The Sound of Middle-earth -> reading from LotR - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Might · 03-16-2010, 08:59 PM

Using Skype is very easy. I can post a tutorial once enough people are interested.
A mic is however necessary, but they are really cheap these days.

starofthedunedain · 03-16-2010, 11:21 PM

I'd love to do something like that. Would we go through the books or just choose selections? I think it'd be fun to go through the whole thing, although that might take a long time.

Estelyn Telcontar · 03-17-2010, 02:29 AM

Great minds, TM! Tolkien Reading Day is coming up soon, and I've posted a thread about possible ways to experience reading aloud together. Perhaps enough people can get together virtually to read next Thursday, or if that doesn't work well, the weekend right afterwards could be an opportunity.

A tutorial sounds like a great idea, but first it would be good to collect participants and find a time that will work for most of them despite time zones (including daylight time in North America). Go for it - and please share your experience afterwards!

(By the way, I'm moving this thread to the Novices and Newcomers forum, where it will reach a maximum of interested readers.)

Inziladun · 03-17-2010, 08:00 AM

I've now laid my hands on a mic.
It would be fun to do the whole book, but time constraints might indeed be an issue.

Thinlómien · 03-17-2010, 08:25 AM

Sounds cool! I don't have enough time to be actively arranging this, but if you decide to do this, I'd like to be in if it fits my timetables.

The Might · 03-17-2010, 08:57 AM

starofthedunedain, I think we should first choose certain passages and if it all works well we can later on think about going through the books. But first definitely just a passage.

Esty, Tolkien Reading Day fits superbly with this idea. Hopefully it will work out until next Thursday.

Before deciding on a passage, I think the number of people willing to participate needs to be determined, in order to know how many parts we can give away. I think we should try having the reading on the 25th, probably late evening for CET so that Northamericans can participate as well.

So, to speed this up, anyone interested please fill out this simple form I've just thought of:

Username:
Role: (as in what race, or character type would best suit you, in order to come up with parts people are comfortable with)
Time: (based on your schedule on the 25th next week - if you can plan ahead a bit that is, best would be based on CET to avoin confusion)

For example:
Username: The Might
Role: Male, Gondorian/Rohirr or Orc, doubt I would be a good Elf/Wizard/Dwarf
Time: no constrictions that I know of on the 25th

Criticism and improvement ideas of the planned reading or the form are of course more than welcome!
Now all we need are Downers!

Legate of Amon Lanc · 03-17-2010, 09:29 AM

Incredibly interesting idea indeed. Well, I think the only downside from my part would be that I don't have Skype on this computer, for some reason I did not want to bother myself with it and just use MSN for calling home from Finland (as it serves equally well with good connection). Well, maybe if some fellow Finnish 'Downers had it

But let's see... maybe as for the technical part, depending how many people can do it, maybe there will be other ways how to do it...? Or whatever...

The Might · 03-17-2010, 12:35 PM

Well... Skype would be great because it's reliable, easy to install and use and Skype audio conferences currently support up to 25 people at a time, including the host, which is about what we would need.

Other possibilites that I am aware of are Ventrilo and TeamSpeak, both of which I've used with my gamer pals.
Ventrilo however only allows 8 people, not sure if TeamSpeak has any barriers.

Biggest problem here is that unlike with Skype where everything is directed over their servers, in Vent and TS someone needs to set up their own server. Then he needs a good connection to set it up and everyone joins in... a bit more complicated than someone adding all the other downers on Skype and then adding each of them to the audio conference.

I also don't see what downsides Skype could have.

09-25-2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I've now laid my hands on a mic.
It would be fun to do the whole book, but time constraints might indeed be an issue.

Sounds cool! I don't have enough time to be actively arranging this, but if you decide to do this, I'd like to be in if it fits my timetables

Pitchwife · 09-25-2010, 11:50 AM

Thanks to our latest spambot for reminding me to report on Wednesday's reading!

Despite some severe time constraints, we managed to honour Baggins Day by reading the final couple of pages from The Council of Elrond. The cast, in order of appearance:

Lommy as the narrator and Frodo;
Gwathagor in a schizophrenic debate with himself as Boromir and Aragorn (which of them played the banjo?);
TGEW as The Great Elven Loremaster, Elrond, and his counsellor, Erestor*;
yours truly as Gandalf (his lungs and throat obviously suffering from centuries of smoking the weed of the Halflings);
Legate as Glóin (continuing the tradition of Slavic accented Dwarves**) and Sam;
Hookbill as Glorfindel*** and Bilbo (also provider of musical interludes).

Everybody was fabulous, as usual. Due to the above-mentioned time constraints, our habitual explorations of the borderland between profound discussion and collective insanity were somewhat curtailed this time, but I'm confident that we'll more than compensate for that in the future..

.

*I don't know if anybody's mentioned it yet, but TGEW has a real badass voice! Her Elrond sounded like, "Use the Ring against Sauron? Nah, young Boromir, we'll have none of that nonsense here!" (By the way, I feel I should probably apologize for repeatedly mistaking her family members for pets (and vice versa?) - somehow I never remember who is which!

)
**They beat the Scottish ones anytime (pace John Rhys-Davies)!
***Forget the Gondolin backstory - Yorkshire is where he's from!

Thinlómien · 09-26-2010, 02:56 AM

Yep, it was fun. I should take part more often.

And I have to agree about TGEW's badass-Elrond, he was just gorgeous!

03-16-2010, 08:59 PM	#1
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	Using Skype is very easy. I can post a tutorial once enough people are interested. A mic is however necessary, but they are really cheap these days. __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown

03-16-2010, 11:21 PM	#2
starofthedunedain Newly Deceased Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: in a book Posts: 6	I'd love to do something like that. Would we go through the books or just choose selections? I think it'd be fun to go through the whole thing, although that might take a long time. __________________ Burn Baby!

03-17-2010, 02:29 AM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Great minds, TM! Tolkien Reading Day is coming up soon, and I've posted a thread about possible ways to experience reading aloud together. Perhaps enough people can get together virtually to read next Thursday, or if that doesn't work well, the weekend right afterwards could be an opportunity. A tutorial sounds like a great idea, but first it would be good to collect participants and find a time that will work for most of them despite time zones (including daylight time in North America). Go for it - and please share your experience afterwards! (By the way, I'm moving this thread to the Novices and Newcomers forum, where it will reach a maximum of interested readers.) __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' Last edited by Estelyn Telcontar; 03-17-2010 at 02:32 AM.

03-17-2010, 08:00 AM	#4
Inziladun Gruesome Spectre Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Heaven's doorstep Posts: 8,039	I've now laid my hands on a mic. It would be fun to do the whole book, but time constraints might indeed be an issue. __________________ Music alone proves the existence of God.

03-17-2010, 08:25 AM	#5
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Sounds cool! I don't have enough time to be actively arranging this, but if you decide to do this, I'd like to be in if it fits my timetables. __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris

03-17-2010, 08:57 AM	#6
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	starofthedunedain, I think we should first choose certain passages and if it all works well we can later on think about going through the books. But first definitely just a passage. Esty, Tolkien Reading Day fits superbly with this idea. Hopefully it will work out until next Thursday. Before deciding on a passage, I think the number of people willing to participate needs to be determined, in order to know how many parts we can give away. I think we should try having the reading on the 25th, probably late evening for CET so that Northamericans can participate as well. So, to speed this up, anyone interested please fill out this simple form I've just thought of: Username: Role: (as in what race, or character type would best suit you, in order to come up with parts people are comfortable with) Time: (based on your schedule on the 25th next week - if you can plan ahead a bit that is, best would be based on CET to avoin confusion) For example: Username: The Might Role: Male, Gondorian/Rohirr or Orc, doubt I would be a good Elf/Wizard/Dwarf Time: no constrictions that I know of on the 25th Criticism and improvement ideas of the planned reading or the form are of course more than welcome! Now all we need are Downers! __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown

03-17-2010, 09:29 AM	#7
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	Incredibly interesting idea indeed. Well, I think the only downside from my part would be that I don't have Skype on this computer, for some reason I did not want to bother myself with it and just use MSN for calling home from Finland (as it serves equally well with good connection). Well, maybe if some fellow Finnish 'Downers had it But let's see... maybe as for the technical part, depending how many people can do it, maybe there will be other ways how to do it...? Or whatever... __________________ "Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories

03-17-2010, 12:35 PM	#8
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	Well... Skype would be great because it's reliable, easy to install and use and Skype audio conferences currently support up to 25 people at a time, including the host, which is about what we would need. Other possibilites that I am aware of are Ventrilo and TeamSpeak, both of which I've used with my gamer pals. Ventrilo however only allows 8 people, not sure if TeamSpeak has any barriers. Biggest problem here is that unlike with Skype where everything is directed over their servers, in Vent and TS someone needs to set up their own server. Then he needs a good connection to set it up and everyone joins in... a bit more complicated than someone adding all the other downers on Skype and then adding each of them to the audio conference. I also don't see what downsides Skype could have. __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown

09-25-2010, 11:50 AM	#10
Pitchwife Wight of the Old Forest Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall Posts: 3,329	Thanks to our latest spambot for reminding me to report on Wednesday's reading! Despite some severe time constraints, we managed to honour Baggins Day by reading the final couple of pages from The Council of Elrond. The cast, in order of appearance: Lommy as the narrator and Frodo; Gwathagor in a schizophrenic debate with himself as Boromir and Aragorn (which of them played the banjo?); TGEW as The Great Elven Loremaster, Elrond, and his counsellor, Erestor; yours truly* as Gandalf (his lungs and throat obviously suffering from centuries of smoking the weed of the Halflings); Legate as Glóin (continuing the tradition of Slavic accented Dwarves) and Sam; Hookbill as Glorfindel* and Bilbo (also provider of musical interludes). Everybody was fabulous, as usual. Due to the above-mentioned time constraints, our habitual explorations of the borderland between profound discussion and collective insanity were somewhat curtailed this time, but I'm confident that we'll more than compensate for that in the future... I don't know if anybody's mentioned it yet, but TGEW* has a real badass voice! Her Elrond sounded like, "Use the Ring against Sauron? Nah, young Boromir, we'll have none of that nonsense here!" (By the way, I feel I should probably apologize for repeatedly mistaking her family members for pets (and vice versa?) - somehow I never remember who is which!) *They beat the Scottish ones anytime (pace* John Rhys-Davies)! **Forget the Gondolin backstory - Yorkshire is where he's from! __________________ Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI*

09-26-2010, 02:56 AM	#11
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Yep, it was fun. I should take part more often. And I have to agree about TGEW's badass-Elrond, he was just gorgeous! __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris