For years, the sound of The Lord Of The Rings was defined by Howard Shore – the composer who scored all three of Jackson’s films, as well as the three Hobbit movies. But for The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, he’s not going it alone. The legendary composer has returned to create the main title suite for Amazon’s soon-to-launch fantasy epic, but beyond that it’s Bear McCreary who’s taking the reins for the orchestra this time around – and if you can’t wait to see what McCreary and Shore have cooked up, you’re in luck.
While The Rings Of Power doesn’t hit Prime Video for a few weeks yet (it debuts on 2 September), the soundtrack has dropped early – meaning you can take a listen right now (on Amazon Music, of course). “J.R.R. Tolkien’s stunning novels and their film adaptations have had a profound impact on my imagination for nearly my entire life,” McCreary said. “I am honored to compose the music that will help guide audiences through the major events of the Second Age of Middle-earth." As well as Shore’s main title score and McCreary’s music, there are also songs here sung by the cast (in true Tolkien style), with Sophia Nomvete singing ‘A Plea To The Rocks’, and Megan Richards singing ’This Wandering Day’. For some, hearing the music in advance might constitute a pre-series spoiler – but for those who just can’t wait, you can check out all 156 minutes of it here.
The first two episodes of the show are due to drop on 2 September (possibly the late hours of 1 September, depending on where you live), followed by weekly arrivals for the subsequent episodes. Bring on the Middle-earthian magic.