The Death of Beor/The Gift of Iluvatar 

The Death of Beor/The Gift of Iluvatar
This piece was formerly released under the title Strange Gift. It is set at the scene depicting the Death of Beor but it highlights three separate themes, the Grief of Men, The Good Life and The Gift of Iluvatar. I have used Tolkien’s text to demonstrate what pictures could not. The scene imagined by SilmFilm includes a discussion between Finrod and Adanel but a random artist impression of Adanel would not have gotten across the ideas as the text and artwork does.
The first theme “The Grief of Men” is a melody written by Karita Alexander called “Strange Gift” and is associated with a race of humans who are given a gift of eternal life with the price being that they will no longer bear children. I felt that this deep sadness illustrates the sadness that is experienced when humans die and have renamed it. When I was putting this piece of music together, I found myself being drawn into a lighter and happier piece which I have called “The Good Life” and will be played in the scene as Beor and Finrod reminisce about Beor’s life, but can be used equally for any normal human existence in peace and contentment. The final theme came as a counterpoint to the original melody and has an air of mystery to it but rises to something glorious. Those astute listeners will recognise the Gift of Iluvatar as the theme that plays at The Waking of Men at the Rising of the Sun as this new gift of life is bestowed upon humans. The Gift of Iluvatar and the Grief of Men are then played together to show that the Gift is tinged with sadness. This will be the conversation with Adanel. Iluvatar’s Note played continuously by the violins plays from the entry of The Gift of Iluvatar theme to the very end of the piece. It is joined towards the end by the harp plucking the note, reminiscent of the Girdle of Melian theme and as all other instruments fade, Iluvatar’s Note stands alone at the end.
The artwork is a combination of the scene at Beor’s deathbed and the content of the conversations. Although some of the scenes are not from Tolkien’s world, they depict the ideas of what The Good Life means to humans and what the Gift of Life means finishing with the mystery of our final fate. My thanks to the following artists whose works make my music so much better:
“Young and Old” by Arlenian Chronicles at www.deviantart...
“Beor the Old” by Varda’s Vapors at vardasvapors.h...
“Elf Meets Men” by Annamare at www.deviantart...
“Couple at the Old Apple Tree” by Deskridge at www.deviantart...
“Kingdom of Ashland” by Gunzfree at www.deviantart...
“Essence of Life/Giving” and “Fate Creator” by EvaGataArtist at www.deviantart...
“The Final Journey” by Megan Arts at www.deviantart...
“Sun Reflection on Calm Water by Davie Cantelli at unsplash.com/@...
“The Rapture of people out of the World” by Benjamin Haas at www.shuttersto...
“Beor of Nargothrond” by The Lufuet Blog at / the-lefuet-blog