The Buffalo Niagara Concert Band in collaboration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus invites you to a premiere performance of Johan de Meij’s newest composition: Symphony No.5 Return to Middle Earth.

After 30 years, composer Johan de Meij revisits Middle-Earth, the enchanting mythological world of J.R.R. Tolkien, with this symphony commissioned by The Middle Earth Commissioning Project, a consortium of five ensembles including the Buffalo Niagara Concert Band.

Although there are some thematic reminiscences to his monumental first symphony, The Lord of the Rings from 1988, De Meij is putting a completely different musical vibe into this new symphony. There is an important role for a solo soprano and a mixed choir: they sing in Ilkorin, one of the Elvish languages ​​of Middle-Earth. The Orcs and other thugs also take the stage, but they only use raw screams in their own language, also known as ‘black speech’.

Tickets are $25 (general admission); $40 (VIP seating).

For more information on the Buffalo Niagara Concert Band, visit bncb.org.