Howard ShoreScott Jenkins

Music 1010

Early Life

Born on October 18th, 1946 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Bernice and Mac Shore.

School at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute which is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

From 1969 to 1972 he was a member of the horn section in the Canadian band Lighthouse in the early 1970’s

Beginning Career

Nephew to Ryan Shore

Odd jobs

Getting Established

SNLMichaels1975 to 1980

Movies

His first major film was “The Brood” (1979). David and Howard would form a career bonding friendship, because Howard did the music for all of David’s films, with the exception of just one, “The Dead Zone”(1986).

“Scanners”(1981) “After Hours”(1985) “The Fly”(1986) “Big”(1988)

“Dead Ringers”(1988)

“Naked Lunch”(1991)

“The Silence of the Lambs”(1991)

“Mrs. Doubtfire”(1993)

“Philadelphia” (1993) “M.Butterfly”(1993 “The Client” (1994) “Ed Wood” (1994) “Nobody’s Fool”

(1994) “Moonlight and

Valentino” (1995) “Seven” (1995) “Before and After”

(1996) “Crash” (1996) “The Truth About

Cats&Dogs” (1996) “That Thing You Do!”

(1996)

Movies Continued

“Striptease” (1996) “The Game” (1997) “Cop Land” (1997) “Gloria” (1999) “eXistenZ” (1999) “Analyze This”

(1999) “Dogma” (1999) “High Fidelity”

(2000) “The Cell” (2000) “The Yards” (2000) “The Score”(2001) “The Lord of the

Rings: Trilogy” (2001-2003)

“Gangs of New York” (2002)

“Panic Room” (2002)

“Spider” (2002) “The Aviator”

(2004) “A History of

Violence” (2005) “The Departed”

(2006) “Soul of the

Ultimate Nation” (2007)

“The Last Mimzy” (2007)

“Eastern Promises” (2007)

“Doubt” (2008) “The Betrayal”

(2008) “The Twilight Sage:

Eclipse” (2010) “Hugo” (2011) And more to come!

Awards and Nominations

Takes a while to get noticed!

Awards

The Lord of the Rings

The Trilogy would be Howard’s most successful pieces. Some were surprised to have Howard Shore doing the Trilogy series, mainly because he was primarily associated with dark, ominous films and had never scored an epic of this scale. Howard proved to them that he had a large range of creativity, so much so that he won his first Oscar, as well as a Grammy Award. Howard got nominations for a Golden Globe and BAFTA. All of which he deserved rightfully for the research, writing, and hard work he did for the unique culture of “The Lord of the Rings”.

World Famous

Howard won his second Oscar for Best Original Score, as well as a third for Best Original Song, which he shared with Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox. Howard is the only living composer to have scored a “Top Five” Oscar winning film.

“Hugo” which is up for 11 Oscar nominations including Best Original Score.

Composition History

The Black Gate Opens Lord of the Rings 3 Soundtrack The soundtrack was released in November 25th of 2003. The length

of the whole soundtrack is 72:05 minute, there is also a 75:15 minutes on the limited edition. Its label company was Reprise. It is 4:01 minutes long. One thing that is especially unique and influential to Howard’s music is the use of Tolkien languages. The whole Trilogy has extensive vocal music that is blended with the orchestra. My first selection from this CD is “The Black Gate Opens”. For what is influencing this piece, I can’t say it better than this:

“The Army of the West, with Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Pippin…marches to the Black Gate. The Mouth of Sauron comes out to discuss terms and presents tokens which were owned by Frodo; he then departs and the army of Mordor attacks them.” (Daniel Bowers)

The End Of All ThingsLord of the Rings 3 SoundtrackThis piece has more of to do with the ending of

the movie. Hence the name and it really focuses on the climax of a song all the way till the end. This song is 5:12 minutes. In this part of the movie you have the same song being played for multiple scenes of battle. The song goes from huge battles to 1 on 1 wrestling. I especially like the vocals in which they use that same unique Elven language.

For Frodo The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, The Complete

Recordings Starting in 2005, Reprise Records began to release the one

multi-disc set for each part of the Trilogy. This soundtrack was released in November 20, 2007. It contains the extended versions of the music Howard composed for the films. It is short of 4 hours by ten minutes. These songs have become such classics that there is even a book that was published in October 5th of 2010. For this piece it fills with emotion the effects of everyone coming together as one to accomplish the great evil of Sauron. It is for Frodo due to the information received by Sauron that Frodo is dead. It isn’t true, but yet the army of men continues on in faith and belief.

The Battle Of The Pelennor FieldsThe Lord of the Rings, The Return of the

King, The Complete RecordingsThis has to be my favorite of all. I love this

piece because of what’s going on in the book and the movie. The whole essence of the song gives so much life to the battle. It isn’t just a battle, but a battle of existence and of morals of good versus evil.

Listening Guide

The Black Gate Opens 0:00 – Low horn and drum beats start soft then goes into

hero type of a theme getting louder and louder. Violins come in then fade into background. French horn gives the sound of a charge. Tempo is fast.

0:28 – Violins are now the main melody. Violins are getting louder and are accompanied with the French horn. Violins come to a high climax and the fade out. All brass comes in loud.

0:58 – As the violins and brass fade out, a flute comes in, but it sounds like a piccolo. It is playing very long sad notes very high. At first low then goes to high. Violins start to come back in as they fade into the climax of the piccolo notes.

1:34 – Climax of the piccolo is over, french horns take over while accompanied by the violins again. Brass starts to banter back and forth. Violins play smooth and soothing.

2:03 – Chorus comes in and starts to be heard in background while the violins play. Chorus sings long notes in the dialect of the series language. I believe they call it Elvish. Chorus gets louder with long strenuous notes. Violins still play.

2:29 – Violins stop. Piccolo and chorus supplement each other and continue with long sad notes.

3:04 – Piccolo comes to a 3 second silence then starts back up again with chorus still in background, getting louder as it reaches another climax.

3:32 – Violins come back in. Chorus fades out till you can barely here them while the large sounding french horns take over with loud strong notes to tell the end and triumph. Drum in background is fast.

The End of All Things 0:00 – Strong, loud and kind of scary sounding

chorus starts. A drum is being played; it’s keeping the beat of the song like marching. Being play with the chorus is some brass. You can hear a faint orchestra in the background. Chorus is over powering. Very steady and long notes sung by chorus.

0:28 – The chorus and brass goes into a chanting. Drum is still keeping pace while the chorus becomes louder and faster notes. It’s like a chanting. The drum sounds like a snare drum. Reaches climax.

1:08 – Snare drum and chorus are cut off. Soloist starts with one long note and brass or chorus.

1:21 – Snare drum comes back in to start the pace; accompanied with chorus of tenors. The tenors fade out and brass takes its place.

1:43 – Violins come back in playing an almost villainess part that is scary.

2:13-2:16 Break. Everything is silent; just white noise in background maybe coming from organ.

2:17 – No snare drum. Chorus continues to sing long notes with angelic sound, tuba playing in background.

2:46 – Singing become softer. Chanting style stops with longer notes, while the brass takes over the melody.

3:16 – Slowing of the song getting deeper and slower. By this point in the song it sounds as though there is no hope and it’s exhausting mood.

3:52 – Drums start it with a bum bum bum; brass comes in with an expounding sound of announcement.

4:10 – Soloist comes in with orchestra playing in back, no chorus. It feels light and soothing. As if a woman were crying over her child or singing it lullabies.

4:30 – Sad finish, long notes in elvish tongue.

For Frodo0:00 – Starts with a light orchestra then at 0:09

picks up with an announcing chorus, loud and jubilant. Violins accompany with melody.

0:33 – Instruments silence with just the chorus and organ playing.

0:57 – Chorus notes get longer, louder, building with anticipation. Drums and brass come in like war is coming.

1:22 – Chorus finishes, with now the orchestra focusing on the violin build accompanied with brass and drum. Violins get louder as the drums beat gets faster.

1:42 – Chorus comes back in even stronger with both orchestra and chorus building the loud, strong climax.

2:25 – Starts to slow then breaks for a soloist to take the lead of the song.

2:37 – Soloist is singing loud and strong. 3:05 – Chorus finishes

The Battle of Pelennor Fields 0:00 – Deep organ bass is making background noise as the

brass comes in. It sounds like the calm before war and the instruments are preparing. Strings are playing low soft. Kind of a slow wake up sound.

0:32 – All instruments stop. Only solo drum is playing in the background for about 7 seconds. Then the climax starts to build with the brass. It builds in levels. It will get to a level and then have a slight break and then continue.

1:18 – Snare drum takes over war like beats from the background and makes them loud and noticeable. The brass is starting to get louder. The notes are long and sound like they are triumphant.

2:03 – Snare drum gets even louder. While the brass brings in all that they got.

2:19 – Chimes ring through a solo violin playing high notes to emphasis the mood of the song. It is distinct to sound different and stand out.

2:39 – Trumpet takes over the announcing melody that the violin was playing all the while the drums are playing and chimes still play.

2:57 – Chimes have stopped but come back at 3:09 then stop, while the drums keep the beat and the brass do a ta ta ta ta ta ta taaaa dance back and forth.

3:35 – Then drums continues while the brass play back and forth. It extends the climax just enough to elongate the finale. Strings finish the ending of the song with fast paced background and chimes come back in to finish an echoing gloss.