I am growing besotted with this song (link):
This arrangement by The Tolkien Ensemble has the quality of Arresting Strangeness. It should be listened to at high volume. Scored for Alto solo, male voice backing, harp, double bass and marimba, its harmonies are at once close enough to Christian tradition to be recognisable, and very alien! The melody goes to strange but lovely places.
I also think this arrangement shows why Howard Shore wasn't quite right to score the Elvish themes in the Peter Jackson movies for female voices only. Listen to the male voices doing the backing harmonies in this! Somehow they manage to convey the ancient grandeur, the power and the depth and the profound mystery of the Eldar in this song.
Using Marimbas is something I would not have thought of doing myself, but it makes sense - the sound is woody, and what are Elves but woodland folk? And, the orchestral harp is also true to the air.
The language is light, liquid and thick with alliterative touches - laurië lantar lassi súrinen, like gold fall the leaves in the wind; Tintallë, the Kindler; hísië, mist. Thank God The Professor survived WWI, that the 'image of beauty' he and his friends had was not lost to the world. None of his old school friends returned ever from Flanders' fields.
The song is a lament, of someone who saw the greatest beauty in all Arda, the created world, and lost it through misplaced loyalty to a clan leader who though gifted above all others, was brought low by pride and grief and vengeance. She never sought the West, as she was supposed to, and now doubts that she will be accepted; but after passing the test of being tempted by the Ring, she is allowed to see that she will.
The Tolkien Ensemble was a Danish group, who created music for a whole series of the verses in LotR in the 90s, and toured around until the late 00's. This song was performed at Tolkien's old college, Exeter, in 1998. His daughter Priscilla was in the audience, and she said after the performance that "It was like Galadriel was among us".
I couldn't agree more.
Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári-lírinen.
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?
An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nail elyë hiryva. Namárië!
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
The long years have passed like swift draughts
of the sweet mead in lofty halls
beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda
wherein the stars tremble
in the song of her voice, holy and queenly.
Who now shall refill the cup for me?
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
and out of a grey country darkness lies
on the foaming waves between us,
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!
Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!
