Haldir : Music and Observations

The Death of Haldir

From: Odds & Ends - Not quite themes but interesting, nonetheless.

These are just a couple of observations about Haldir.

LAMENT FOR HALDIR - has some similarities to the Lament for Gandalf.

DEATH CHORD - the chord/note heard just as Haldir is first wounded is similar to the chord/note after the first Uruk is wounded.

LAMENT FOR HALDIR

Elizabeth Fraser sings the Lament for Haldir as Haldir is mortally wounded at Helm's Deep. Michael McLennan commented years ago that the melody for this lament is based on the Lament for Gandalf. I thought I heard hints of the Lothlórien Theme in there. I took a look at the sheet music for all three melodies and it seems that the Lament for Haldir has more in common with the Lament for Gandalf than the Lothlórien Theme. Perhaps there's bits of both in there. The AS-TTT says, "Shore’s composition takes a similar shape (to Lament for Gandalf), a call and response for solo soprano and female chorus." Today, it seems almost a off hand comment in the bulk of official literature regarding the score. But the observation has been on my site for awhile so why not leave it here?

Below are the time stamps for the two laments that show how the call and response works for each.

Lament for Gandalf

Lyrics from Lament for Gandalf Verses & Chorus

FOTR OST, Track 14, Lothlorien

Lament for Haldir

Lyrics From Namarië

TTT OST, Track 17, Isengard Unleashed

Solo:

Chorus:

[02:33] In gwidh ristennin,

[02:45] i
[02:48] fae nar
[02:49] channe

[02:53] n

[02:57] I
[03:01] Lach Anor ed
S

[03:09] ardh

[03:13] on
[03:14] gwan
[03:17] nen
S

[03:22] Mith
[03:25] ran
[03:26] dir,

[03:27] A Randir
[03:30] Vithren!
[03:34] Ú-
[03:38] re

[03:39] ni
[03:40] athach
S

[03:47] i amar

[02:39] Il
[02:41] fi
[02:44] rin nai
[02:45] rel

[02:49] ma
[02:53] Nau
[02:55] va i
[02:57] nauva
S

[03:05] Il
[03:07] firin nai
[03:09] rel

[03:14] ma
[03:17] ar
[03:21] ullu
[03:22] me

[03:25] nu
[03:26] cu
S

[03:30] val
S

[03:39] me
S

[03:43] Nuava i nauva

[03:47] mel

Solo

Chorus

[00:03] ar

[00:06] sindan

[00:13] óriello

[00:19] caita

[00:23] ar ilyë

[00:26] tier

[00:27] undulá

[00:30] vë

[00:32] lum

[00:34] bul

[00:37] ë

[00:11] óriello

[00:21] mornië

[00:23] ar

[00:26] il

[00:34] bul

DEATH CHORD

That long sustained note that plays before Ms Fraser starts singing Haldir's Lament is something I always noticed. Later, as I watched the standoff scene between the Uruk-hai and the defenders of Helm's Deep, I noticed something interesting. As that first Uruk-hai falls, taken out by an arrow inadvertently loosed by a Rohan archer, that same long sustained note is played. It may be completely coincidental but I thought it was worth noting.