Lady of the Ring & Songs of Middle-Earth
The September Cinballera Salon - Lady of the Ring and Songs of Middle Earth returns, this time at the Villa Montezuma. Cinballera's second-ever show was "Lady of the Ring: A Chamber Ballopera," which was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's three-volume masterpiece "Lord of the Rings." The vocal portion of this show was an original chamber opera featuring an assortment of art songs in English and Elvish to tell the story of how a simple group of hobbits saved Middle Earth from the One Ring. The centerpiece of the music is a song cycle "The Road Goes Ever On," which Tolkien himself authorized and co-wrote with composer Donald Swann.
That one-hour chamber opera out of the archives will be presented at the monthly Cinballera Salon for National Hobbit Day.
The epic saga is condensed to the simplest tale, featuring only the characters of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gollum, Bilbo Baggins, who serves as narrator, and Lady Sauron, the Lady of the Ring.
The other portion of the Salon will feature assorted songs and arias which convey the mood of Middle Earth, including Wagner excerpts, folk songs, and outtakes from the original "Lady of the Ring" song list. All the proceeds support the two non-profit organizations, Cinballera and Friends of the Villa Montezuma, and pay the performers.