Music For A Game Of Tor

I'll try to do that when I get back in the office tomorrow.

The music from the fan film Born of Hope has some nice tracks that are suitable.

As requested...

I use elements from:

Howard Shore's soundtracks (esp. the Complete Recordings collection)
Basil Poledouris' "Flesh + Blood") sdtrk
Ensemble Unicorn (great stuff there)
Tolkien Ensemble
selections from Immediate Music
selections from "The Witcher" and "Lord of the Rings Online" sdtrks
Dead Can Dance, etc

I'll also note that I'm pretty picky. I've used some synthesized orchestral pieces, but a lot of the tracks from video game soundtracks (LOTRO, etc) are just too artificial/tinny for my tastes. YMMV, however, in which case there are even more potential tracks for use from those soundtracks.

"Travel" is the longest of the lists at just over two hours of music. I intend that to be the primary playlist, as it's filled with evocative melodies, and ones that are (to me) generally suggestive of "outdoors" and movement, and fit within the tone I want to create. That will be on the majority of time, broken up by setting/mood-specific lists (e.g. Spooky or Elven).

Also note that with a fair number of Howard Shore pieces, I've edited them in GoldWave. The arrangements on the CDs follow the movies, and Jackson LOVES to shatter a peaceful moment with BLARING HORNS FROM MORDOR in case you've fallen asleep. Fine for the movies, but not so good for a game.

Travel 2:03:55 total time

Basil Poledouris Flesh and Blood/Courtship And Mandrake
The Chieftains Reel Music/The Matchmaking
The Chieftains Reel Music/Mountain Fall - Main Theme
The Chieftains Reel Music/March of The King of Cornwall
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Ring Goes South
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Great River
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/Flight from Edoras
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Forests of Ithilian
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/One of the Dunedain
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Story Foretold
The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King/Hope And Memory
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Leave Taking
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Very Old Friends
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Saruman the White
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Doors of Durin
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever on...
The Last Of The Mohicans/The Courier
Russia's War: Blood Upon The Snow/Before The Storm 3:53
Lord of the Rings Online/The Brigand’s Tale
Lord of the Rings Online/The Flammifer of Westernesse
Lord of the Rings Online/Forsaken Paths
Lord of the Rings Online/A Glimmer in the North
Lord of the Rings Online/Guardians of the Wild
Lord of the Rings Online/The Ice Bay
Lord of the Rings Online/Journeys Long
Lord of the Rings Online/The Long Winter
BBC Lord of the Rings Opening Theme
The Witcher/01_Dusk_in_Northern_Kingdom
The Witcher/03_River_of_Life
The Witcher/15_Order
The Witcher/18_Sere_Roses
The Witcher/24_Seawall
The Witcher/27_Goodbye_Leo


Elven - solemn and haunting. More for Lothlorien and Rivendell on a starry night than for a Woodland Realm celebration, 45:52 total time

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Caras Galadhon
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Story Foretold
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Eagles
Tolkien Ensemble/Galadriel's Song of Eldamar, I sang of leaves...
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
Dead Can Dance/The Arrival and the Reunion
Tolkien Ensemble/Galadriel's Song of Eldamar, Ai! Laurie lantar...
Tolkien Ensemble/Elven Hymn to Elbereth Gilthoniel, Snow-white!
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Passing of the Elves
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Houses of Healing
The Witcher/28_Silver_Sword

Battle 1:01:56 total time

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Weathertop
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Breach of the Deeping Wall
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Lighting of the Beacons
Basil Poledouris Flesh and Blood/Siege Of The City
Basil Poledouris Flesh and Blood/The Box
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/Final Omen 2.0
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/Heaven's Warriors
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/With Great Power
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/Timburton Hollow
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/Epicon
Immediate Music Themes For Orchestra And Choir/Lacrimosa 2:17
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Bridge Of Khazad Dum
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/Grond - The Hammer of the Underworld
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Battle of the Hornburg
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Three Hunters
The Witcher/16_Night_is_coming
The Witcher/17_True_face_of_the_Grand_Master
The Lord of the Rings Online/Courage of Men.mp3
The Lord of the Rings Online/Wreck and Slaughter.mp3


Spooky - darker, creepier mood music, 1:16:58 total time

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Keep It Secret
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/Shelob's Lair
The Dark Crystal - Complete Film Score/Chamberlain Is Attacked
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/07 - Cold Space
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/10 - Alien Crawlspace
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/11 - Betrayal Voices
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/15 - Dead Ringer
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/26 - In The Ducts
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/33 - The Nest
Immediate Music Horror And Sci Fi/36 - Nostromus
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Dead Marshes
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/Gandalf the White
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Forests of Ithilian
The Witcher/11 - The Mine
The Witcher/02_One_of_the_Wolfs
The Witcher/13_Ominous_Place
Lord of the Rings Online/Before the Storm
Lord of the Rings Online/The Creeping Gloom
Lord of the Rings Online/The Last King
Lord of the Rings Online/Skies of Grey
Lord of the Rings Online/The Sleepless Cold

Free Folk - Lighter, folksy music for Laketown, Bree, feasts and other Free Folk settings - 1:33:23 total time

Ensemble Unicorn /Amours, ou trop tart me suis pris
Dead Can Dance AionMephisto
Ensemble Unicorn /Quant ay lomón consirat
Ensemble Unicorn /Cuncti simus concanentes
Ensemble Unicorn /Cantiga de Santa Maria No. 77/119
The Chieftains Reel Music/Escape and Chase
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Flaming Red Hair
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Shire
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Bag End
Ensemble Unicorn/Koleda Na Bozic
Dead Can Dance Aion/Radharc
The Dark Crystal Soundtrack/The Pod Dance
Dead Can Dance Aion/Saltarello
Basil Poledouris Flesh and Blood/The Feast
The Chieftains Reel Music/Main Theme-The Grey Fox
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/The Green Dragon
Ensemble Unicorn Nevestinko Oro
Ensemble Unicorn /Quant voi la flor novelle
The Witcher/08 Duan - 'Skellige'
The Witcher/11 Rimead - 'Sentinels of Brokilon'
The Witcher/11_Evening_in_the_Tavern
The Witcher/12_Peaceful_Moments
The Witcher/23_Tavern_on_the_End_of_World
Lord of the Rings Online/Autumn Ale
Lord of the Rings Online/Bree-land Jig
Lord of the Rings Online/Land of the Lossoth
Lord of the Rings Online/Lay of the Free Peoples
Lord of the Rings Online/Let Us Sing Together
Lord of the Rings Online/Hills of the Shire
Lord of the Rings Online/Home from the Hunt

Halls - more formal/royal settings. hallowed ground. 21:14 total time (still working on this one)

Dead Can Dance Aion/Wilderness
Dead Can Dance Aion/Musica Eternal
Dead Can Dance Aion/The End of Words
Basil Poledouris Flesh and Blood/Cask And St. Martin
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb
The Witcher/02_One_of_the_Wolfs
Lord of the Rings Online/All Other Lights
Lord of the Rings Online/Lament for Oakenshield


I'm always revising and adding, so these are works in progress.

Thanks, Crafty!

Of your list, I don't have:
Ensemble Unicorn
Tolkien Ensemble
selections from Immediate Music
selections from "The Witcher" sdtrks
Dead Can Dance
The Dark Crystal (had it on LP many years ago, but never located on CD ... good stuff ... especially The Pod Dance)
The Chieftains Reel Music
Russia's War

As you've used them, I (of course) must needs now check them out!

Someone very kindly posted my Witcher stuff on YouTube.

Here's the first track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXivUleyzU4

cheers

James

Yeah, it's a great soundtrack. I would use more from it (and others), but I think they're too recognizable for my group.

I like to stay away from selections that will make my group think of, say, Conan the Barbarian instead of Tolkien, even though Basil Poledouris' soundtrack is incredible.

Crafty, which albums from Ensemble Unicorn? Unfortunately, on Amazon, they have many titles. Thanks, again.

The albums I have are The Black Madonna: Pilgrim Songs from the Monastery of Montserrat and On the Way to Bethlehem.

I may check out the preview of the others as well - I like the music anyway.

If you think of this song as a duet between Celebrimbor and Sauron, it works in a weird way.

That's hilarious!

I'm glad CraftyShafty that you too appreciate Dead Can Dance on your gaming playlists - I must now investigate your other suggestions.
I only recently discovered the Tolkien Ensemble via this TOR thread. I'm rapt!
I remember the B-grade movie classic Flesh & Blood ... need to refresh my memory on the soundtrack.
I also use some Chieftains music .... and find further great additions to my gaming playlists from amongst the broader spectrum of celtic music.

Some of the best celtic music I have found is on the Narada celtic music collection CDs:
Celtic Odyssey
Celtic Legacy
Celtic Treasures (the music of Turlough O'Carolan)
(These aren't available on iTunes, but I know the CDs are avail on Amazon, and hopefully elsewhere).

I don't care for lyrics in background music (unless you're going for a montage!), but this is still worth checking out.

The Lord of the Rings: Complete Songs and Poems - Christopher Lee & The Tolkien Ensemble

When I was in college and then the USAF I played this. At the time I hated it due to the boring bassoon part I had to play, but if I could have pulled back and listened to the "big picture" I'd have really enjoyed it more.

Johan de Meij: The Lord of the Rings: Symphony No. 1 on iTunes
on Amazon

I recommend a symphonic band recording. I think I have the DC USAF band or the USAF band at Langley recording somewhere. I'll dig around and rip it to dropbox if I can find it. (That's legal. American tax dollars have already paid for it.

If you're in the Shire, I really recommend ANYTHING by Percy Grainger, my favorite composer of band/wind ensemble music. "Lincolnshire Posey" is a masterpiece, "Molly on the Shore", anything else you can get your hands on.

Malcolm Arnold's "Four Scottish Dances" and anything else. He was a prolific soundtrack composer, so besides his absolute music there is great deal of music actually written for specific scenes. "Hobson's Choice" is a soundtrack you should look into. Watch the movie if you can find it. My bassoon teacher in grad school at Indiana said he wrote his best music while drunk, to give you an idea of what you're in for.

I might even have some USAF recordings in which my wife and I play that might be suitable. If you can find a use for my masterpiece performance, "Turkey in the Straw" (big contrabassoon solo), I'll get it to you!

Yours in fellowship,
Stephen "Trotter"

Miriam Peirone singing Namárië:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6XnzglBjxc

Anyone know where to find JamesRBrown's excellent rendition of the Goblin Song in TALES FROM WILDERLAND?

Thanks!

You can find it right here: Cubicle7 forums: The Goblin Song from Tales from Wilderland