An Evening in Rivendell is the first album by the Danish group The Tolkien Ensemble. It features songs composed to the lyrics found in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and forms the first part of what was to become a complete musical interpretation of all lyrics in the book.
Track listing
Reception
Af Søren Aabyen, reviewing the album for the Danish Tolkien Association, found that rarely had any music appealed to him as much. He was delighted by the mezzo-soprano Signe Asmussen's mellow rendering of "Galadriel's Song of Eldamar". He enjoyed the playful hobbit-song "There is an Inn, a merry old Inn", and Caspar Reiff's suitably melancholy guitar for "The Old Walking Song" alongside the rich baritone voice of Mads Thiemann and the lyrical violin of Mette Tjærby. Aabyen noted also the pleasure of finding Queen Margaret of Denmark's illustrations in the accompanying booklet. Anthony Burdge and Jessica Burke, in The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia, note that the album was the first of four by the ensemble, complete with the queen's illustrations "greatly admired by Tolkien."
The Tolkien Ensemble called their Danish reviews "outstanding", noting that in other countries Tolkien Online had described it as "the most beautiful presentation of the poems of The Lord of the Rings", while Classic CD named it "Highly persuasive and splendidly performed".
Credits
Peter Hall – vocal, guitar, harmonica, penny-whistle, Frodo, Sam and Tom Bombadil – guitar Morten Ryelund Sørensen – violin – Accordion Morten Ernst Lassen – Aragorn Signe Asmussen – Galadriel and Ent-wife Mads Thiemann – Bilbo and Ent Ole Jegindø Norup – Gildor Melene Nordtorp – Goldberry Torben H. S. Svendsen – double-bass Peter Halaburt – oboe Jesper Korneliussen – Vibraphone, Marimba, bells and chimes Mette Tjærby – violin Anne Eltard – folk-violin Tom McEwan – percussion, spoons and dishes Maria Boelskov – harp Michael Friis – bass Berit Johanson – piano Nina Reintoft – cello The Commotio quartet: Morten Ryelund Sørensen, Mette Tjærby, Jørgen Eyvind Hansen and Nina Reintoft Male choir: Steffen Bruun, Johnny Johansen, Anders Holte, Björn Tengstrand, Frank Sylvan, Morten Clausen, Jacob Ægidius, Morten Ryelund Sørensen, Torben Eskildsen and Caspar Reiff
Production
Musical Direction: Morten Ryelund Sørensen Production: Caspar Reiff, Peter Hall and Morten Ryelund Sørensen Engineering: Hans Nielsen and Saqib Cover Illustration: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Cover Design: Dan Eggers and Connie B. Berentzen
References