Utahns shine on tracks for 'Lord of Rings' game

When people buy the collector's edition of "The Lord of the Rings Online" game (Turbine Entertainment), they are treated with an art and music booklet that features a soundtrack for "The Mines of Moria" game segment.

Composer and Utah resident Chance Thomas, who won an Academy Award for the soundtrack of the short film "Chubb Chubbs," composed the live orchestral and choral tracks, while Boston-based Stephen DiGregorio, Turbine Entertainment's audio director, did the synthesized tracks.

The mixing of the two styles fits well within the 17-track list.

The soundtrack was recorded by Glenn Niebur at Salt Lake City's own LA East studio and mixed by Brigham Young University graduate and Salt Lake-based engineer Mike Roskelley.

Thomas' classically inspired compositions, which are tracks 1-4, 7-8, 11, 15 and 17, were recorded with the Utah Film Orchestra, featuring some members of the Utah Symphony, and choral singers from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The singers were in a 24-voice mixed choir and a 24-voice men's choir.

Judd Mayer and Nathan Hofheins conducted the orchestra and choirs, respectively.

Harpist Lysa Rytting, who is known nationally and throughout the Utah music community, and singer Jenny Jordan Frogley were called by Thomas to add their angelic touches to some tracks.

Also, Monte Belknap, associate professor of music at BYU, served as concertmaster, and the featured trumpeter is Anthony DiLorenzo.

Thomas' compositions are inspiring and visual. The opening track "The Hollin Gate" sets up the magic, and the choral voices in the next track, "A Journey in the Dark," is full of shadows and mystery.

"Khazad-Dum" uses percussion and spiraling strings to capture the vastness of the scenes.

DiGregorio's tracks complement Thomas' works like honey and tea. In fact, there are times when the listener, if not paying close attention, will not recognize the change in composers until well into the works.

However, when the notice is made, it feels like another audio dimension for this expansive soundtrack.

E-mail: scott@desnews.com