The Middle-earth Songbook

Filk Songbook
Title:	The Middle-earth Songbook
Publisher:	"The A.R.C. SF & Fantasy Club," Citrus Heights, California
Editor(s):	Ruth Berman & Ken Nahigian
Date(s):	1976
Medium:	print
Subject:	Tolkien
Language:	English
External Links:
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front cover, art by George Barr

The Middle-earth Songbook is a 130-page zine of Tolkien filksongs. It was dedicated to Marrion of DragonsHead. It includes songs set in the world of J.R.R Tolkien, including Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Rivendell Suite, used by Bradley's permission.

From a 1976 flyer: "An anthology of songs and music of Tolkien's Middle-earth—including the Rivendell Suite by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and an entire musical play based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS. 130 pages, photo-offset. Edited by Ruth Berman, editor of The Star Trek Songbook; Co-edited by Ken Nahigianj. Published by the A.R.C. Science Fiction & Fantasy Club; With art by Tim Kirk, George Barr, James Shull, Jim Mcleod, and others."

Some content is original music inspired by Tolkien's works, some music uses dialogue and description directly from the books, and some of the filks are original words inspired by Tolkien's works and are "to the tune of" other songs.

Some chording added by Ruth Berman.

Ad

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  a 1976 ad in a Star Trek convention program book

Sample Interior

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Contents

• The Dwarves' Treasure Song, tune Deborah Webster Rogers, from Orcrist #2) (6)
• The Elves Welcome the Fourteen to Rivendell, tune by Deborah Webster Rogers, from Orcrist #1)) (7)
• The Wind Was on the Withered Hearth, tune by Deborah Webster Rogers, from Orcrist #2) (8)
• Bilbo's Walking Song, tune by Melanie Weiss) (9)
• The Tale of Tinuviel, tune by Deborah Webster Rogers, Laura Haglund, Liz Lane, from Orcrist #1, Orcrist #5/Tolkien Journal #14, Hoom #5) (10)
• The Passing of Elven-kind by Ted Johnstone (from All Mimsy #5) (13)
• I Sit Beside the Fire and Think by Liz Lane (14)
• The Troll Song, to the tune of "The Fox Went Through the Town O!", setting suggested by Dale Mathews (15)
• Frodo's Song of Gandalf, to the tune of "Abide With Me," suggested by Bee Bowman (16)
• The Fall of Durin's Bane, to the tune of "Abide With Me," suggested by David Ring (17)
• Tom Bombadil's Song by Amy Falkowitz (19)
• Flies & Spiders (The Attercop Song) by Amy Falkowitz (20)
• A Walking Song by Liz Lane (21)
• The Song of Galadriel, 1st Setting; Stanley Hoffman, (from Elbereth, ed. Selebrantor Eryngil), 2nd Setting: Christine Gaca (23)
• The Song of the Ent and Entwife by Ruth Berman (28)
• Frodo's Song in the Old Forest by Liz Lane (30)
• A Drinking Song by Liz Lane (30)
• In Western Lands, to the tune of "En somand har sin enegarg", combination suggested by Karen Anderson, Alternate tune by Linda Bushyager, reprinted from The Incomplete Filk-singer, For yet another tune for this song, see "The Rivendell Suite" (31)
• The Eagle's Tidings, to the tune of "Gloria in excelsis" (33)
• The Rivendell Suite by Marion Zimmer Bradley (35)
• Burial Song of Theoden by Liz Lane (44)
• Gandalf's Song of Lorien, to the tune of "Ode to Joy" from HOPSFA Hymnal (45)
• The Battle Song of Rohan, to the tune of "O'Donnell Aboo," words by Brian A. Libby (46)
• Thorin Oakensheild Joins the Battle of Five Armies, music by John Wilson, words by Stewart Lauterbach (48)
• March to Azanulbizar, music by Handel, words by Stewart Lauterbach (49)
• An Elven Saga, music by Ruth Berman, words by Greg Shaw (50)
• Lament of the Elf-lord, music by Ruth Berman, words by Mattiwillis Beard, from Hoom #4 (52)
• Elessar, "sadly doctored" tune "Eliyohur Hanvoi," words by Nancy Lebovitz, from HOPSFA Hymnal (54)
• The Elven Ship, tune by Ruth Berman, words by Peter Sloman, from Entmoot #4 (55)
• Arwen's Song in Gondor by E.E. Evers, tune is "Our God Our Help in Ages Past", poem from Entmoot #3, arranged by Ruth Berman, from a suggestion by Bee Bowman (56)
• To Eriador in the Spring I Came, tune by Ruth Berman, words by John Jerrold, from Anduril #1 (58)
• The Fall of Ugluk, tune by Ruth Berman, words by Judy Quinn, from Tolkien Journal II.4 (59)
• The Queen's Cry, or The Swansong of Arwen Undomiel, tune by Ruth Berman, words by Cathleen Collett, from Tolkien Journal II.4 (61)
• Look What They've Done to Strider, tune by Ruth Berman, words by Eleanor Arnason ("poem — with last four lines accidentally left off -- originally appeared in No 8.") (63)
• Dragon Dream, music 15th century anon, words by Edward Lauterbach (64)
• A Cheery Drinking Song, words by Cathryn Bramble, music by Ruth Berman ("An earlier version of the poem appeared In the June 1973 Page, the newsletter of the Western Kingdom of the Society for Creative Anachronism.") (67)
• Drunken Dragon Triolet by Anne Etkin (69)
• The Song of Smart Herman the Troll, music: traditional, words by Anne Etkin, from Amon Hen #15 (70)
• The Orc's Marching Song ("mostly by George Heap but also by Karen Anderson, Dean Dickensheet, and Ted Johnstone; in this version, from The Filksong Manual #1, ed. Bruce Felz, 1965. This, the best known Tolkienish filksong, has undergone wide oral transmission and a variety of printings; there are many variants in title and verse — not to mention additional verses by as many people as care to write them. In other words: it's a true folk song. The tune: "Jesse James.").") (71)
• What Shall We Do With a Drunken Hobbit by divers hands at Mythcon IV; basic arrangement by Ken Kesler (74)
• Give My Regards to Orthanc to the tune of "Give My Regards to Broadway," words by Nancy Lebovitz, reprinted from HOPSFA Hymnal (75)
• High Fly the Nazgul, Oh! by Ted Johnstone & others, from I Palantir #2 (76)
• The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, to the tune from "Ballad of Davy Crockett," words by Charles R. Green, from HOPSFA Hymnal (79)
• The Ent's Marching Song, to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," words by Jim Landau, from HOPSFA Hymnal (80)
• Smaug the Magic Dragon, to the tone of "Puff the Magic Dragon," words are uncredited, from HOPSFA Hymnal (81)
• Bilbo's Song (I Sit Beside the Fire and Think), to the tune of "Barb'ry Allen, from HOPSFA Hymnal (82)
• The Nazgul Scream, to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" (83)
• When I Was a Lad, to the Gilbert and Sullivan tune by the same name, words uncredited (84)
• The Mines of Moria, to the tune of "In the Halls of the Mountain King," words by Loretta Wilson and Deborah Norman (86)
• S-A-U-R-O-N!, to the tune of "M-O-T-H-E-R!," words by John Boardman (87)
• Apocryphal Hobbit Marching Song, music by Ruth Berman, words by Adam Kasanof (88)
• The Bonnie Black Flag, to the tune of the same name, words by Pat Kelly (89)
• The Witch-King of Angmar, to the tune of "Lili Marlene," words by Alexis A. Gilliland, from WSFA Journal (90)
• The Nazgul's Song, to the tune of "Meadowlands," words by Alexis A. Gilliland, from Outworlds #16 (91)
• The Wraith Song, to the tune of "The Riff Song," words by Dave Hulan, from The Mything Link #9 (92)
• The Fall of Gil-galad, to the tune of "Avon Olam" (93)
• The Ballad of Greenfields, music by John M. Garrett, words by Roger Johnson, "song copyright 1974 by Dimples Music Ltd - 19/20 Euston Centre London NW 1 England - printed by permission of the authors. The poem appeared in Anduril #2." (95)
• The Orcs' Drunking Song, to the tune of "Mademoiselle from Armentieres," words by Dick Eney, from "Stupefying Stories" #97 (97)
• The Nazgul King of Angmar, to the tune of "The Bastard King of England," words by John Boardman (98)
• Onward, Sauron's Soldiers!, to the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers," words by Dick Tatge, Al Kuhfeld, and Ken Fletcher, from Rune -- Minnesota Science Fiction Society (99)
• Middle-earth, to the tune of "Penny Lane" and All You Need is Orcs to the tune of "All You Need is Love" ("The following two pieces were taken from an almost-illegable mimeoed phamplet of filksongs published by Seth McEvoy. I know nothing else about them or their source. Copyright restrictions prevent me from printing the suggested settings, both of which are by the Beatles, and which may easily be found in songbooks available at almost any large music store.") (100)
• My Fair Hobbit ("Excerpts rom a proposed musical based on The Lord of the Rings MY FAIR HOBBIT perhaps, or, maybe, THE THREE-PENNY EPIC.") (103)
• Hello Frodo ("or "What Ever Happened to Sauron's Ring?" the new comedy pirated from many by Kathleen Huber." -- from I Palantir #4) (106)