The Bridge of Khazad-dum

[Gilthalion]

Here it is, as promised in the READING THE HOBBIT ALOUD thread in THE HOBBIT forum, a recording of an excerpt from THE LORD OF THE RINGS. This is the flight from Moria.

W A R N I N G:
Those who have not yet read THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING should not listen to this recording! You really should read the masterpiece first. This is a critical part of the story and you will enjoy it more reading it in its place for the first time. I strongly urge that only folks who have read the book (or have seen the Bakshi movie) listen to this recording.

This excerpt is in the RealAudio format. If you don't have RealAudio, I'm sure you can get it for free at www.realaudio.com The following link is to my no-frills website. Technical problems are preventing many from directly downloading from here. Please hit your BACK button on your brower to return here.

THE BRIDGE OF KHAZAD-DUM
www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000 (http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000)

Please let me know what you think of it! This is another fairly long excerpt. I've myself noticed several errors and I'm not satisfied with a point or two in the characterizations. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

[anduin]

Yay!! That is so much fun! :) Thanks :)

Okay, everyone say "Glamdring gleemed" five times fast!! Did you have to rehearse that, or did you get it right the first time? ;)

[Gilthalion]

Again, you're really very, very kind.

I'm afraid I've rehersed all of this a few times through the years! I read that part to the Mrs. last night and she is so worried now! (About the story, that is.)

I do have a few mistakes and stumbles from time to time. The way things are set up on my computer presently, I'm making do with a little high impedance microphone (that's why the low volume) and the MicroSoft Sound Recorder, which only lets me record 60 seconds at a time. A couple of segments did get more than one take. In a live reading, you simply move on over a stumble or bobble and never look back! For this recording, I thought it worthwhile to leave no BAD mistakes. For a professional recording, I would do many takes, not only for accuracy, but also for diction, feeling, and nuance. This took me about 30 minutes to lay down. If it were worthwhile, I'd especially go back and do Aragorn again.

Don't worry about my feelings folks! I'm inviting criticism so that I can improve my reading. I love Anduin's comments, but I really want to hear from all of you.

[anduin]

I'm serious! If you could have heard me read it to my hubby, you would understand! :)

[Eruve]

Wow! that was excellent! You have a great voice for readings. Are you in broadcasting? I really felt chills when you said "DOOM!", also when you voice turned downright evil when the balrog appeared. I wish I lived in Alabama, I'd come to your Hobbit readings for sure.

[dunedain lady]

What sort of a program do I need to get the recording to play?! I download it, then it doesn't work!

[Gilthalion]

Try downloading the RealAudio Player from

www.realaudio.com (http://www.realaudio.com)

That should get you going! There is a free "G2 Player" that you can use. I have sometimes found conflicts with MicroSoft so be sure not to let this program become the player for anything except RealAudio files.

[Shanamir Duntak]

Youre really good Gil! And your board is great :p

[Gilthalion]

Thanks Shanamir! (But I don't have a board...)

[Grand Admiral Reese]

Very good. I don't know what else to say other than that.

[Strider]

yea i love it too. the doom bit, and the voices of boromir and gandalf. youve got a great voice :)

[Gothmoga]

Oh good grief,the bridge in KZ...get a life,we created one,unf'it turned out to be that do gooder Gandalf the pale..

[Shanamir Duntak]

Oups... Sorry Gil I meant your site... I like the little stories that happen here you put on it! :p
The one Thing... I like that one!

[Gilthalion]

I'll keep something going on my site at all times. It's kind of a staging area where I play with things.

I read some advice once about playing with websites: Don't wait for perfection, get it out there!

I hope to have some other readings soon! Plus poetry and little nuggets of opinion and lore.

I really need a link page, too.

Pretty soon, much of this will be available at Lord of the Rings World on the net as well, but I'll try to maintain an archive on my personal site.

I hope other Tolkien fans on the Net will feel free to copy my material if they like it! (Please link to my website when you do!)