CD Review of Beyond the Western Seas

For me, the beauty of Tolkien’s work hearkens to an early time and place in our history. Tolkien’s stories lie beneath the leaf mould of our world, and our deep wells of memory. Reading Tolkien’s stories can elicit a tranquil space in our mind-from a serene walk through the Shire, to the enchanted woodlands of the Elves. This connection to Tolkien’s world heightens the loving experience of nature and story in our world. As this review was written, I spent part of my morning wandering the trails of a local park, enchanted by the colorful leaves of fall, listening to Beyond the Western Seas. With the sunlight glinting off autumn leaves full of morning dew, the birdsong filled the air and my mind was rich in the lore of Middle earth expressed by Minstrel John DiBartolo. In my experience, there have not been many who can precisely capture my emotional attachment to Tolkien’s world in music. One could argue that Howard Shore’s compositions for the Lord of the Rings films do this for many, yet for Jessica & myself, though very enjoyable, Shore’s work falls short of what John DiBartolo has accomplished with Beyond the Western Seas.

The album could not start any better than with an instrumental- guitar- rendition of the story of “Vingilot,” which was the ship in which Eärendil and Elwing sailed to Aman to seek pardon and assistance from the Valar. Vingilot is Quenya for “Foam-flower.” With John’s guitar as guide, the song opens slow and sure, as if the ship steers through the unsure but calm waters of the Shadowy Seas. As the piece picks up, we can imagine Eärendil joining the host of the Valar in the War of the Wrath against Morgoth and his penultimate battle with Ancalagon the Black.

The next song elicits the wondrous beauty that is the “Swanships of Aqualondë,” prior to the First Kinslaying-depicted in Ted Nasmith’s legendary painting “The Kinslaying at Aqualondë.” A stunning compliment to the album was the cover art, Ted Nasmith’s breathataking “Shores of Valinor” painting. With the captivating work of Lord of the Rings Onlineharpist, Harperella, we can walk the Haven of the Swans, envisioning the lit lamps glittering off beaks of gold and eyes of jet which stream to life from each chord. It is the perfect peaceful balance against the fiery notes of John’s “Vingilot.”

These first two songs carry us on the wings of an Eagle as we soar through the landscape and treasured lore of Tolkien’s work. Known most notably to Aragorn, Bilbo and Samwise as “The Fall of Gil-galad,” the third song, sung by John, wondrously depicts the loss of the Last High King of the Noldor at the end of the Second Age, Gil-galad. John’s ghostly lament captures the spirit of this lay very effectively. The recitation of this song brilliantly balances the heaviness of the loss of Gil-galad, with an airy, loving reminiscence of his memory.

Despite the beautiful work of Harperella, there are moments that Jessica and Namiko felt were a bit out of place on the album. Harperella’s solo pieces especially elicit a more Celtic or traditional Irish tone. “Swanships of Alqualondë” and “Teleri” seem decidedly less Elven and more Loreena McKennitt, which is brilliant (as Jessica is a tremendous McKennit devotee). While I (Anthony) felt there was a kinship and balance between the first and second tracks, for Jessica and Namiko, unfortunately this seems almost disjointed from the whole-until the harp plays tandem with the rest of the band.

The “Ballad of Aiglos” adds a breathtaking element of prosopopeia to the entire collection and counts as Jessica’s favorite pieces, with the “Song of Durin’s Awakening” and the “Lament for Eorl the Young.” “Beyond the Western Seas” is a medley of the themes of the album woven together into a perfect conclusion.

One point of note, however, when our mind preconceives a notion of what “is” Elvish or Dwarvish or Rohirric-then it’s rather hard to accept a piece (whether it be poetry or prose or music or art) that runs contrary to our concepts. For Namiko, “The Fall of Gil-galad,” “Lament for Eorl the Young,” and “Teleri” were pieces that initially didn’t seem to capture the mood of the cultures they represent because they were radically different than what she may have been expecting. But, this album is one that certainly requires more than one opportunity to digest for all its marvelous intricacy and preconceived notions should be challenged, and Beyond the Western Seas certainly does that. We highly recommend it as a compliment to the rest of your Tolkien-inspired musical collection. Jessica and I count it as important as Ted Nasmith’s Hidden Door, The Fellowship’s In Elven Lands, and Brocelïande’s Starlit Jewel.


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