Abby Epplett, Historian

After many weeks of anticipation, the next song in the animated musical is ready to debut. “The Want Song” is possibly the biggest musical number in the production in terms of length and number of singers. It functions as a foil to “The Introduction Song”, a literary device typically meaning a character who contrasts another character, but in this case, I used it to describe a song that contrasts another song. I have a degree in the field, so I can change words like that. While “The Introduction” juxtaposed a wordy solo by Frodo describing Middle-earth with the ‘rustic’ hobbits talking about their local community, “The Want Song” features solos by all of the major characters appearing in the scene along with a closing section from the wealthy hobbits talking about their desires. These two songs cover the complete range of attitudes about the Shire and its people. Going forward, most songs will be short solos or small groups, although several larger group numbers are slated for ...

During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. This is my third post about Independence National Historical Park , a part of the United States National Park System (NPS) that focuses on the American Revolutionary War. During this post, I will describe Franklin Court where the house of Benjamin Franklin once stood, art found throughout the park, and a relaxing garden.

During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. This is my second post about Independence National Historical Park , a part of the United States National Park System (NPS) that focuses on the American Revolutionary War. While I inevitably saw the outside of Independence Hall every day during my trip, I took a special tour inside the building on the first day. This birthplace of American democracy has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 .

During a long weekend in late May and early June, I visited Philadelphia, PA to see historic sites and watch a professional track & field meet. This was my third visit to the city but the first time I was able to document the trip thoroughly. For the next few weeks, I will share a fraction of the thousands of photos I took during the trip and describe the history I learned there. The first miniseries within the series focuses on Independence National Historical Park , a part of the United States National Park System (NPS) that focuses on the American Revolutionary War. The famously cracked Liberty Bell and red brick Carpenters’ Hall were two of my earliest stops in the park.

If you were a child in the late 19 th through early 20 th century in England, the Long-Expected Party would be an ideal celebration. For character references, consider the interests of the orphans in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the early part of the period, and the Pevensie children in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis for the later part of the period. The main difference between The Lord of the Rings and these other books is that Tolkien intended his work to be for adults but appropriate for children, perhaps allowing his older readers to reminisce about a happy childhood. Ever-youthful Bilbo may stand in for an energetic grandfather or uncle who was quick to tell jokes and generous with his gift giving. The party scene references fun and noisy things that hobbits and children like, including party toys, fireworks, and even an early railroad. This eclectic collection reminds historically minded readers that the Shire was inspired by late Victori...

My final stop during my adventure on the North Shore was Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary , a site maintained by Mass Audubon and located in Topsfield, MA. The property once belonged to Thomas Emerson Proctor, Jr.  and his family, who apparently developed a habit of feeding the birds, which can be fed to this day. Additionally, if that name sounds familiar, Proctor School in Topsfield is named after him.

From Eru Ilúvatar singing the universe into being to the vast range of songs found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , the fantasy world of Arda is shaped by music. Previous scholars have paid attention to the forms in which these songs appear, while musicians have written tunes for the lyrics. Less attention has been paid to the instruments that might play the songs if the timeline of Middle-earth aligned to that of the Real World, perhaps because I appear to be the only person focused on this concept. In past essays concerning music, I previously featured the Bywater Quintet, a set of five hobbit singers who voice the widely held opinions of the population. In this essay, I am focusing on a set of instruments played in my interpretation of the Shire, especially woodwinds, strings, and drums. In a future essay, I will discuss a slightly different set of instruments played in Buckland, including horns and bones or spoons.

During my trips to the North Shore several weeks ago, I visited historic sites around Essex County, Massachusetts. I took a tour of important stops in colonial era New England religious history, one of which was Old South Presbyterian Church. This building hosts an active congregation and is the final resting place of evangelist George Whitefield, who requested to be buried beneath the altar. Other nearby places of interest include the house where Whitefield died, the house where abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison was born, and a large rock where Whitefield gave a sermon.

During my trip to the North Shore, I visited quick history stops and trails in Essex County, Massachusetts. On two occasions, I walked along the Topsfield Linear Common (TLC) , which includes a rail trail, pedestrian bridges, peaceful water, and a model solar system. With a stone dust path and plenty of parking areas, this trail is accessible to all.

During my trips to the North Shore several weeks ago, I visited many historic sites and took plenty of hikes. One of my stops was at Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Wenham, MA. The scenic walking area is 158 acres (0.64 km sq) in size and is managed by Mass Audubon along with belonging to the Eastern Essex County Interior Forest Important Bird Area. Besides beautiful scenery and accessible pathways, the grounds contain the ruins of a mansion whose presence is more mysterious that it first seems.