Since about the age of twelve, I have read and reread J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, "The Lord of the Rings". With each reading I would find new things to enjoy and treasure. Just as Bilbo said, "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door, you stay on the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." I was almost positive that the world of orcs, elves and hobbits was out there, out my door and just down the Road. As a singer and vocal instructor, the musical score for Peter Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings” films swept me away, back to the lands and peoples that Tolkien had created and I had discovered so long ago. I especially loved all the choral works and wanted to know the meaning of the lyrics. In 2004 I was priviledged to sing Howard Shore's “The Lord of the Rings Symphony” with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. The music was exciting and beautiful. Even without the visual imagery of the films, the music stood alone as a great work. However, I still had a secret desire… the melodies and harmonies in the music was so lovely for the singers, I wanted to hear the singers perform it as a choral work. In 2008, I decided to write out my arrangement, “The Lord of the Rings -A Choral Symphony” to perform at a musical evening in my community. Using only a piano and organ with flute and violin solos, this 30-minute arrangement flows from one song to the next and tells the adventures of Frodo and The Ring. I then invited some of my talented friends from the Houston Symphony Chorus, The Houston Children's Chorus and some of my advanced voice students, to form The Katy Chamber Chorus to help bring my dream to life. This has been an immensely rewarding project for me. I have loved immersing myself for over two years in the words of Tolkien and the music of Shore. Just as I discovered while reading Tolkien all those years ago, magical and life-changing experiences may be had… if you will just go "out your door" and down the Road.