Customer Reviews

The Starlit Jewel: Songs From J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" & The Hobbit

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike a lot of bands (Glass Hammer, Bo Hansson, Mostly Autumn, etc.) who have written songs *inspired* by Tolkien's fiction, Broceliande takes a different tactic-- they perform the songs that Tolkien actually wrote and included as part of _The Hobbit_, _Lord of the Rings_, and _Silmarillion_.

The music here is primarily acoustic-- lots of harp, flute, recorder, acoustic guitar, and folksy drums. There are also lots of male and female vocals, primarily by Margaret Davis and Kris Klover. Most of the tunes are performed in a manner that is soft, lilting, melodious, and beautiful... but without melodies that are particularly 'catchy'. I actually consider this quite appropriate given the supposedly Elven character of this music... it's something that you hear, you appreciate, but then it passes away, like a dream, unable to remember what exactly you heard or saw, other than that it was beautiful. The
one exception to is the haunting "Lay of Nimrodel", whose melody lingers in the mind, much like the Elf-maid's voice was said to linger in the Middle-Earth stream that bears her name.

A couple of tunes, like the playful "Troll Song" (with banjo) have an earthier "in the tavern" feel, while "Durin's Day" has a more grandiose, symphonic character, with a bit of electric guitar thrown in. But the dominant feel of this album is that of delicate, acoustic, Elven melifluousness..

One very minor caveat: if you have a high-end system, you will notice a slightly muddy-sound in the lower range, and some other mixing weaknesses. Such things are inevitable in privately released albums by small ensembles with limited resources, however, and they really don't distract me all that much from the music, so I'm still giving this 5 stars, in spite of those technical flaws. Harcore audiophiles, however, might find those a bit more frustrating...

Half these songs are settings written many years ago by Marion Zimmer Bradley; the other half were composed by the band's principals, Margaret Davis and Kristoph Klover. It's hard to tell the difference between the composers: the songs are all well-written, and imaginatively arranged and performed in a colorful folk-song manner. The lively renditions of the bumptuous hobbit songs are as enjoyable as the beautiful "Lay of Nimrodel" and hymn to Elbereth. The re-recording of some songs for the CD has vastly improved some minor vocal and pronunciation problems of the original cassette release.

Along with the Tolkien Ensemble's "Evening at Rivendell", this is, in my opinion, one of the two finest musical settings of Tolkien's poems yet released. Though perhaps less atmospheric than "Evening", "Starlit Jewel" is equally colorful, livelier, and even more enjoyable to listen to. I also think it has worn better over the years, and Broceliande's other (non-Tolkien) albums are equally fine.

"Hobbits' songs of bath and food, gallant deeds of Men, Dwarfs'
mighty works, and sad and beautiful Elven tales are all given voice in this wonderful and timely, recording. The Renaissance Anglo-Celtic ensemble, Broceliande, performed and arranged these richly rendered songs. On several pieces, like the joyful Bath Song and the hauntingly beautiful Lay of Nimrodel, members of Broceliande also composed the melodies. The Starlit Jewel elicits a wonderful emotional connection to the inner sensibilities of the various folk, Little and Big, of beloved Middle Earth."--East/West Books CD
review, March/April 2002

This is a wonderful and fun CD. It is more simple and less polished than "An Evening in Rivendell" by the Toklien Ensemble, but is very true to the feel of Tolkien's work. The songs are very singable if you like to sing along, and it has a light, upbeat feel. The songs of the Hobbits are especially well done. "In Western Lands" is almost exactly how I imagined it would sound, and the "Bath Song," is simply fun, enjoyable listening.

I am a big fan of Irish Folk Music and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (the first movie) is one of the best movies I have seen. If you are looking - not for the movie soundtrack but medival music w. flutes, harpe, guitar, cello (I think), banjo, and lovely joyful vocals (female and male) - this CD is the one. To listen to 20 sec pieces of the music and learn more about the band I found [a] site... to be interesting. After all, listening to the music is the best proof for yourself.

I am a huge fan of Tolkien, and have always wished to hear the
songs in the books set to music. Although I dabbled with this
myself for a while, I do not have the skill needed to do this.
Broceliande has captured to soul and spirit of these poems, like
no one else. If you could only own one CD of Tolkiens works,
this would be the one. I have listened to it almost non-stop
since it was purchased.

Bravo Broceliande, and thankyou for creating such a wonderful CD.

This CD is brilliant because the songs are from the books - both The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings. It is not Disney music! The songs are beautifully sang - each song is sang with the voice of the character in the book. The Elvish songs are sang with light and female voices accompanied by flutes, harps and so on but you get the idea. One song that is very good is the Lament For Boromir because you can hear the difference between Aragorn's deep voice and Legolas's light one.

This CD is a must and while you listen to it read the poems from the books. I have already memorized them and sing these songs all the time!

It's about time someone did an album like this and Broceliande is the best group to do it. It definitely does Middle Earth justice!

BUY IT! BUY IT NOW!

The Starlit Jewel is the most delightful adaptation of any of Tolkien's work. Beautifully sung and deftly arranged. It stands alone as an album, as well as a collection of individual pieces and that is a rarity in music. Davis and Klover's interpretations are heartfelt and organically drawn from a deep knowledge of the source material combined with their own musical prowess. Davis' band, Broceliande, plays masterfully and with an audible joy. Fans of Tolkien's work will not be disappointed, nor will any folk music fan.

Margaret Davis and Kristoph Klover have three bands, Avalon Rising, Broceliande, and Axis of Blues. They also perform as a duet. They have been at the forefront of the San Francisco Bay Area Celtic/Folk/Rock music scene for twenty years. They are the real deal.

This is an album of lovely music, much of which sincerely sounds like Tolkien. I especially like the songs from "The Hobbit". The elvish songs would have been wonderful if they had left out the synthesizer drone. I enjoy the ent song at the end, even though it doesn't sound particularly like ents to me (I prefer the same song by the Tolkien Ensemble). The principle female singer is terrific. All in all, a fine album of music from Middle Earth.

A wonderful selection of musical styles using material from the Red Book. Among my favorites are the Elven songs, The Lament for Boromir, In Durin's Day and In Western Lands. A true celebration of the tales and a must for any serious admirer.