The Tolkien Ensemble

The Tolkien Ensemble formed in 2004 when a group of musicians, including composer Christopher Rye, met at a Tolkien Society conference in Oxford. They started with the specific goal of setting Tolkien's writings to music, working directly from the texts rather than creating general fantasy soundtracks.

Their first album, 'The Song of Beren and Lúthien,' came out in 2005, followed by others like 'The Lay of Leithian' and 'The Fall of Gondolin.' They've recorded songs including 'The Fall Of Gil-Galad,' 'Song Of Durin,' and 'The Riddle Of Strider (II),' treating Tolkien's poems and narratives as lyrics to be sung rather than just inspired by.

The ensemble performs these pieces in concert settings, presenting the music as faithful interpretations of Tolkien's work rather than background scores. Their approach has found an audience among readers who want to hear how the actual poems from the books might sound when set to melody.