Musical instruments in Middle-earth

[William Cloud Hicklin]

In the notes for the continuation of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin there is mention of a fanfare of silver trumpets from the city walls.

[poison ivy]

Not exactly musical instruments, but doesn`t JRR often write about his characters singing? The only ones who don`t sing are orcs and ring wraiths (ok and barrow -wights!).I remember that at the Grey Havens , Elrond had a silver harp in his hand ! although he didn`t play it,( and it must have been difficult for him to ride his horse !

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by poison ivy

The only ones who don`t sing are orcs and ring wraiths (ok and barrow -wights!).

That's not true. The Orcs sing many times. The goblins at Goblin-gate sing, and I believe the Orcs sing in Cirith Ungol (though surely nothing nice to hear). And the barrow-wights sing most definitely, what about this:

Originally Posted by Fog on the Barrow-Downs

Cold be hand and heart and bone,
and cold be sleep under stone:
never mare to wake on stony bed,
never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead.
In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land.

And even Sauron himself sings (in Silmarillion when he battles with Finrod), so I'm pretty sure even the Ringwraith would sing at certain times (also something like incantations). They'd make great sopranos

[Aiwendil]

Estelyn - I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on this topic; the music of Middle-earth is a particular interest of mine. I do hope we at the 'Downs will get some kind of a precis (at least) of your Tolkien Seminar lecture!

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Speaking of music, I like the music in the movies, in the Shire, but I don't suppose hobbits would play those kinds of musical instruments...

my hopes are dashes.

[poison ivy]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

That's not true. The Orcs sing many times. The goblins at Goblin-gate sing, and I believe the Orcs sing in Cirith Ungol (though surely nothing nice to hear). And the barrow-wights sing most definitely, what about this:

And even Sauron himself sings (in Silmarillion when he battles with Finrod), so I'm pretty sure even the Ringwraith would sing at certain times (also something like incantations). They'd make great sopranos

Well done Legate ! yes I do remember the BW`S singing something a bit` wightish`,but I shall have to look up the Orc bit I don`t remember that. I don`t think the Orcs sang in the musical , did they ?, perhaps Equity would have to pay them more and Sauron wouldn`t approve, he might put their rent up !

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I'm continuing to ponder this topic, though the actual work on my paper will take place when I know if it's accepted. One thought that has been on my mind:

Do instruments have the same (or similar) magical ability that singing does in Tolkien's books? We know that vocal music can work miracles - Tom Bombadil and the creation of Arda are the first ones that come to my mind. There are of course folk tales with magical flutes - the Pied Piper of Hamlin, for example. But do we ever read of an instrument that really does something in Arda?

[Bêthberry]

Well, the horn of Boromir calls others for aid, but it isn't really a magical horn.

btw, I've never really thought of the flute in the Piped Piper as magical itself--the magic and mystery was in the Piper himself and the music he wrought and how he understood it to affect his audience. Are there versions of the story where the flute is played by other people and still has the same affect? Or is the story related to Mozart's Magic Flute?

[Alfirin]

The only one that comes to mind is at the very end of Terry Pratchett's (the pipe the kid wins off the establised piper) The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents and even then the "magic is mechanical" (its just a special slide to make the pipe tuned to rat ears)