Friday marked the U. S. Premiere of Wolf Trap’s Lord of the Rings Symphony series. This year, America’s National Park for the Performing Arts presented the third and last installment of the epic film fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, based on the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The event featured a complete live orchestra, adult and youth choirs, and two vocalists. They accompanied the film, reenacting Howard Shore’s 14-time award winning score with the HD film projected onto screens above the stage and the musicians.

Kaitlyn Lusk, as the feature solo vocalist, provided the pure and haunting vocals in Howard Shore’s academy award winning “Into the West”. Lusk’s powerful voice successfully expressed and communicated the emotion and significance required of the scenes.

With the exception of a few minor pitch issues, the musicians delivered a magnificently captivating and praise-worthy performance, making the Lord of the Rings experience almost impossibly more enjoyable and memorable than the movie itself.

–Nohely Rios, The Patriot Press