A Shortcut to Mushrooms

While an unseen Farmer Maggot pursues the four newly-united Halflings, the score briskly churns with the light hobbit-specific sounds of the orchestra: suspended cymbal, high woodwinds and strings, celesta, etc. However, the quartet’s makeshift escape route proves ineffective and leads them off the edge of a steep cliff, and directly into the path of the Black Riders. Low brass and strings enter at the bottom of the hill as the group is pelted with all manner of dispiriting Mordor material, orchestrated for the hollow tone of string harmonics and swelling chorus. Some sections of this music were mixed out of the film, as Shore explains. “Peter used more of the sound effects. He liked the quietness of this—the rider and the breathing.”

Heard in this track is a rendition of the Wraith theme scored only for orchestral instruments and no chorus. It was decided that restraining the voices until the end of the piece would help build tension as the hobbits dashed through the woods.

INSTRUMENTS
HOBBITON
The Hobbit/Shire theme’s Rural Setting is most closely connected to these signature hobbit instruments. But as the hobbits depart the Shire and adventure their way through Middle-earth, these Celtic sounds continually make their way into the edges of the orchestra as a reminder of what the Shire folk have left behind.

CELESTA
Listening Example: Disc One | Track Two | 2:21
The celesta is a small keyboard instrument like the piano. Yet, where the piano’s hammers strike taught wires inside the frame, the celesta strikes small metal bars to produce a shimmering silvery tone.