveling company. He would have been heavily advertised and tickets would have been much harder to come by.

HW

Take a look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZIDzoTAh8I
I don't think he's in the movies in that video

There's some discussion about it at http://www.whistlethis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=417

houstonwhistler · Post by **houstonwhistler** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:51 am

Yep, that's him alright. I just don't think he played in the performance I attended. I wish that he had, though. That would've been awesome.
Thanks, Rom, for the link to the other thread!

HW

john_t · Post by **john_t** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:20 am

I created this for my brother using a tin whistle tab font in OpenOffice.org writer. It has a simple tab of a intro to concerning hobbits.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp3/lesson1.pdf

I created it as a lesson plan for my older brother who wants is awaiting delivery of his first tin whistles. (I found him a waltons irish whistle + CD + Book and a Generation D cheap so I suggested he got those)

I also recorded these as well, they sound rubbish cos I can hardly play and were first takes.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... n/lotr.mp3
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... 0major.mp3
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... 0major.mp3
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... rk%20g.mp3
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... rk%20d.mp3
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/townshend/mp ... ardens.mp3

Romulo · Post by **Romulo** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:03 am

By any chance, would be this guy?

http://www.bobchadwickflutes.com/exoticflutes.htm

It says in his performances:

Lord of the Rings
Written for Orchestra by Howard Shore
• Houston Symphony (2004 and 2005)
• Dallas Symphony (Fall 2004)
Bass Flute, Pan Flutes and Irish Penny Whistle

riverman · Post by **riverman** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:18 pm

I learned to play it by ear, listening to the video,and added another piece from the movie onto the end as a kind of medley. I play it every day, because I love it, almost always on a D whistle.
I also learned what I call Pippin's Lament--the song he sang in the movie when rotten King Denethor sent his son into a hopeless battle while he ate a chicken lunch at home. It plays like a slow air, but I can't play it much because it makes me sad!

khl · Post by **khl** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:05 pm

There's this that has a number of pieces (including "Concerning Hobbits"):
http://www.free-scores.com/boutique/bou ... clef=63699
(There are other places to buy it, but this was the first I found to show.)

This gives you the notes, and then the CD plays 2 tracks for each song -- one with the instrument and accompaniment and the other with just accompaniment so you can play along. I have the "Flute" Version that needs a Bb whistle for playing with the CD.

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:15 pm

Solo whistle parts on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack were recorded by New Zealander Alan Doherty, the whistle and flute player with the great Irish band Gráda. A great guy and wonderful musician, I had the privilege of meeting and sessioning with him last year when my group opened for Gráda, and he'll be here in SD again in a few weeks. Alan plays Overton whistles, but had fun trying our Burkes and Copelands.

khl · Post by **khl** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:29 pm

Note this thread from a while ago. It seems a number have played on the soundtrack. Most noted are Galway, Taylor, and Doherty. But Joanie Madden's website also says she played too.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... sc&start=0

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:25 pm

Thanks, Keith. I edited the above post to be a bit more precise.

Alan himself told me that he recorded solo tracks on LOTR, and I have no reason to think he was lying. But I believe he was referring to the first film (Fellowship of the Ring), and he doesn't claim all the whistle parts, only the main solo tracks. It's likely the soundtrack was recorded in multiple sessions, with other players doing whistle duty on the orchestral fills.

I also wonder if this was a case of success breeding success. I believe Alan met Peter Jackson in NZ, and was relatively unknown at the time. Once it was clear that the first film was a blockbuster, I can understand other more famous players being asked to participate in the soundtrack or post-soundtrack recordings, for the cachet.

If I remember, I'll ask Alan when I see him again. Of course, Joanie herself could chime in here on her particular role.

Mitch · Post by **Mitch** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:31 pm

MTGuru wrote:
...
I also wonder if this was a case of success breeding success. I believe Alan met Peter Jackson in NZ, and was relatively unknown at the time. Once it was clear that the first film was a blockbuster, I can understand other more famous players being asked to participate in the soundtrack or post-soundtrack recordings, for the cachet.
...

Success breeding success? That might be part of it, although I'd hazard that much has to do with ability - have you seen that man play!!?? Oportunity tends to gravitate towards ability with attitude as the cement - Alan is also one of the nicest people I've met. "Destined" is a word that springs to mind.

Romulo · Post by **Romulo** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:52 pm

Now I'm curious if houstonwhistler already discovered if it was really Bob Chadwick that he saw performing with Houston Symphony.

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:52 am

Mitch wrote:Success breeding success? That might be part of it, although I'd hazard that much has to do with ability - have you seen that man play!!?? Oportunity tends to gravitate towards ability with attitude as the cement - Alan is also one of the nicest people I've met. "Destined" is a word that springs to mind.

Mitch, I agree with you completely about Alan. But he was, and still is, relatively unknown. What I meant was that after the success of the first LOTR film was established, other musicians with more "star power", like James Galway, might have wanted to participate, or have been asked. Whereas during the recording of the first soundtrack, the choice of whistle soloist would have been based on musical considerations, regardless of fame. This is pure speculation on my part, with no aspersions on Joanie or anyone else. But sometimes it's the way things work. Make it big, and the little guys responsible for success in the first place get pushed out.