Need to know the type of instrument in Lord of the Rings

sanchezf · Post by **sanchezf** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:50 pm

Greetings,

In the LOR: Fellowship of the Rings
soundtrack, the track titled "Concerning
Hobbits" has a haunting whistle or flute
solo.

People I have asked indicated the instrument
is not a flute but a penny whistle. If
so, can someone tell me what type it is
and where I can purchase one?

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 1:09 pm

Welcome to C&F.

This is one of those very rare cases where I'm going to suggest you use the 'search' function above and check the archives. This issue has come up many times in the past year without clear resolution. You should take a look and decide for yourself.

My personal opinion is that its a flute, which seems to be the most common viewpoint, but it "could" be a whistle. Either way, there's nothing special about the particular instrument that was played. The haunting sound you describe is a mix of a good professional musician and top-flight sound editing and mixing. You can't just buy a whistle or flute that sounds like that, but given time, practice and the proper equipment a player might eventually be able to learn to sound like that.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 1:14 pm

I believe this has already been answered. Someone here(I forget who) contacted someone else who actually knew the person who had done the playing. It was a recorder.

Redwolf

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:15 am

I tend to chime in on this issue when ever it pops up. I had resigned that it was a recorder but I cam upon an interesting document.
In the book "The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy" there is a chapter about the musical score. The author is present for the recording of music during Hobbiton scenes. On page 176, between takes, Howard Shore is quoted as saying "We need more volume from the whistle - it's not loud enough at bar 49: make this mezzo forte..." This isn't exactly evidence that it was a whistle playing the theme or that the composer was even referring to a whistle. It may just be what he was calling the recorder. That bit may have never even made the final cut. I just found it to be interesting in light of the controversy.
Cheers,
Aaron

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 2:22 pm

Good God, not again... it's a frickin' recorder!!!!
Chris

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 2:34 pm

Good God, not again...ChrisLaughlin responding to this question! I hold my breath every time the question gets asked waiting for Chris' response. It's reassuring in this unpredictable world that some things never change. I was going to email Chris to be sure he was aware the question was back. I love it.

Tony
Chris, are you really certain it was a recorder? Sure sounded like a whistle to me...

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 2:41 pm

Dangit all! Look, someone actually wrote to and got a response from the dude who played the music for the movie. The word, direct from the proverbial horse's mouth is that it was a frickin' recorder.
Read the dang archives!
Read the newsletter!
It was a stupid, slimy, good for nothing, worthless, piece of junk, frickin' recorder!!!!!!!!!!
The End.
I can't believe this... here I am, in Mexico, and still it's up to me to save humanity from this insanity.
Chris

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 2:54 pm

Sanchezf, please don't take Chris's rant personally. I thought the LOTR piece was a pretty tune as well! Chris is actually a nice guy, but you have to know him to get his "off beat" sense of humor. Not too long ago, he actually declared war with another C&Fer, and millions of people were killed, but don't let it keep you from posting here!

Lark · Post by **Lark** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 3:47 pm

...but what kind of recorder?

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 3:58 pm

Here's a side by side comparison of an overly echoed wooden recorder and an overly echoed tinwhistle.

http://www.geocities.com/aaronwalden/Sidebyside.htm

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 4:04 pm

Man, vacations in Mexico are supposed to relax people.....

Take yer Ritalin, Laugh!

I'm sure it was a flageolet of some kind. But as answered above, with studio effects, we don't know what anything sounds like really.

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 4:19 pm

If
so, can someone tell me what type it is
and where I can purchase one?

you can get a whistle from a variety of different vendors on the internet (check the links page) or possibly from a local music shop.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TelegramSam on 2003-02-25 17:19 ]</font>

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 5:23 pm

So, Chris, if you have it from the horse's mouth, what was the horse's name and how many teeth does it have?

Cheers,
Aaron

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 6:31 pm

I'd love to get my hands on a recorder that sounds so much like a whistle. Then, I wouldn't need to play whistle.

Chris, if you see any nice recorders in Mexico, pick me up one. If they're frickin, don't bother.
Tony

Snuh · Post by **Snuh** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 7:55 am

On 2003-02-25 19:31, TonyHiggins wrote:
I'd love to get my hands on a recorder that sounds so much like a whistle. Then, I wouldn't need to play whistle.

Blasphemy!