‘The Lord of the Rings’ composer Howard Shore names his favourite track
It took a cast and crew firing on all cylinders from start to finish to ensure The Lord of the Rings trilogy would go down as one of the most epic and acclaimed undertakings in cinematic history. Alongside the other fantastic elements, the iconic score combined to create a maelstrom of motion picture majesty.
Composer Howard Shore already had more than 20 years of experience prior to boarding Peter Jackson’s team after making his debut on 1978’s I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses. The following year, he partnered with David Cronenberg to create the musical cues for The Brood, marking the first of 18 collaborations with the filmmaker.
He’s also scored six Martin Scorsese movies and worked with Mike Nichols, Jonathan Demme, Sidney Lumet, Tim Burton, David Fincher, James Mangold, Harold Ramis, and Kevin Smith. Shore’s incredible resumé offers an indication of not just his reputation within the industry but his ability to weave between genres at will.
That being said, he didn’t land a single Academy Award nomination until The Fellowship of the Ring before ultimately winning all three prizes the series had him shortlisted for. The first and third instalments in the trilogy netted the trophy for ‘Best Original Score’, while he shared a victory for ‘Best Original Song’ with Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox for The Return of the King‘s farewell track ‘Into the West.’
Having provided such unforgettable music to accompany The Lord of the Rings, it’s funny that Shore couldn’t even remember the correct name for the song he called his favourite during a Reddit AMA. However, it was still clear which one he was talking about.
When pressed to name which tracks he deemed the finest, he suggested ‘The Destruction of Mordor’. The problem for those who aren’t keenly familiar with The Lord of the Rings movies on a microscopic level is that there’s no such title listed among the 19 songs that comprise The Return of the King‘s official soundtrack.
However, it was swiftly pointed out in the replies that Shore was referencing ‘The End of All Things’, which begins to swell when Frodo has finally cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. Technically, he’s entirely correct, considering that Mordor suffers its ultimate destruction as it plays over Jackson’s stunning imagery, even if he offered up the wrong name.
Of course, with almost 90 credits under his belt spanning more than 40 years, it would be more remarkable for Shore to remember the specific titles of his most well-known and popular compositions. However, The Lord of the Rings fans who adore his orchestral arrangements nonetheless knew exactly what he was talking about.
