I'm glad CraftyShafty that you too appreciate Dead Can Dance on your gaming playlists - I must now investigate your other suggestions.
I only recently discovered the Tolkien Ensemble via this TOR thread. I'm rapt!
I remember the B-grade movie classic Flesh & Blood ... need to refresh my memory on the soundtrack.
I also use some Chieftains music .... and find further great additions to my gaming playlists from amongst the broader spectrum of celtic music.

Some of the best celtic music I have found is on the Narada celtic music collection CDs:
Celtic Odyssey
Celtic Legacy
Celtic Treasures (the music of Turlough O'Carolan)
(These aren't available on iTunes, but I know the CDs are avail on Amazon, and hopefully elsewhere).

I don't care for lyrics in background music (unless you're going for a montage!), but this is still worth checking out.

The Lord of the Rings: Complete Songs and Poems - Christopher Lee & The Tolkien Ensemble

When I was in college and then the USAF I played this. At the time I hated it due to the boring bassoon part I had to play, but if I could have pulled back and listened to the "big picture" I'd have really enjoyed it more.

Johan de Meij: The Lord of the Rings: Symphony No. 1 on iTunes
on Amazon

I recommend a symphonic band recording. I think I have the DC USAF band or the USAF band at Langley recording somewhere. I'll dig around and rip it to dropbox if I can find it. (That's legal. American tax dollars have already paid for it.

If you're in the Shire, I really recommend ANYTHING by Percy Grainger, my favorite composer of band/wind ensemble music. "Lincolnshire Posey" is a masterpiece, "Molly on the Shore", anything else you can get your hands on.

Malcolm Arnold's "Four Scottish Dances" and anything else. He was a prolific soundtrack composer, so besides his absolute music there is great deal of music actually written for specific scenes. "Hobson's Choice" is a soundtrack you should look into. Watch the movie if you can find it. My bassoon teacher in grad school at Indiana said he wrote his best music while drunk, to give you an idea of what you're in for.

I might even have some USAF recordings in which my wife and I play that might be suitable. If you can find a use for my masterpiece performance, "Turkey in the Straw" (big contrabassoon solo), I'll get it to you!

Yours in fellowship,
Stephen "Trotter"

Miriam Peirone singing Namárië:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6XnzglBjxc

Anyone know where to find JamesRBrown's excellent rendition of the Goblin Song in TALES FROM WILDERLAND?

Thanks!

You can find it right here: Cubicle7 forums: The Goblin Song from Tales from Wilderland

Thanks, Garn!

You're most welcome.

I make frequent use of music from the DDO soundtrack for use in TOR.

http://www.ddo.com/ddomedia/audio

The tavern music is really good, and some of the dungeon tracks are great for tense exploration and the like.

Will Cubicle release the soundtrack as mp3 or CD?

There are loads of Youtube to MP3 online converters and on the links to Cubicle 7's musice they state:

"Google Search throws up multiple sites which can grab an mp3 from a Youtube video. Permission is granted to generate your own MP3 from this video for personal use. Enjoy!"

... So, go ahead and make copies.

I am surprised nobody mentioned David Arkenstone's album yet. As you can tell from his last name, he's a bit of a Tolkien head. It is a little new-agey but I can assuredly recommend his album "Music Inspired by Middle Earth ". It's a mix of shire-like homey tunes and horns for battles. My players liked it. Also my brother has an album of music from the Peter Jackson films, but it's mostly the incidental music that is not on the Howard Shore cd's. Good background stuff.

I have noticed that a lot of people associate Celtic music with Middle Earth. I do the same thing. It really seems to be a good fit. Which makes me wonder what kind of music would have existed in Middle Earth. We have lot's of lyrics, but now music (that I know of. I have not done more than flip though the History of Middle Earth). I imagine there would have been a large variety of music. Especially since music was so important in creation. And the sophistication of the elves would lead to advances in instruments.

I'm rambling. I now return this forum to it's regularly scheduled information gathering.

Apart from all other game and movie soundtracks, classical and medieval musics and power metals, I really like the TOR's own Mirkwood and main theme. Will Cubicle release more songs?

I also highly recommend Tolkien Ensemble for TOR music. It is amazingly beautiful!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Lord-Rings-Compl...olkien+ensemble