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Link to Streaming Service
https://soundcloud.com/alkan23/3b11f4b9-1335-4f99-be02-9f0eaeba2853
Description
This is a development of a composition I wrote for what I'm considering a lifelong project of writing music to the songs of Middle Earth, where Tolkien wrote poetry that is supposed to be sung.
The King Beneath The Mountains is one of those. Context:
"The King beneath the mountains is a poem about the King under the Mountain.[1] This song was sung by the people of Lake-town upon the arrival of Thorin Oakenshield and the Company. It was a prophecy made after the fall of Erebor and Dale about Thrór and Thráin."
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_King_beneath_the_mountains
In the book, they supposedly use harps, though Tolkien's use of harps probably comes from the use of the word "harpa" in Norse poetry. So, I actually used a Ukele to emulate the block strumming technique of an Anglo Saxon lyre. I strung the Ukele with gut and tuned it to a more medieval tuning of a fourth and fifth interval, which is easy to improvise on.
My main objective with this was to come up with a compelling melody that fit the meter of the poem:
The King beneath the mountains,
The King of carven stone,
The lord of silver fountains
Shall come into his own!
His crown shall be upholden,
His harp shall be restrung,
His halls shall echo golden
To songs of yore re-sung.
The woods shall wave on mountains
And grass beneath the sun;
His wealth shall flow in fountains
And the rivers golden run.
The streams shall run in gladness,
The lakes shall shine and burn,
All sorrow fail and sadness
At the Mountain-king's return!
There are also supposed to be more lyrics as implied in the book; however, I don't feel confident in my poetry skills, so I just developed on the song. Part of how I wrote this is that it would be a song that everyone in Laketown would know, and would also know how to harmonize to, but it would be done improvisationally.
Screenshot of DAW
https://i.imgur.com/hJ4rtl7.png
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Comments
All right there we go feedback time.
Vocals: Sounds nice musically, I think It would be nice if you record even more layer of the same voice maybe add a bit of chorus like 20% to create a more stereo effects and it will also make it sound a bit more present.
Percussions : Its more present than your previous tracks you made which is fantastic. You can probably boost in the EQ the bass frequency like 1-2 db and put some sidechain compression to let is pass.
Pluck instruments (I don't remember the name) : Clearly too distant, make it more dominant, you can also double it a bit put lots of reverb on the double track and lower in volume to add a "room" effect on it.
Overall piece : I like the build up, but I was expecting maybe a little rythmic change especially in the middle and maybe some chord changes, well the chords are changing but because the drums is at the same time the bass we're staying modal. It can stay modal i'm just saying it could have at least one time a satisfying chord change.
Roast done.
music practically from a single chord, it seems like a prayer, the minimalist composition shifts all the attention to the atmosphere.
"Like a prayer"
I think that makes a lot of sense too, it is a prophecy and something that is hoped for by the people of Laketown. I'm glad that this is the vibe you get because I think that is very suited to the context in the story.
Thank you for listening! :)
Didn't expect vocals. Well done!