| Poems and Songs of Middle Earth | |
|---|---|
 1967 LP sleeve cover, with "triptych" illustration by Pauline Baynes[1] | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 18 October 1967 |
| Recorded |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 35:18 |
| Label | Caedmon |
| Producer | Howard Sackler |
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth[a] is a studio album of spoken-word poetry by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien and art songs composed by the English musician Donald Swann. On the first half of the album, Tolkien recites seven poems from or related to his fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The second half is a performance of Swann's song cycle The Road Goes Ever On, which sets selections from Tolkien's verse to music. The vocalist William Elvin sings The Road Goes Ever On to Swann's piano accompaniment. Caedmon Records issued the album on 18 October 1967 in the United States, and then on 28 March 1968 in the United Kingdom. Its release coincided with the publication of The Road Goes Ever On as a book of sheet music with commentary and illustration by Tolkien.
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth became the first commercially available audio recording of Tolkien's voice after the success of The Lord of the Rings, as well as the earliest album of music inspired by his fictional Middle-earth. While most of the poetry and lyrics are in English, the album also features Tolkien's constructed languages as recited by the author himself or sung by Elvin under his guidance. Its recordings of two Elvish languages—Quenya and Sindarin—provided early insight into the intended qualities of these languages when spoken aloud. The packaging of the original LP record carried a cover illustration by Pauline Baynes and liner notes written by the poet W. H. Auden. Caedmon reissued the album on cassette tape in 1972 and again in 1977 as part of a box set compilation of Tolkien's audiobooks. The album was out of print by the 21st century.
- ^ Hammond & Anderson 1993, p. 384.
- ^ Keleny 2010.
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