ÖTG - Österreichische Tolkiengesellschaft

“The Road Goes Ever On” – A Song Cycle by J.R.R. Tolkien. Music by Donald Swann. 2002

In 1967 a “Song Cycle” was published in which eight songs and poems out of The Lord of the Rings were set to music by Donald Swann, with J.R.R. Tolkien´s consent and support. The latest edition of 2002 has two more songs: Bilbo´s Last Song (a poem which Tolkien had presented to his secretary Joy Hill), and the poem Luthien Tinúviel from the Silmarillion, composed in 1977. This latest edition includes a bonus-CD with recordings of the 1960ies and 1970ies.

My first impression was rather shattering, as I had been spoiled by the romantic and pleasing sound and high quality performance of the Tolkien-Ensemble. Swann´s music to me was con-ventional and a bit dreary, and mostly far too fast for the texts and their – imaginary – singers. The arrangement (baritone voice and piano accompaniment) seemed rather unsuitable for bringing Tolkien´s figures and worlds into tune. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the fact that Tolkien not only had approved of these compositions and their form of presentation, but also most actively collaborated!

Donald Swann (1923-1994) seems to be well known in British cultural life: an offspring of Russian immigrants he read Languages at Oxford, and soon began to compose “serious” as well as “light” music. 1956 he started a most successful show-business career together with Michael Flanders as song-writer in witty two-man shows. They toured much of the English speaking world with their highly praised shows of At the Drop of the Hat, and At the Drop of Another Hat, which made some 2000 performances till 1975, when Flanders died. Swann also wrote “classical” music, amongst others a Te Deum, and a three-act opera based on C.S. Lewis´ novel Perelandra. From 1964 onwards he started setting to music songs from the much admired The Lord of the Rings. In due course he met Tolkien and his family and they struck a friendship. Tolkien approved of all songs safe Galadriel´s Lamentation Na-marië, for which he offered his own ideas, inspired by the traditional Gregorian chant. It appears that at the time there were several concert performances , and it would be interesting to get hold of reviews. At Tolkien´s funeral in 1973, Joy Field handed him her text of Bilbo´s Last Song, and in 1977 the Tolkien Trust authorized the use of Luthien Tinúviel.

In several respects The Road Goes Ever On is exciting and important:

• In his prefaces of the 2nd and 3rd edition Donald Swann writes a very personal and fine history of the coming into being of that music, and his intentions. This helps towards a better understanding of the conditions and ideas that mark that work.
• The book is a music-note book, which allows their playing or singing or making new arrangements; it suggests choice of voice, and use of choir or not etc.
• The CD included in the last edition provides an idea of the “orginal” sound: the first eight tunes are performed by the baritone William Elvin, number 9 – Bilbo´s Last Song – by Donald Swann himself, and number 10 – Luthien Tinúviel – is performed by Clive M Combie; the latter two songs are private recordings and technically not very good. Donald Swann is on the piano.
• It gives an idea of Tolkien´s taste in music.
• The editions are decorated with very ornate and beautiful scripts in Tengwar by Tolkien´s own hand.
• It is a unique source for Tolkien linguists: quite surprisingly Tolkien included a translation of the Elvish texts as well as detailed explanations regarding pronunciation, grammar and etymology of the Quenya of Namarië and the Sindarin A Elbereth Gilthoniel.

Listening to the music a second and third time and so on, I liked it better, and now I am somewhat reconciled: most of the Hobbit Song tunes dealing with walking, the road and the passing of time and farewells, are full of sentiment, if still too fast! Treebard´s song is suffi-ciently sad. The idea of framing the Elven hymn A Elbereth by Bilbo´s song I sit by the Fire (one of my favourite poems) is original, and well depicts Bilbo´s life and thoughts at Rivendell.

On the other hand I feel still doubtful about the arrangement of voice and piano, as that comes out rather ascetic and academic, certainly not sufficiently archaic and romantic! William Elvin articulates beautifully, which is particularly nice for the Tolkien languages, and makes even the extremely fast and complex Errantry (from the Tom Bombadil Songs) easy to understand. As to Namarië, I had already known Tolkien´s own recorded version, a litany, which I thought almost amusingly horrible. But even Swann had to give in to Tolkien´s wishes. It is allowed to say that an author sometimes does err: I simply cannot imagine Galadriel singing her moving song of Valinor in the style of a Gregorian chant!

For me The Road Goes Ever On, besides its linguistic revelations, is of importance mainly because of its place in Tolkien´s biography. He loved music, and wanted his songs to be “sung”, whilst on the other hand, his own musical taste was not very well developed and apparently rather conservative. Swann´s compositions do not really fulfil my ideas of what music in Middle Earth must have sounded like. For delight and pleasure I turn again to the Tolkien Ensemble. Nevertheless I am glad to possess that aesthetically most delightful and interesting book (it is quite expensive – 32,90 euros at amazon).

P.S. There is a note in Humphrey Carpenter´s biography about J.R.R. Tolkien´s and his wife Edith´s Golden Wedding, which was celebrated at Merton College in 1966: William Elvin performed one of the songs, and Tolkien thought that his name was a real good omen!

Alduild “Fimbrethil” Fürst