Gandalf the Wizard - Brass Band

Johan de Meij's first symphony, The Lord of the Rings, is based on the trilogy of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book has fascinated many millions of readers since its publication in 1955. The symphony consists of five individual movements, each representing a character or an important episode from the work. This arrangement for brass band, arranged by the composer, consists of the following movements: I. GANDALF (The Wizard), IV. JOURNEY IN THE DARK (The Mines of Moria and The Bridge of Khazad-D m), V. HOBBITS. The symphony was composed between March 1984 and December 1987 and was premiered on March 15, 1988 in Brüssel by „TheRoyal Band of the Belgian Guides“ under the direction of Norbert Nozy. In 1989, the symphony The Lord of the Rings was awarded first prize at the „Sudler International Wind Band Composition Competition“ in Chicago and a year later also by the „Dutch Composers Fund“. In 2001, the orchestral version of the symphony was premiered by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.