Towers

This piece, a tonal and atonal concert overture, depicts the final ascent of mount doom by Frodo and Samwise form J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Return of The King," from "The Lord of The Rings." Driving rhythms, dense harmonic sonorities, and melodic Romanticism in this piece reflect the excitement, drama, and sheer power of the Tolkien Trilogy.

Genre: Full Orchestra | # of Players: Standard
Level: 5 | Duration: 8:50

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
English Horn
Bb Clarinet 1/2
Bass Clarinet

Bassoon 1/2
F Horn 1–4
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2/3
Trombone 1/2
Bass Trombone
Tuba

Timpani (5 drums)
Percussion 1 (xylophone, snare drum, temple blocks, triangle, chimes, tom)
Percussion 2 (tam tam, suspended cymbal, chinese gong, wood block, triangle)
Percussion 3 (finger cymbals, tam tam, bass drum, wood block)

Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Double Bass

Program Notes
Towers, based upon a theme from the first movement of McCarthy's Chamber Symphony for Marimba and Winds, was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers from the epic tome The Lord of the Rings. Driving rhythms, dense harmonic sonorities, and melodic Romanticism in this piece reflect the excitement, drama, and sheer power of the Tolkien Trilogy. This music is also about the seemingly insurmountable power of darkness and evil on earth. But it is also about the power of the human spirit, the power of light and hope that can emerge, unexpected, during our bleakest hours.