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May 17, 2003

'Memories of Middle Earth' CD Review
Chris Seeman

In a now famous letter, Edward Crankshaw, one of Allen & Unwin’s external manuscript readers, complained of Tolkien’s “eye-splitting” names, characterizing the still inchoate Silmarillion as possessing “something of that mad, bright-eyed beauty that perplexes all Anglo-Saxons in the face of Celtic art;” to which Tolkien puckishly quipped “I am sorry the names split his eyes….Needless to say they are not Celtic! Neither are the tales (Letter #19).” Tolkien, of course, had axes to grind. As a philologist and mythographer, he consciously set out to fashion a mythology for England, which for him was quite distinct (aesthetically at least) from things “Celtic.”

For many – perhaps the majority – of Tolkien’s readers, such distinctions are academic. Crankshaw’s equation of the Celtic and the fantastic remains firmly fixed in the modern imagination. In nothing is this so clearly manifest as in the attraction of Celtic musicians to Tolkien’s writings. (There are nineteen entries on the Tolkien Music List classified under this rubric, with many others that incorporate Celtic elements, such as the ever present Irish pennywhistle in Howard Shore’s Frodo & Sam theme.) The most recent addition to this legacy (speaking of eye-splitting names!) are the Brobdingnagian Bards, also known as Marc Gunn and Andrew McKee.

This Austin, Texas based duo struck a musical nerve with their instrumental single, “Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings),” topping last year’s MP3 Celtic charts with millions of downloads. The unexpected success of this unobtrusive tune convinced the Bards that a full-length “Tolkien tribute” was in order. The result is “Memories of Middle Earth”, a sixteen-track album alternating between instrumental and lyrical pieces (ten and six respectively). The instrumentation is simple and economical, comprising autoharp, mandolin and recorder. McKee’s mandolin lends the compositions a tone of archaic authenticity, while Gunn’s unadorned vocals focus the listener’s attention upon the story being told. This is music designed for live performance (something at which the Bards are tried and true veterans).

The lyrical songs conjure themes and scenes from LotR: the Ents, the journey from Bree to Rivendell, Samwise telling tales to his children, Gimli & Legolas’ Orc-killing spree at Helm’s Deep, Bilbo’s departure from Hobbiton, and a satirical “Gollum Blues.” While the last didn’t quite succeed for me, I enjoyed the other selections, mainly because they tread interesting and unfamiliar vantage points in the realm of Tolkien-inspired music. (No “been done” Ring-chants here!) On the other hand, the instrumental pieces, while technically competent and melodically pleasing, I found somewhat limited in their range of mood and expression, possibly because I am used to larger ensemble and orchestral interpretations of Middle-earth. Even so, there is a consistent brevity to these songs (the longest is just over six minutes) which makes for easy listening and keeps the album interesting from beginning to end.

Bottom line: “Memories of Middle Earth” is a worthy addition to any Tolkien collection, and an illustration of the inexhaustible variety of musical meanderings inspired by LotR.

“Memories of Middle Earth” can be purchased at http://www.thebards.net


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