Hey, All Dwarves! Searching for a Resource...

[xnosipjpqmhd]

The second is the Dwarvish singing from the 1970's Radio performance of the Hobbit...

Your local library may have audio CDs (or books-on-tape) of The Hobbit. Mine did. Look for the radio adaptation version rather than the narrator-only version, if you have a choice. The dwarf songs on the recording I found were very well done.

 

[Thotas]

Completely apart from the OP's needs, that sample of the Slavyanka stuff is really interesting. I'll have to investigate them further!

 

[ruleslawyer]

The problem with "Po Lazarus" is that it's such a dirge. These are dwarves, they like working!

I dunno. It's not like older American work songs sound all that "dirge-like," IMHO. To me, they sound like songs designed to keep their singers on the job... I want the sounds of actual "working" when I have a work song on. But YMMV...

I don't know if ruleslawyer is talking about the same song I'm thinking of. It's the first track on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack.

Yup. According to my copy, it's "Po' Lazarus."

 

[vulcan_idic]

Your local library may have audio CDs (or books-on-tape) of The Hobbit. Mine did. Look for the radio adaptation version rather than the narrator-only version, if you have a choice. The dwarf songs on the recording I found were very well done.

I've got a really nice CD of Tolkien Songs and poems with an orchestral background and Christopher Lee reading the selections, it's very nice, don't recall it's name off the top of my head though.

 

[MarkB]

Heigh, ho! Heigh, ho! It's off to work we go!

alternatively, you could always use a track of the flying monkeys from the wizard of Oz.

"Oom-pa Loom-pa Doom-pa-tee-doo!"

 

[Mycanid]

Ironregime - in fact, the place I first got those copies from was the local library.

Gneech - yes, I know the place well. I grew up in upstate NY and my dad LOVED to go on retreats to various catholic monasteries. Sometimes he would drag me along. I would bring the latest sci-fi/fantasy novel I was reading (mostly age 10 - 13 at this time) and would hole myself up in my room in the guesthouse and read away, coming out only for meals or to walk in the countryside ... some of those places were in very beautiful spots. I even had a huge flock of sheep and a sheepherder!

ANYWAY, back on topic, I also heard some stunning Gregorian chant in these places.

For the deep throated singing a 'la the dwarves image, though, you really have to go either to the Slavic peoples - Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, etc. OR to those Tibetan monks. Ever heard them growl away? Eerie but amazing. THAT would freak me out if I heard sixty voices singing like that underground. Of course it's not really a capella so maybe not what you are looking for... Hmm. Well, guess the Slavic people are your best bet still.

Be aware, Slavyanka specializes more in folk singing, and especially humorous folk songs. At least they specialize in them in the sense that they perform them more than any others percentage wise. Perhaps b/c of the audiences???? Dunno - but the Salvic peoples specialize in melancholy, beautiful songs. Stuff that is hard to find.

If you want REALLY deep voiced chanting ... look for the name Igor Ushakov or Ivan Rebroff on amazon.com ... the one I have with the first is called "Orthodox Shrines of the Russian North", and the way he sings in there is so low it should be outlawed. But then there is Rebroff. That's just sick. I have "Christmas with Ivan Rebroff" and he sings the German Christmas Carol "Still, still, still." Absolutely sickening. No human being should sound like that. He sings as high as an operatic alto and has hit the lowest recorded note in human history. He puts the bass from the Fairfield Four to shame! And that's low....

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Some of the files available online for Greek Orthodox masses have a very dwarfen feel. One site is here.

While I personally despise Wagner you might find some of his stuff appropriate. (Ring of the Nieblung Cycle would be the best hunting, I would think.)

But I agree, Russian music would be a good fit. (In fact some of my favorite Ral Parth dwarf figures by Bob Olley look strangely... Russian. )

But we all know that all real dwarf songs have only one word... Gold. (At least according to Terry Pratchett.)

The Auld Grump, let's see... did that last verse go Gold Gold Gold Gold, or was it just Gold Gold Gold?

 

[Thunderfoot]

Gregorian Chant is a little too...scholarly (for lack of a better word) for dwarves (IMO).

As the Auld Grump stated, Wagnerian Opera is FANTASTIC for dwarves, also any Germanic Opera is good mining ground (no pun intended).

Early Scandinavian folk music is also pretty good, the guturral language (and the fact that most dwarves are Norse in style) play a great line in for dwarven song.

And even though its a little silly, "The Hammer and The Anvil" is great for feel, especially if played low as background music.

Bach is another good source of dwarven music, but only if the instrumentation is correct, you'll have to do a lot of listening to find that "perfect piece" but you'll appreciate it all the more when you use it.

Jupiter from Holtz's "The Planets" is likewise very dwarven (which kind of makes sence I guess).

Hope this helps.