| Poems and Songs of Middle Earth | |
|---|---|
 1967 LP sleeve cover, with "triptych" illustration byPauline Baynes[1] | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 18 October 1967 (1967-10-18) |
| Recorded |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 35:18 |
| Label | Caedmon |
| Producer | Howard Sackler |
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth[a] is a studio album ofspoken-word poetry by the English authorJ. R. R. Tolkien and art songs composed by the English musicianDonald Swann. On the first half of the album, Tolkien recites sevenpoems from or related to his fantasy novelThe Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The second half is a performance of Swann'ssong cycleThe Road Goes Ever On, which sets selections from Tolkien's verse to music. The vocalist William Elvin singsThe Road Goes Ever On to Swann's piano accompaniment.Caedmon Records issued the album on 18 October 1967 in the United States, and then on 28 March 1968 in the United Kingdom. Its release coincided with the publication ofThe Road Goes Ever On as a book ofsheet music with commentary and illustration by Tolkien.
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth became the first commercially available audio recording of Tolkien's voice after the success ofThe Lord of the Rings, as well as the earliest album ofmusic inspired by his fictional Middle-earth. While most of the poetry and lyrics are in English, the album also featuresTolkien's constructed languages as recited by the author himself or sung by Elvin under his guidance. Its recordings of twoElvish languages—Quenya andSindarin—provided early insight into the intended qualities of these languages when spoken aloud. The packaging of the originalLP record carried a cover illustration byPauline Baynes andliner notes written by the poetW. H. Auden. Caedmon reissued the album oncassette tape in 1972 and again in 1977 as part of a box set compilation of Tolkien'saudiobooks. The album was out of print by the 21st century.
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In 1965,Donald Swann composed a song cycle titledThe Road Goes Ever On, setting various texts by Tolkien to music. Swann requested Tolkien's permission to perform and publish the song cycle, as a derivative work based on Tolkien's copyrighted writings; Tolkien, impressed by Swann's work, approved.[3] The author's British publisher,Allen & Unwin, reached a copyright licensing agreement with Swann in early to mid-January 1966.[4] Allen & Unwin and Tolkien's American publisherHoughton Mifflin made plans to printThe Road Goes Ever On as a book of sheet music, with the potential for a recording of the music to be issued simultaneously with the book.[5] Although there was interest in producing a record of the song cycle, an early inquiry to the music publisher and record companyChappell & Co. was rejected. A representative of Chappell indicated that the song cycle would be too short to fill an entirelong-playing ("LP") record, and a shorter record was deemed difficult to market in the United States.[3] Shortly thereafter, the Allen & Unwin employee Joy Hill[b] pitched the idea of an LP featuring Swann performing his song cycle on one side and Swann's stage partner,Michael Flanders, reading selections from Tolkien's writings on the other.[8]
Swann met thebaritone vocalist William Elvin through Hill's introduction, and the two began collaborating on live performances of Swann'sThe Road Goes Ever On.[9] Swann felt Elvin's voice befit the material. Moreover, both he and Tolkien were struck by the coincidental aptness of the singer's surname,Elvin.[c] Swann called attention to "the unbelievably suitable name",[12] while Tolkien remarked that it was "a good omen".[3] By May 1966, Swann prepared a demo version of his song cycle to send to prospective record companies, and he was also preparing for concert performances and an upcoming radio appearance.[13]
At a meeting that December Tolkien and Swann worked out a finalized structure for the LP, with Tolkien to read his own writings rather than Flanders.[13] Up to that time, Tolkien's voice had only been recorded twice for commercially released records, both times circa April 1930, more than a decade before the publication ofThe Lord of the Rings.[14] These two records were English lessons withArthur Lloyd James, released by the London-based companyLinguaphone.[15] Tolkien's segments on these educational records were brief, running just over six minutes total.[14] He had also been recorded prior to 1967 on a handful of occasions in other contexts.[d]
Austin Olney of Houghton Mifflin proposed partnering withCaedmon Records to release the envisioned album.[9] Caedmon, a New York–based record label with offices in London at the time, specialized inspoken word records related to literature.[17] Arriving decades before the mainstream advent of theaudiobook, Caedmon "answered the question on many readers' minds", said in the words of historian Matthew Rubery: "What did authors sound like?"[18] Since its founding in 1952, Caedmon had already pressed records by many of the preeminent authors of 20th century literature, among themAlbert Camus,T. S. Eliot,William Faulkner,Langston Hughes,James Joyce,Thomas Mann,Sylvia Plath,Gertrude Stein,Wallace Stevens, andW. B. Yeats.[19] Accordingly, the label was closely associated with esteemedliterary fiction and the high-minded literary community. Given thehostile literary reception to Tolkien, the fantasy author and criticLin Carter professed surprise when he discovered that"[e]ven so staid and literary a firm as Caedmon Records offers a disc whereon the good Professor [Tolkien] may be heard reading some of the poems from [The Lord of the Rings] in his own language!"[20]
In March 1967, Swann wrote to Tolkien for advice onvocal coaching for Elvin, as both performers strove to maintain faithfulness in the pronunciation of words fromTolkien's constructed languages.[22] Tolkien providedphonetic notes tailored to Swann and Elvin's voices.[23] In April,Rayner Unwin wrote to Tolkien to inform him that arrangements had been made to release the LP through Caedmon, as well as for Tolkien to berecorded at his home by employees of the record label.[5] A representative from Caedmon sent Tolkien atape recorder to keep and use for practice in May, and the author conveyed in a letter to Unwin that he had been practicing recording himself.[24]
According to a discography at theDonald Swann Website,[e] Swann and Elvin recorded the songs fromThe Road Goes Ever On on 12 June 1967.[26] Tolkien recorded his spoken readings on 15 June 1967.[27] Caedmon sent the producer Howard Sackler and anengineer with equipment to record at Tolkien's home onSandfield Road in Oxford. Recording took place after 4 p.m.—later than Tolkien preferred. An earlier arrival by Caedmon's team was not possible, as their schedule required them to travel that day from London, but a Caedmon representative assured Tolkien that the process of recording at home would be unobtrusive. Afterwards, Tolkien reported to Swann that he enjoyed the recording session, and commended the "helpful and appreciative" disposition of the recording team. While recording his poem "The Sea-Bell", Tolkien spotted an error in the published text that had gone unnoticed before.[21]
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The first side of the LP contains spoken-word recitals by Tolkien. He read six poems taken from his collectionThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962) and his fantasy novelThe Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The second half contains about 20 seconds of additional reading by Tolkien, followed by Swann's song-cycleThe Road Goes Ever On, which sets seven of Tolkien's poems to music with vocals by Elvin and piano accompaniment played by Swann himself.[f] Tolkien contributed the melody for one of the songs, "Namárië", in a style evocative ofGregorian chant.[29] Swann's compositions are influenced byEnglish folk music, complementing the traditional style of Tolkien's verse.[30] A critic for theEnglish Journal compared most of the compositions tolieder, while noting a resemblance between "Errantry" and thepatter songs ofGilbert and Sullivan.[29]
The illustration on the LP sleeve's cover—a "triptych" view of a Middle-earth landscape designed byPauline Baynes—had previously appeared on the slipcase of the deluxe three-volume edition ofThe Lord of the Rings published by Allen & Unwin in 1964 (but printed in 1963).[31] Describing the album cover,Valerie Anand identifies Orodruin, orMount Doom, "in the far distance and a dramatic castle as a landmark in the middle distance, leading the eye onwards, as it were."[32]
The poetW. H. Auden contributed introductoryliner notes for the LP sleeve's reverse side.[1] Auden agreed to do so in August 1967, pleasing Tolkien immensely.[33] The two writers had expressed their mutual admiration in correspondence early that year, spurred by the publication of Tolkien's poem "For W. H. A." in a special issue of the literary magazineShenandoah dedicated to Auden in honor of his 60th birthday.[34] Auden thanked Tolkien for the poem and expressed his further admiration of "The Sea-Bell", one of the poems Tolkien had recorded for the album.[22] In his essay, Auden lauds Tolkien's verse, calling the poems' metres "as exciting as they are various", and claims the author's fantasy works
will either totally enthrall you or leave you stone cold, and, whichever your response, nothing and nobody will ever change it. As a member of the enchanted party, I have found by experience that it is quite useless to argue with the unconverted.[12]
Enthusiastic though Auden was for the recordings of Elvish poetry, his essay expresses disappointment that the album lacked readings from the poetry ofRohan, a kingdom ofMen inThe Lord of the Rings.[35]
| Release date | Description | Region | Format | Label | Cat. no. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 October 1967 | First pressing. | US | Caedmon Records | TC 1231 (TC 91231) | [36] | |
| 28 March 1968 | First UK pressing. | UK | [37] | |||
| September 1971 | Reissue through English retailer Record Specialities and Henry Stave, Ltd.; identical to the first pressings. | [38] | ||||
| 1972 | First pressing on cassette. | US/UK | Cassette tape | CDL 51231 | [39] | |
| 1977 | Reissue –The J. R. R. Tolkien Soundbook versions. Either sold individually, or as part of the completeSoundbook box sets(4×LP: SBR 101 / 4×CS: SBC 101). | Vinyl LP | TC 1231 | [1] | ||
| Cassette tape | CDL 51231 | [1] |
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Caedmon Records first releasedPoems and Songs of Middle Earth on 18 October 1967 as a vinylLP.[39] The first press, limited to the United States, preceded the 31 October publication ofThe Road Goes Ever On in that country.[40] The originallist price was $5.95 (equivalent to $56 in 2024, adjusting for inflation).[41] Ahead of the album's appearance in the British market, Caedmon shipped Tolkien three copies of the record from New York.[42] The LP was released in the UK on 28 March 1968.[37] The track listing on the LP packaging erroneously omits the sixth track on side A, "The Sea-Bell", even though that track is present on the record itself.[g]
In late 1971 the retailer Record Specialities[h] reissued the LP, keeping the original Caedmoncatalog number.[45] The reissued LP came as part of the first batch of the retailer's new "Caedmon series", in which it would re-release several albums from the label's back catalog each month at a discounted price of £1.99 (equivalent to £36 in 2023).[46] The following year, Caedmon issued the album oncassette tape for the first time.[1] As late as 1985, Caedmon continued to sell tapes of the album, which it marketed alongsideaudiobooks of works by Tolkien and other authors of fantasy fiction.[47]Poems and Songs of Middle Earth wasout of print by the year 2000, but copies remained in circulation viapublic libraries.[48]
In 1977 Caedmon reissuedPoems and Songs of Middle Earth as part of abox set compilation on LP and cassette formats, calledThe J. R. R. Tolkien Soundbook.[1] It was part of Caedmon's primarily cassette-based "Soundbook" series featured readings of works by famous authors, with readings in the author's own voice whenever possible. TheTolkien Soundbook was one of the first five releases in the series, alongside other entries based on works by Joyce, Thomas,Ogden Nash andEdgar Allan Poe.[49] Also included within theTolkien Soundbook were Tolkien's readings ofThe Hobbit andThe Lord of the Rings, andChristopher Tolkien's readings fromThe Silmarillion.[50] Tolkien's recitals fromThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil reportedly has noticeablyhigher fidelity on theSoundbook box set than they did on the original 1967 LP.[51]
Caedmon put Tolkien's recitals fromPoems and Songs of Middle Earth on theJ. R. R. Tolkien Audio Collection, but left out Swann's music. TheAudio Collection was issued on tape in 1992 and on CD in 2001.[52]
Following publication of the sheet music and Swann's early concert performances,The Road Goes Ever On divided opinion among professional critics and Tolkien fans alike.[53] Reception to the musical portions ofPoems and Songs of Middle Earth was similarly mixed, while critical consensus was more united with praise for Tolkien's readings. Frederick Woods, a reviewer for classical music magazineThe Gramophone, professed great admiration for Tolkien's fiction and readings but ambivalence as to the quality of Swann's compositions.[54]Edmund Fuller's review of the album forThe Wall Street Journal was more favourable, citing Elvin's singing as "excellent". Fuller reported"[a]lready, in England, the cycle [The Road Goes Ever On] has established itself in the concert repertory" and predicted "it is likely to become an accepted recital unit in more than one range of voice." As for Tolkien's readings, Fuller said the author deployed a "gruffly no-nonsense voice that is just right".[12]
Several reviews of the record appeared in journals about literature and education. InThe Horn Book Magazine, Ethel L. Hynes wrote that Elvin's vocals "reveal[ed] [the songs'] beautiful melodic line and the lyric romanticism that matches the mood of the texts."[55] Peter Gellatly ofLibrary Journal called Tolkien's readings "notable for their jewelled ornateness and for the zestful, old-country voice in which they are read" and Swann's music "slightly reminiscent of the old-fashioned art-song, [though] there is no denying it is strictly up to date".[41] John R. Searles at theEnglish Journal generally praised the compositions, especially "Namárië", which he said would may tend to strike many listeners as "the most appropriate and moving melody" on the collection. Searles wrote that Elvin "sings the songs beautifully", but characterised Tolkien's reading voice as "husky, sometimes growling, and not always distinct."[29] Catheryne S. Franklin—a professor oflibrary science at theUniversity of Texas at Austin, reviewing the album foraudiovisual education journalFilm News—judged Tolkien's accented pronunciation sufficiently intelligible for a general American audience: "Though British speech patterns are often difficult to understand, especially if words are 'bitten off' (which is the main criticism ofBasil Rathbone's readings), Mr. Tolkien's pleasant voice and delivery are less 'clipped' and 'British' than might be expected." Overall, Franklin had a mixed impression of the record and Swann's music, though she conceded it may appeal to those already interested in Tolkien's literary works: "High school English teachers who belong to or recognize the cult," Franklin suggested, "might try this record with students, as an example of poetry with rhyming and metrical tricks."[56]
In the years following its release, educators and academics cited the album's value as pedagogical tool for teaching children and a resource for enhanced understanding ofTolkien's poetics. In a 1970 article forHigh Fidelity titled "What Records Should You Give to Children?", Eleanor Kulleseid, a librarian forBank Street College of Education in New York City, recommended the album "for Hobbit-lovers and those who wish to brush up on their Elvish."[57] BibliographerMarshall Tymn listed it as a resource for teaching science fiction and fantasy inThe Science Fiction Reference Book (1981).[58] The album was further endorsed for its usefulness as amultimedia teaching aid by educator Don Adrian Davidson (in 1972),[59] elementary school library specialist Mary Ann Paulin (in 1982),[60] and children's author and librarianSarah Ellis (in 2000).[48] In poetPaul Edwin Zimmer's view, the album's recordings of Tolkien reading his own verse clarify the task of analysing and applyingscansion to the author's poetry, full as it is of complex "metrical tricks", evident in for example "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil".[61]
Responses to the album have informed the overall reception toThe Road Goes Ever On as a musical piece, especially given its status as the only commercially released recording of the songs. "Swann's song cycle", said the Tolkien scholarDavid Bratman, "has never gotten quite the attention it deserves, partly because its one recording is in a reserved, fastidious style."[62] Swann continued to stage performances ofThe Road Goes Ever On from time to time throughout the remainder of his career, and Tolkien scholars have evaluated his later performances by comparison to the 1967 recording as a benchmark. Bratman preferred Swann's later live performances for their livelier mood and more sophisticated arrangements.[62] At least one other recording of a performance by Swann exists: a 1993 live performance, privately distributed on cassette as abootleg, featuring Swann on lead vocals supported by a choir.[i] William Phemister found the 1993 recording "generally faster and freer" than the 1967 album, though he said "comparison of the two recordings shows that any of these tempi work well."[63]
All lyrics are written by J. R. R. Tolkien; all music is composed by Donald Swann, except "Namárië", for which Tolkien proposed a melody to Swann.
| No. | Title | Textual source | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 1 | 4:00 |
| 2. | "The Mewlips" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 9 | 1:21 |
| 3. | "The Hoard" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 14 | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Perry-the-Winkle" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 8 | 4:26 |
| 5. | "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 6 | 5:16 |
| 6. | "The Sea-Bell" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 15 | 5:25 |
| No. | Title | Source | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" (inSindarin) | The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 1: "Many Meetings" | 0:14 |
| 2. | "The Road Goes Ever On" | The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 1: "A Long-expected Party" | 1:00 |
| 3. | "Upon the Hearth the Fire Is Red" | The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. 3: "Three Is Company" | 1:35 |
| 4. | "In the Willow-Meads of Tasarinan" | The Two Towers, Book III, ch. 4: "Treebeard" | 2:35 |
| 5. | "In Western Lands" | The Return of the King, Book VI, ch. 1: "The Tower of Cirith Ungol" | 2:15 |
| 6. | "Namárië" (inQuenya) | The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 8: "Farewell to Lórien" | 1:25 |
| 7. | "I Sit Beside the Fire / Refrain: A Elbereth Gilthoniel" ("Refrain" in Sindarin) | The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. 3: "The Ring Goes South" and ch. 8: "Farewell to Lórien" / Book II, ch. 1: "Many Meetings" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Errantry" | The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Song 3 | 3:43 |
| Total length: | 35:18 | ||
Credits adapted from the 1967 LP record sleeve (Caedmon Records, TC 1231).
