Boston has a little-known connection to one of the most recognizable film soundtracks ever written. Long before Howard Shore composed the music for The Lord of the Rings, the Oscar-winning composer was studying at Berklee College of Music, right here in the city.
Now, 25 years after The Fellowship of the Ring first brought Middle-earth to the big screen, his music is returning to Boston in a different form. Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings will bring themes from all three films to The Sanctuary at Old South Church, where a string quartet will revisit Shore’s celebrated score surrounded by thousands of candles. It’s a chance to hear the music that helped define a generation of fantasy cinema in a setting with its own remarkable history.
Howard Shore’s Boston connection: From Berklee to Middle-earth
Before becoming one of cinema’s most celebrated composers, Howard Shore was a student at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, graduating with the class of 1969. During his time there, he studied composition with several influential faculty members, including John Bavicchi, John LaPorta, William Maloof and Charlie Mariano. Berklee would later recognize his contribution to music with an honorary doctorate in 2008.
Shore has spoken about how Berklee provided the foundations for his musical curiosity, with its emphasis on experimentation and collaboration. Although the music for the film trilogy wasn’t composed in Boston, the city was an early chapter in the composer’s musical journey. For local audiences, the concert offers a chance to hear Shore’s celebrated work in the very city where he first developed his musical voice.
Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings in Boston
29 January 2027 19:00 + more dates
The Sanctuary – Old South Church in Boston
From a full orchestra and choirs to four strings
On the soundtrack, the music of The Lord of the Rings is huge. The London Philharmonic Orchestra played most of the score, with the choirs London Voices and the London Oratory School Schola, and much of it was recorded at Watford Town Hall. Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings strips it back to two violins, a viola and a cello.
That’s the whole idea. It’s a live concert of music from all three films, played by a local string quartet surrounded by thousands of candles, for about an hour. Fever and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences co-present the special Candlelight series for the trilogy’s 25th anniversary. While Howard Shore won’t be present at the concert, he approved the setlist and sheet music.
With four lines instead of a hundred-odd musicians, the themes have to carry everything. Listen for the Shire in “Concerning Hobbits”, the Rohan theme in “The Riders of Rohan”. There are 13 pieces in all, ending with “The Grey Havens”.
Your seat: Old South Church in Copley Square
Boston: The Sanctuary at Old South Church. You’ll find it at 645 Boylston Street, right on Copley Square in Back Bay, beside Copley station on the MBTA Green Line. Designed by Cummings and Sears in the Venetian Gothic style, the church takes inspiration from John Ruskin’s The Stones of Venice, and its congregation moved into the building in 1875. Look up to spot the 246-foot campanile, added in the 1930s; the church has been a National Historic Landmark since 1970.
Getting there by public transit is easy, with Back Bay station and several bus routes also nearby. If you’re driving, street parking is available in the area, alongside nearby garages such as Back Bay Garage. The building is wheelchair accessible, with designated spaces in the Sanctuary, accessible restrooms and hearing-assistance devices available.
Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings
29 January 2027 19:00 + more dates
The Sanctuary – Old South Church in Boston
With Howard Shore’s music returning to the city where he studied, and Old South Church providing the setting, this Boston concert brings a local connection to a soundtrack known around the world. Whether you’ve followed the films for years or simply love their music, it’s a chance to hear and appreciate those familiar themes in a new light.
