Over The Misty Mountains Cold (Original Song for Tolkien's poem from "The Hobbit")

For anyone interested, a piano solo rendition of the Howard Shore melody from "The Hobbit" trailer can be heard at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4S4DQu7fHg

And a somewhat thundrous multi-track a-capella version here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6JkYplB8D0


This is a rough track - 3 voice (all mine) with MIDI piano & cajon drum - of the original song I wrote last year for J.R.R. Tolkien's poem in "The Hobbit". I sing it lower (d minor instead of e minor) and have made a number of elaborations to the melody in various stanzas. I am working on doing a twelve voice track for this, but that will be a while yet. In the meantime, any constructive comments or suggestions would be welcome ("You suck!" and "The one in the Hobbit Trailer is WAYYYYY better!" don't count.) This is my very first attempt at doing musical multi-tracking & I have lots to learn.

The Sheet music for this (for anyone interested) is available, along with the MIDI & MP3 at:

http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=40432

***

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To seek our pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells,
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught,
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves,
And harps of gold, where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the heights,
The wind was moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread,
The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale,
And men looked up with faces pale.
The dragon's ire, more fierce than fire,
Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon.
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled the hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the Misty Mountains grim,
To dungeons deep and caverns dim,
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!

J.R.R. Tolkien

Category:

Music

Tags:

• tolkien
• original
• song
• over
• the
• misty
• mountains
• cold
• hobbit
• will
• peter
• jackson
• give
• me
• call
• doubt
• it
• don't
• you
• military
• Peter Jackson
• J. R. R. Tolkien
• Music
• Piano
• Singer
• Lord
• Songwriter
• Original Song
• Acoustic
• Acoustic Music
• Folk
• Artist
• Rings
• The Hobbit
• Original
• Song
• Singing
• music
• Acoustics

[Squirtyfire]

Isnt this from the 1970s move?

[GlenHoban]

@Squirtyfire

The poem (lyrics) is by Tolkien & is from much earlier than 1970's, but probably appeared in the movie you are thinking of; the melody is my own (so far as I know), as is the recording and performance. (I think I've heard the version from the 70's movie & it's not the same as mine.)

[deadlytoque]

This sounds a little like a Tom Waits version. A little more "werewolf voice" and it would be perfect.

[GlenHoban]

@deadlytoque

I wasn't familiar with Tom Waits, so I had to go and listen..... I think I'm flattered, though I don't think that his voice would be considered conventially 'beautiful' in the songs (Bad Like Me; God's Away on Business) I listened to, but...... what a voice nonetheless, and very intelligently written songs.

I don't know if my next version will have more werewolf, but I definitely want it even more resonant, and hopefully lower by about a fourth.

[Arnkh]

Honestly, this doesn't seem to be the kind of song that should be played on a piano and harp and what have you. A flute, or maybe a drum - and that should be it. I mean, this is something dwarves would sing by the camp fire, not in an opera house, and you don't lug a harp with you if you truly intend to go to far over the misty mountains cold.

Anyway, I already said that I loved the previous version and that I loved this one even more, just trying to add something to the discussion.

[GlenHoban]

@Arnkh

Now that I could manage, actually, as I play the panflute & already do play this piece on the pipe. Hopefully my place of work will stop asking me to do overtime sometime soon & I can work on my ever-growing list of projects... I'm also intending to see what I can do with MIDI. It would be cool if I could convince some musical friends to help.

I highly appreciate the suggestions, comments and praise, & I hope that I will be able to post something you will like soon. :-)

[Squirtyfire]

@GlenHoban No , i know all that, what i mean was i thought this specific song was the same variation from the 70s Movie but they are completely different. Yeah i know that it was poem written by Tolkein , as well as the Full LOTR poem and the small short ones from silmarillion

[Xerdocreisson]

@GlenHoban You could get some people willing to play with you, they don't need to sing. But MIDI can work fine.

[GlenHoban]

@Xerdocreisson

Someone whose comment is below was kind enough to draw up a list of the instruments, so I might give it a try; I could play the flutes, drum & maybe the harp, but I'd have to get help (or use MIDI) for the other instruments. Soon as I stop having to work overtime I might start in on it! :-)

[Xerdocreisson]

You should get some instruments like in the book.