LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY SOLD OUT CONCERT

Nov 1, 2005

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

SPOKANE: The Spokane Symphony's excursion to the magical world of Middle Earth starts Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. in the Star Theater of the Spokane Arena.

This sold out excursion is actually an explosive concert by composer Howard Shore, who put together an incredible compilation of his Academy Award-winning music and images from the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. It's called Lord of the Rings Symphony and, with six movements in two halves, requires more than 200 performers on stage.

The Lord of the Rings Symphony performance is included in both the Spokane Symphony's Classics and SuperPops series.

As a composer, Shore reached a new pinnacle of success with his epic-sized scores for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But for the 58-year-old composer, the lure of the concert hall and live performances beckoned. He turned his attention to Lord of the Rings Symphony, an orchestral work adapted from his music in the three films directed by Peter Jackson.
The music is powerful and lush, described as a sweeping, operatic experience. To present the work, the Spokane Symphony will incorporate instruments from around the world. In addition to the usual instrumentation violins, oboes, horns and the like the Symphony will add Tibetan gongs to its percussion section, as well as the distinctive sounds of a ney flute, musette and cimbalom. The end result: a score that is full, captivating and with its myriad of sounds and intertwining vocals unlike anything else in live symphonic music.

With 200 musical performers and enhanced by Lord of the Rings images, this performances will create a truly breathtaking musical experience. The featured images are original concept and storyboard artwork from the films by artists Alan Lee and John Howe. Projected on a large screen suspended above the orchestra, they will chronologically align with the music as the story of the hobbits' journey from the peaceful Shire to the dreaded land of Mordor unfolds.

Under the direction of Lori Wiest and Christina Ploeger, respectively, the Spokane Symphony Chorale and he Spokane Area Children's Chorus will present the vocal arrangements.

The movies were based on books by J.R.R. Tolkien, a professor at Oxford University in the first half of the twentieth century. With Lord of the Rings, he set the standard for fantasy literature and single-handedly gave the English their own mythology of sorts.

Lord of the Rings Symphony is underwritten by Comcast, Hagadone Directories, Inland Northwest Health Services, Washington Trust Bank, and Westcoast Entertainment.

To get your name on a waiting list for tickets for the Nov. 12 concert call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office 509-624-1200.