Advertise on podcast: The Words and Magic of Music in The Rings of Power

Meet Sauron, the show’s shadowy antagonist. In season one he hides in the shadows and cannot be found. In season two he is there for all to see but wears a disguise of fair raiment. How is Sauron represented in the music and what can the music tell us about his intentions and what is going on in Middle-earth? Lots. Let’s pull apart Sauron’s musical theme into its component parts and take notice of when they play in the show. This helps us make sense of what we see and what we don’t see. How does playing a theme differently mean something else? Welcome to the world of musical themes and variations where a changed note here, a different instrument and singer can have the greatest significance. From the mastermind acting in the shadows, through the revelation and transformation into a divine being, the music tells us what is really happening and who is pulling the strings. Signum University https://signumuniversity.org/  The Silmarillion Film Project Podcast https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLasMbZ4s5vIUVaZafURX-tAZ1arKCVoNc  Phillip’s SilmFilm Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/@philmen32  Bear’s Blog https://bearmccreary.com/  Rings of Power – Just the Themes Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmD-oX4yBHEMYG7pziPqvijjwQPbq8GN6&si=l4cVktQb1iZIZVR6  Music and Video Credits: Title Music – True Creation, Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 1, Episode 1: A Shadow of the Past- Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022 Mairon the Admirable – Phillip Menzies https://youtu.be/xi8KjsUSA4A  Mairon Original version https://youtu.be/rByJtW4Oak4  The Sun Yet Shines – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Sauron – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season One: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022 The Caverns of Isengard – Howard Shore from The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 Episode 1 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 Episode 2 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 Episode 8 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 2 2024 Celebrimbor’s Burden - Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Sauron’s Illusion - Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Mirdania Emerges - Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Emissary at the Forge – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Valinor – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season One: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022

So, what’s with that kiss between Elrond and Galadriel. Showrunners, please don’t make them fall in love. That’s just wrong.  What if I told you that the music tells us exactly what happens in that scene, and it is not a love story? The score by Bear McCreary is melodic or thematic which means that characters, places and ideas have their own sound or tune. Join me as we learn what Galadriel’s theme sounds like and where we hear it in the show (apart from everywhere). We will look at three scenes including “The KISS,” where Galadriel’s theme is played and listen to the words that the music is telling us about Galadriel’s story and where her story is going.   Links: Signum University https://signumuniversity.org/  Phillip’s SilmFilm Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/@philmen32  Rings of Power – Just the Themes Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmD-oX4yBHEMYG7pziPqvijjwQPbq8GN6&si=l4cVktQb1iZIZVR6    Music and Video Credits Title Music – True Creation, Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 1, Episode 1: A Shadow of the Past- Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022 Oath of Fëanor – Phillip Menzies https://youtu.be/bOifJBHhkJs  Galadriel - Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season One: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022 Harfoot Life – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season One: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 Episode 1 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 7 2024 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 8 2024 The Staff – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024 Emissary at the Forge – Bear McCreary from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack) 2024

Everyone loves Bear McCreary's score to the Rings of Power. I’ll let you into a secret. Bear writes his music in code. Let me help you decode the soundtracks to The Rings of Power in this educational guide. Each character, place or idea in Bear’s scores has a recognisable melody or tune that sets it apart from all other characters and he has a pattern or blueprint that he uses for many of his themes. In interviews, Bear described how he sat down at the beginning and wrote all of the themes before he actually started to score the episodes. Part of this process was talking with the show runners about the trajectory of characters so that he could include at the inception those future ideas as musical developments. Each podcast I will examine one musical theme and discover what the music is telling about the character, the place or the idea. Some of these are mind-blowing. Join me in a journey through Bear’s score so you can better understand what is happening and get greater enjoyment from the show as this window gives you a glimpse into the hidden areas of the stories.  Links: Signum University https://signumuniversity.org/  The Silmarillion Film Project Podcast https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLasMbZ4s5vIUVaZafURX-tAZ1arKCVoNc  Phillip’s SilmFilm Soundtrack https://www.youtube.com/@philmen32  Bear’s Blog https://bearmccreary.com/  Rings of Power – Just the Themes Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmD-oX4yBHEMYG7pziPqvijjwQPbq8GN6&si=l4cVktQb1iZIZVR6  LOTR Rings of Power 10CD Box Set https://www.amazon.com.au/LOTR-Rings-Power-10CD-Box/dp/B0CYLVSSQ5  Othe Minds and Hands Ep 26 https://youtu.be/K6gH_uxBsw0?si=QwtNXzyAQw_vmZmQ  https://www.classical-music.com/features/musical-terms/what-is-a-melody Stephen Johnson BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/glaurund.bsky.social