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The Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin: imagery influenced by the Greco-Roman bacchanal

According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf (עֵגֶּל הַזָהָב ‘ēggel hazâhâḇ) was an idol (a cult image) made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai. The calf was intended to be a physical representation of the God of Israel, and therefore was doubly wrong for involving Israel in idolatry and for ascribing physicality to God.

In Hebrew, the incident is known as ḥēṭ’ ha‘ēggel (חֵטְא הַעֵגֶּל) or "The Sin of the Calf". It is first mentioned in Exodus 32:4. Bull worship was common in many cultures. In Egypt, whence according to the Exodus narrative the Hebrews had recently come, the Apis Bull was a comparable object of worship, which some believe the Hebrews were reviving in the wilderness;^[1] alternatively, some believe the God of Israel was associated with or pictured as a calf/bull deity through the process of religious assimilation and syncretism. Among the Egyptians' and Hebrews' neighbors in the Ancient Near East and in the Aegean, the Aurochs, the wild bull, was widely worshipped, often as the Lunar Bull and as the creature of El.

Summary of the Biblical narrative[link]

The Torah[link]

When Moses went up onto Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:20), he left the Israelites for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:18). The Israelites feared that he would not return and asked Aaron to make for them an image of the God of Israel (Exodus 32:1). However, Aaron refused to build a representation of the God of Israel. The Israelites had complained enough to overwhelm Aaron, so he complied and gathered up the Israelites' golden earrings. He melted them and constructed a statue of a young bull, made of gold. Aaron also built an altar before the calf and declared "Israel, these are your gods, which brought you out of the land of Egypt". And the next day, the Israelites made offerings to the Golden Calf and celebrated. Moses saw what they were doing and became angry with them, shattering the Tablets of Stone God had written His laws for the Israelites upon.

Later, the Lord told Moses that his people had corrupted themselves, and he planned to eliminate them and start a new people from Moses himself. However, Moses argued and pleaded that they should be spared (Exodus 32:11), and the Lord relented. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he told Moses. Moses went down from the mountain, but upon seeing the calf, he too became angry. He threw down the tablets upon which God's law had been written, breaking them. Moses burnt the golden calf in a fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it. Aaron admitted collecting the gold, and throwing it into the fire along with cutting wood, and said it came out as a calf. Moses then called everyone who was willing to follow the Torah to himself. Most of Israel came to Moses, including every member of the tribe of Levi. Moses sent the Levites to slay a large number of people (3000) who had rejected Moses' call. A plague struck the Israelites. Nevertheless, the Lord stated that he would one day visit the Israelites' sin upon them.

As Moses had broken the tablets, the Lord instructed him to return to Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:2) and receive a replacement.

The former prophets[link]

Worshiping the Golden Calf

In 922 BC, when Jeroboam I establishes the northern kingdom of Israel, he builds two golden calves and places them in Bethel and Dan. According to 1 Kings 12. c 26–30, Jeroboam surveys the pious rituals of the Israelites relative to sacrifices.

26 Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam." 28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. Kings%2012:26–30&verse=NIV&src=! 1 Kings 12:26–30 NIV

His chief concern is their tendency to offer sacrifices in Jerusalem, an act he feels would lead to a return to King Rehoboam of Judah, which is in the southern kingdom. He creates the golden calf as a preventive method in order to ensure his own safety and recognizance as king. Furthermore, he erects the two calfs, in what he figures (in some interpretations) as substitutes for the cherubim built by King Solomon in Jerusalem.^[2]

The latter prophets[link]

The golden calf is also mentioned by Ezra in Nehemiah Chapter 9, verses 18–19.

16 "But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies. 19 "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. Nehemiah 9:16–19 NIV

Ezra, in speaking to the Israelites, revisits their history and tells them about God's grace during their attempts to worship God with a calf.

The language in Ezra concerning "God" suggests that there are some inconsistencies in the other accounts of the Israelites and their use of the calf. As the version in Exodus and 1 Kings are written by Deuteronomistic historians based in the southern kingdom of Judah, there is a proclivity to expose the Israelites as unfaithful. The inconsistency is primarily located in Exodus 32.4 where "gods" is plural despite the construction of a single calf. When Ezra retells the story, he uses the single, capitalized God.^[3]

Jeroboam's golden calves at Bethel and Dan[link]

After the death of Solomon the usurper Jeroboam sought to strengthen his hold on the northern 10 tribes by making two golden calves. The declarations of Aaron's followers and Jeroboam are almost identical:

• 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt' (Exod 32:4, 8);
• 'Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28)

After making the golden calf or golden calves both Aaron and Jeroboam celebrate festivals. Aaron builds an altar and Jeroboam ascends an altar (Exod 32:5–6; 1 Kings 12:32–33).^[4]

Richard Elliott Friedman says "at a minimum we can say that the writer of the golden calf account in Exodus seems to have taken the words that were traditionally ascribed to Jeroboam and placed them in the mouths of the people." Friedman believes that the story was turned into a polemic, exaggerating the throne platform decoration into idolatory, by a family of priests sidelined by Jeroboam.^[5]

Alternate versions[link]

The golden calf narrative differs notably among non-Masoretic, non canonical texts. For instance, the version contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls tells that upon coming down from the mountain, Moses discovered that the Israelites engaging in debaucherous behavior on the shores of a nearby beach. Roughly translated:

"...and Moses saw that the Israelites had constructed a dwelling on the shore, and that they were making merry. Seeing that their actions were displeasing to God, Moses was filled with great wrath."

Criticism and interpretation[link]

Despite a seemingly simplistic façade, the golden calf narrative is complex. According to Michael Coogan, it seems that the golden calf was not an idol for another god, and thus a false god.^[6] He cites Exodus 32:4–5 as evidence: He [Aaron] took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” Importantly, there is a single calf in this narrative, though the people refer to it as representative of the “gods.” While a reference to singular god does not necessarily imply Yahweh worship, it does not rule out the possibility that it is Yahweh that the people are worshiping, as the reference to a plurality of “gods” would. Additionally, the festival “to the Lord” in verse 5 is sometimes translated as “to Yahweh”.^[6] It should also be noted that “in the chronology of the narrative of the Ten Commandments” the commandment against the creation of graven images had not yet been given to the people when they pressed upon Aaron to help them make the calf, and that such behavior was not yet explicitly outlawed.^[6]

Amateur biblical scholars often forget that when compared in context to the rest of the sentence (in a Torah verse which indicates singular usage), the Hebrew term "gods" is actually a Semitic elative meaning the one God YHWH (see the original term in Hebrew, Elohim); thus, Aaron's famous response to the unruly Israelites after he is forced to cast the Golden Calf could be seen as a bitterly sarcastic condemnation of their assumption of God's likeness, even after he consents to their demands.

Another understanding of the golden calf narrative is that the calf was meant to be the pedestal of Yahweh. In Near Eastern art, gods were often depicted standing on an animal, rather than seated on a throne.^[6] This reading suggests that the golden calf was merely an alternative to the ark of the covenant or the cherubim upon which Yahweh was enthroned.^[6]

The reason for this complication may be understood as 1.) a criticism of Aaron, as the founder of one priestly house that rivaled the priestly house of Moses, and/or 2.) as “an attack on the northern kingdom of Israel.”^[6] The second explanation relies on the “sin of Jeroboam,” who was the first king of the northern kingdom, as the cause of the northern kingdom’s fall to Assyria in 722 BCE.^[6] Jeroboam’s “sin” was creating two calves of gold, and sending one to Bethel as a worship site in the south of the Kingdom, and the other to Dan as a worship site in the north, so that the people of the northern kingdom would not have to continue to go to Jerusalem to worship (see 1 Kings 12.26–30). According to Coogan, this episode is part of the Deuteronomistic history, written in the southern kingdom of Judah, after the fall of the Northern kingdom, which was biased against the northern kingdom.^[6] Coogan maintains that Jeroboam was merely presenting an alternative to the cherubim of the Temple in Jerusalem, and that calves did not indicate non-Yahwehistic worship.^[6]

The documentary hypothesis can be used to further understand the layers of this narrative: it is plausible that the earliest story of the golden calf was preserved by E (Israel source) and originated in the Northern kingdom. When E and J (Judah source) were combined after the fall of northern kingdom, “the narrative was reworked to portray the northern kingdom in a negative light,” and the worship of the calf was depicted as “polytheism, with the suggestion of a sexual orgy” (see Exodus 32.6). When compiling the narratives, P (a later Priest source from Jerusalem) may have minimized Aaron’s guilt in the matter, but preserved the negativity associated with the calf.^[6]

Alternatively it could be said that there is no golden calf story in the J source, and if it is correct that the Jeroboam story was the original as stated by Friedman, then it is unlikely that the Golden Calf events as described in Exodus occurred at all. Friedman states that the smashing of the Ten Commandments by Moses when he beheld the worship of the golden calf, is really an attempt to cast into doubt the validity of Judah's central shrine, the Ark of the Covenant. "The author of E, in fashioning the golden calf story, attacked both the Israelite and Judean religious establishments." ^[7]

As to the likelihood that these events ever took place, on the one hand there are two versions of the ten commandments story, in E (Exodus 20) and J (Exodus 34), this gives some antiquity and there may be some original events serving as a basis to the stories. The Golden Calf story is only in the E version and a later editor added in an explanation that God made a second pair of tablets to give continuity to the J story.^[8] The actual Ten Commandments as given in Exodus 20 were also inserted by the redactor who combined the various sources.^[9]

Archaeologists Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman say that while archaeology has found traces left by small bands of hunter-gatherers in the Sinai, there is no evidence at all for the large body of people described in the Exodus story: "The conclusion – that Exodus did not happen at the time and in the manner described in the Bible – seems irrefutable... repeated excavations and surveys throughout the entire area have not provided even the slightest evidence."^[10]

As adoration of wealth[link]

A metaphoric interpretation emphasizes the "gold" part of "golden calf" to criticize the pursuit of wealth.

This usage can be found in Spanish^[11] where Mammon, the Gospel personification of idolatry of wealth, is not so current.

Quranic version[link]

This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (April 2012)

The incident of Israel and the golden calf is retold in Taha 20.83 in the Quran. The Quranic Version of the episode is similar to the Biblical in most respects, except that the golden calf is constructed by a man named Samiri, rather than Aaron. Samiri claims that Moses has disappeared/forgotten (as stated in Holy Quran From Verse 20–84 Till verse 20–98), and the Israelites have to find this (calf) god & he also claimed that this calf is god of Musa/Moses. To meet this end, Samiri makes a golden calf from the gold jewelry brought out of Egypt and some collected from the people Bani Israeel. After that Samiri blew some glowing sand/dust. Harun (Aaron), who is acting as leader in Moses' absence, attempts to prevent them from worshiping the statue, but is unsuccessful and was seriously cautious not to raise any differences in Bani Israeel until the Return Of his brother Prophet Musa/Moses. When Moses does return, he is infuriated at the pagan ritual and Harun's inability to stop it, and tugs violently at Harun's beard in his anger. Moses then exiles Samiri and orders the golden calf burnt and its ashes cast into the sea.

The exoneration of Aaron from making and worshiping the golden calf can be seen in the verses [90–94] of Surah Taha in Quran:

"Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people [The Children of Israel]! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command." (90) They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us." (91) (Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong, (92) "From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?" (93) (Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'" (94)"

In popular culture[link]

• Le veau d'or est toujours debout (The Golden Calf is still standing) is a famous aria in Charles Gounod's opera Faust
• The Golden Calf is the award given at the Netherlands Film Festival, regarded as the Dutch counterpart to the Academy Awards.
• In 2008, Damien Hirst put his sculpture The Golden Calf up for auction at Sotheby's. The dead calf in formaldehyde, complete with gold-plated horns and hooves, sold for 10.3 million pounds.
• Prefab Sprout has a song on the album From Langley Park to Memphis called "The Golden Calf".
• Mooby the Golden Calf is a fictional character featured in Kevin Smith's films, comics and animated series—an indictment of McDonald's, Mickey Mouse and Disney overall.
• The Little Golden Calf is a famous satirical novel by Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov.

See also[link]

• Torah parshiot or portions dealing with the Golden Calf: Ki Tissa and Eikev
• Red Heifer
• Moloch
• Gugalanna

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• The Golden calf from a Jewish perspective at Chabad.org
• Rabbi Fohrman's Lectures on the Golden Calf
• The Golden calf from Ein Hod perspective
• Islamic interpretation of the story of the Golden calf in the Qur'an
• Story of Muses and Aaron in the Qur'an

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Golden calf

• Jewish Encyclopedia: Calf, Golden
• Online Quran Project 20.83

Today Is the Day
Background information
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genres	Noise rock
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Amphetamine Reptile Relapse SuperNova Black Market Activities
Associated acts	Lethargy, Mastodon, Amber Asylum, Lamb of God, Circle of Dead Children, Wetnurse
Website	supernovarecords.net
Members
Steve Austin Ryan Jones Curran Reynolds
Past members
Brad Elrod Mike Herrell Scott Wexton Chris Reeser Mike Hyde Bill Kelliher Brann Dailor Chris Debari Michael Kilpatric John Gillis Jeff Lohrber Aaron Kotilainen Graham Leduc Derek Roddy John Judkins

Today Is the Day is an American noise rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They have a diverse sound that includes influences from alternative rock, grindcore, and progressive rock among other genres. Lyrical themes include extreme violence, altered states of consciousness, personal struggles, depression, warfare and mental problems such as psychosis, among others.

Biography[link]

The band was founded by Steve Austin and Brad Elrod in Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1990s. The band released its debut EP, entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 1992. This self-financed release garnered the attention of Amphetamine Reptile Records (AmRep) who signed the band (at this time consisting of Austin on vocals and guitar, Brad Elrod on drums, and Mike Herrell on bass guitar) in February 1993. The full-length Supernova was released later that year.^[1]

In September 1994, Today Is the Day saw its popularity in the metal underground increase with the release of their second album, entitled Willpower. That same year, Willpower was followed by the Clusterfuck '94 split EP with labelmates Chokebore and Guzzard. Today Is the Day also contributed to the tenth volume of AmRep's Dope Guns and Fucking in the Streets 7" series with Brainiac and Steel Pole Bath Tub.^[1]

Today Is the Day's self-titled album was released in March 1996. This album was the first of the band's releases recorded at Austin's own studio, Austin Enterprise, in Nashville. For this release, Steve Austin shifted the band's sound slightly and opted to replace bassist Mike Herrell with keyboardist Scott Wexton. Today Is the Day was the band's final recording for AmRep.^[1]

In 1997, Today Is the Day left AmRep and signed with Philadelphia-based metal label Relapse Records and released Temple of the Morning Star in September 1997. For this release, the band's lineup changed significantly, adding bassist and keyboardist Christopher Reeser and drummer Mike Hyde to the band. In addition to Temple of the Morning Star, Today Is the Day also contributed to the In These Black Days 7" series, released by Hydra Head Records, with their rendition of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", which can also be found as a secret track at the end of Temple of the Morning Star.^[1]

For Today Is the Day's August 1999 release, entitled In the Eyes of God, Reeser and Hyde were replaced with bassist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor, formerly of Rochester, New York's Lethargy and current members of Atlanta, Georgia's Mastodon.^[2] This new lineup first appeared live at the Milwaukee Metalfest and the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Having moved to Massachusetts in 1998, this was the first Today Is the Day album to be recorded at Austin Enterprise's new location in Clinton, Massachusetts.^[1]

The years 2000 and 2001 were relatively quiet for Today Is the Day in terms of releasing new material. Live Till You Die was released in August 2000, and included live tracks recorded during the tours in support of Temple of the Morning Star and In the Eyes of God, covers of songs by The Beatles, Bad Company, and Chris Isaak, and various songs compiled from studio sessions held at Austin Enterprise during the late-1990s. In 2001, new Today Is the Day songs were released on splits with Metatron and 16, the first new material since 1999.^[1]

The new songs put out on the split releases later appeared on Today Is the Day's double album Sadness Will Prevail, released in 2002. This album kept with Steve Austin's habit of rotating band personnel, and Kelliher and Dailor were replaced by Chris Debari and Marshall Kilpatric, respectively. Today Is the Day also released their second live album, entitled Blue Blood, in 2002.^[1]

Today Is the Day returned in June 2004 with a new album entitled Kiss the Pig, which featured the debut of new drummer Mike Rosswog, previously of Circle of Dead Children. Rosswog replaced Anal Cunt's John Gillis, who performed live with the band in 2003. Kiss the Pig was the last album released by Today Is the Day on Relapse Records.^[1]

In December 2006 it was announced that former Hate Eternal drummer Derek Roddy had joined the band and would appear on their next studio album, Axis of Eden, released in 2007.^[3]

In April 2010, it was confirmed Today Is the Day would join former AmpRep label mates Melvins, Boss Hog, and others at Amphetamine Reptile's 25th Anniversary bash in Minneapolis on August 28, 2010.^[4]

In July 2010 Black Market Activities Records announced that they are welcoming Today Is The Day to its roster. Black Market Activities will release Today Is The Day’s ninth studio album in 2011.^[5]

SuperNova Records[link]

In 2006 Steve Austin launched his own record label, SuperNova Records, which was founded in order to properly release material by Today Is the Day, among others. As of April 2007, SuperNova has released DVDs of live Today Is the Day shows from 1995 and 1996, as well as reissuing a remastered version of their Willpower record, previously released on Amphetamine Reptile Records. The label also released a film Axis of Eden based on the album of the same name.^[6]

Members[link]

Current

• Steve Austin – lead vocals, guitars (since 1992)
• Ryan Jones – bass (since 2010)
• Curran Reynolds – drums, percussion (since 2010)

Former

• Brad Elrod – drums, percussion (1992–1996, 1998–1999)
• Mike Herrell – bass (1992–1996)
• Scott Wexton – keyboards (1996)
• Chris Reeser – bass, keyboards (1996–1998)
• Mike Hyde – drums, percussion (1997–1998)
• Bill Kelliher – bass (1999)
• Brann Dailor – drums, percussion (1999)
• Chris Debari – bass (2000–2008)
• Marshall Kilpatric – drums, percussion (2000–2002)
• John Gillis – drums, percussion (2002)
• Mike Rosswog – drums, percussion (2004, 2008)
• Jeff Lohrber – drums, percussion (2005)
• Aaron Kotilainen – keyboards (2005)
• Graham Leduc – drums, percussion (2006)
• Derek Roddy – drums, percussion (2007–2008)
• John Judkins – bass (2008–2010)
• Julien Granger – drums (2009–2010)

Guest appearances[link]

• Seth Putnam – vocals on Sadness Will Prevail
• Kris Force – violin on Sadness Will Prevail
• Jackie Gratz – cello on Sadness Will Prevail

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Supernova (1993), Amphetamine Reptile
• Willpower (1994), Amphetamine Reptile
• Today Is the Day (1996), Amphetamine Reptile
• Temple of the Morning Star (1997), Relapse
• In the Eyes of God (1999), Relapse
• Sadness Will Prevail (2002), Relapse
• Kiss the Pig (2004), Relapse
• Axis of Eden (2007), SuperNova
• Pain Is a Warning (2011), Black Market Activities

Live releases[link]

• Live Till You Die CD (2000), Relapse
• Blue Blood CD (2002), Rage of Achilles
• Willpower DVD (2007), SuperNova
• Today Is the Day Live DVD (2006), SuperNova
• Live in Japan DVD (2008), Supernova
• Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go DVD (2008), Supernova

EPs and singles[link]

• How to Win Friends and Influence People EP (1992), self-released
• I Bent Scared 7″ EP (1993), Amphetamine Reptile
• In These Black Days vol. 3 split 7″ with Coalesce (1997), Hydra Head
• Zodiac Dreaming split Mini CD with 16 (2001), Trash Art!
• Descent split CD with Metatron (2001), Dark Reign

Compilation appearances[link]

• Clusterfuck '94 (live) with Chokebore and Guzzard (1994), Amphetamine Reptile
• Dope Guns 'n Fucking in the Streets vol. 10 (1994), Amphetamine Reptile
• Recollection: Relapse Video Collection DVD (2003), Relapse (contributed video for "Pinnacle")
• Dope Guns 'n Fucking Up Your Video Deck vol. 1–3 1990–1994 DVD (2004), Amphetamine Reptile (contributed videos for "6 Dementia Satyr" and "Realization")
• Relapse Records Contamination Fest 2003 live DVD(2004), Relapse
• Recollection 2: Relapse Video Collection DVD (2004), Relapse (contributed video for "The Descent")
• Recollection 3: Relapse Video Collection DVD (2005), Relapse (contributed video for "Mother's Ruin")

References[link]

External links[link]

• SuperNova Records official website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011)

Killah Priest
Performing in Chicago, July 2007
Background information
Birth name	Walter Reed
Also known as	Priest
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	East Coast hip hop, alternative hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, producer, actor
Years active	1993 – present
Labels	Geffen Records, MCA Records, Legion of D.O.O.M.[disambiguation needed ]
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, The HRSMN, Almighty[disambiguation needed ], One Over, Black Market Militia, Starkim, Sunz of Man, Felony Fights, Ras Kass

Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an African-American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious references. He is connected to the Black Hebrew Israelites through his rhymes, and is known for controversial and Afrocentric subject matter. He is also a part of supergroup the HRSMN along with Canibus, Ras Kass, and Kurupt. He has a hardcore fan base and has been known to be very generous and giving of his time to his fans and various charitable organizations.

Biography[link]

1990s[link]

Priest first made himself known to the hip hop world rapping on two songs on the Gravediggaz album 6 Feet Deep in 1994, and followed this with two appearances on each of two Wu-Tang Clan solo albums, Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version and GZA's Liquid Swords, both from 1995 (see 1995 in music). Liquid Swords in fact included a Killah Priest solo track titled "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)". Also in 1995, Priest's group Sunz Of Man with rappers Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn were signed to Wu-Tang Records and released three 12" singles through the label. Initially Sunz Of Man included Shabazz the Disciple, who had previously been in a duo with Priest called The Disciples, but Shabazz basically left the group before the contract with Wu-Tang Records was signed, thus only appearing on the B-side "5 Arch Angels".

Killah Priest's first solo album was Heavy Mental, released on Geffen Records in May 1998. It mostly expanded on the themes of "B.I.B.L.E.", featuring religious references and allegory woven into commentary on African American society and history. The album was mostly produced by the Wu-Elements producers, a group of in-house Wu-Tang producers mentored by Wu leader RZA. Sunz Of Man released their debut album The Last Shall Be First later in 1998, but by that time Priest's ties to the Wu were beginning to weaken, as he and long-time friend Shabazz clashed with RZA (their business ties with the Wu also began to weaken after the GZA Entertainment management agency, which they were both signed to, dissolved in 1996). After unsuccessful attempts by the pair to create new post-Wu Tang crews (Priest proposed a crew called the Maccabeez which would include himself, Shabazz and Timbo King among others, while Shabazz proposed a group including himself and Priest called the Sunz Of Thunder) they both effectively went their separate ways and cut their respective Wu-Tang ties.

2000s[link]

After leaving the Wu stable, and consequently also effectively leaving Sunz Of Man, Priest helped form the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN with Ras Kass, Canibus and Kurupt. In October 2003, Killah Priest and Dreddy Kruger released a nine track album entitled The Horsemen Project. It was released independently through Think Differently Music/Proverbs Music Inc. and was only available to purchase off the internet.^[1] Each track featured at least two members of the group as well as an appearance by Pak Man. It is currently unknown who handled the majority of the production on the album, although it is known that Mark Sparks was responsible for two songs. On Killah Priest's HipHopGame.com journal, he mentions the Horsemen a few times. The talks about a new album were mentioned on the May 1, 2006 entry. He said "The Horsemen project is definitely going to come. Right now we just have to get Kurupt. He's been doing the Dogg Pound thing, but it's definitely going to come. We have songs recorded and we have more in store."^[2]

Ras Kass and Canibus were featured on Priest's second album, View From Masada, which featured no Wu-Tang input whatsoever (though the album's liner notes included the note "Peace to Wu-Tang Clan"). The album had a decidedly more commercially minded style than Heavy Mental, and introduced his new Maccabeez crew, featuring a crew of then-unknown rappers. The album was also an important early stepping stone to stardom for producer Just Blaze, who would later go on to produce countless mainstream hip hop hits for the likes of Cam'ron, Erick Sermon, Fabolous and Jay-Z. However, View From Masada received mixed reviews.

Priest had to leave the major labels behind after View From Masada sold poorly. His first independent release Priesthood (2001), released on Proverbs Music, his own record label, was critically acclaimed though it suffered from very limited distribution. Black August followed in 2003 on Recon Records, and was also well-received. Priest also released an album on the Internet titled Black August Revisited a few months after the release of Black August which shared few similarities with the original, save its title. Black August Revisited also saw Priest rediscover his Wu-Tang ties, including collaborations with Hell Razah and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He also appeared in the music video for the single "Made You Look" by fellow New York rapper Nas.

In 2004, Priest performed numerous times with other Wu-Tang Killa Beez and also appeared on Masta Killa's album No Said Date. November 2005 saw the re-release of Priesthood on Mic Club Music, a label owned by Louis Lombard III (aka Luminati), who produced Priesthood as well as recent albums by Canibus. March 2007 saw the release of Killah Priest's mixtape album "End of the World".

On August 21, 2007, Killah Priest released The Offering, which was sequenced by his former manager, Stacey Castro and featured appearances from Nas, Immortal Technique, his fellow HRSMN, & 4th Disciple as well as Hell Razah, who appears on the advance single title track that was released in October 2005.

Killah Priest next album titled Behind the Stained Glass, was released on May 20, 2008 on the label Good Hands Records. It's reported that he's also in the midst of recording Behind the Stained Glass Part Two.^[3] Killah Priest also released an album titled Elizabeth on October 20, 2009 on Proverbs Records, which Priest owns. Killah Priest is also recording another double album called The Psychic World of Walter Reed, produced by Dutch producers Godz Wrath, 4th Disciple, RZA, DJ Woool and more. Killah Priest also mentioned in a YouTube interview for Pyramid West that he is also working on a sequel to Heavy Mental called Heavier Mental.

2010s and beyond[link]

In a August 2010 radio interview with Mista Montana, Killah Priest discussed the creation of his next album PWOWR, stating that the Rza and many other key Wu Tang Clan members will feature on there, including the Four Horsemen.^[4] Throughout the past and currently Killah Priest has been barking about the unofficial wutang website wu-international(fan website) and affiliated website wutancorp for not supporting wutang affiliates album campaigns properly during album releases.

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

Group albums[link]

Album information
The Last Shall Be First with Sunz of Man Released: July 21, 1998 Label: Red Ant Entertainment Singles: "Natural High", "Shining Star"/"Cold", "The Plan"/"Collaboration '98"
The First Testament with Sunz of Man Released: January 31, 1999 Label: Red Hook Records Singles: "Deep in the Water"/"In the Beginning..."/"The Sins of Man", "Who are the Sunz of Man?"/"The Valley of Death"/"Bring Back the Mike"/"Valley of Kings"
The Horsemen Project with The HRSMN Released: 2003 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: -
Black Market Militia Released: March 22, 2005 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "Audobon Ballroom"/"Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye", "Gem Stars (Remix)"/"Mayday!"
Original S.I.N. with Almighty[disambiguation needed ] Released: July 22, 2008 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "Obey (The Statesmen)"
Beautiful Minds with Chief Kamachi[5] Released: September 23, 2008 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: -
RawzChyld The Creation of Care Released: TBA Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "Run On"/"Amen Ra"/"Illuminati"
The Lamb's Supper with Hell Razah as Thug Vaticans [6] Released: 2012 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "New Millennium Child"

Guest appearances[link]

• 1994 "Diary of a Madman" and "Graveyard Chamber" (Gravediggaz album 6 Feet Deep)
• 1995 "Where Ya At?" and "Where Ya At? (extended version)" (with Ice-T, Ice Cube, Chuck D, RZA, Kam, Mobb Deep, DA Smart, Insane, Shorty, & Smooth B) and "Wicked Ways" (with Sunz Of Man) (from One Million Strong)
• 1995 "Greyhound, Pt. 2" (from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album Experimental Remixes)
• 1995 "Snakes"; "Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo"; & "Don't U Know" (from the Ol' Dirty Bastard album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version)
• 1995 "4th Chamber" & "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
• 1996 "America" (from the AIDS compilation album America Is Dying Slowly)
• 1996 "Parle (Hip-Hop Remix)" (with Kavalier album Nikera)
• 1997 "Repentance Day" (off the Gravediggaz album The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel)
• 1998 "Degree Zero" (from the DJ Spooky album Riddim Warfare)
• 1998 "Abide By" (with other HRSMN members Canibus, Ras Kass, & Kurupt from a 12" single called "White Label")
• 1998 "No Superstar" (from the Bounty Killer album Next Millennium)
• 1998 "Moanin"(By Antonio Chance,Killa Sin) and "Street Opera" (from the "One Step" UK single)
• 1998 "5 Boroughs" (with KRS-One, Buckshot, Cam'Ron, Redman, Run, Keith Murray, Prodigy, & Vigilante) (The Corrupter Soundtrack)
• 1999 "4 Bars" (along with Canibus & Rose Cartel from Universal)
• 1999 "Real Nigga Livin" (with Fat Kat Kareem) (album unknown)
• 1999 "Temple of the Mental" (from the Material album Intonarumori)
• 1999 "Beneath The Surface" Feat, RES (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")
• 1999 "1112" Feat, Masta Killa & Njeri (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")
• 1999 "Feel Like An Enemy" Feat, Hell Raizah, Trigga & Prodigal Sun (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")
• 2000 "Horsementality" (from the Canibus album 2000 B.C.)
• 2000 "Im a Horseman (Promo)" (on Tim Westwood's Radio 1 Rap Show with HRSMN members Canibus & Ras Kass)
• 2001 "Bread of Life" (from the Cappadonna album The Yin and the Yang)
• 2001 "Catechism" (with DJ Spooky off the Wu-Chronicles, Chapter 2)
• 2001 "In Here" (from the Guru album Baldhead Slick & Da Click)
• 2002 "Catechism Part 2" (with DJ Spooky)
• 2002 "Out Tha Spot” (with Kurupt) (Released: 2002 (Unknown))
• 2002 "No Chaser" (with Raze, Hot Rod, & Fokis) (also released in 2003 by Raze on "Leavin Empty Shells")
• 2004 "Masters Degree" (with Block McCloud, Jean Grae, & Pumpkinhead on album Uncle Howie)
• 2004 "Ain't No Way" ((with the HRSMN) off the unreleased album Catch Me If You Can)
• 2004 "Never Imagined" (with Main Flow & Master Foul, off the album Hip-Hopulation)
• 2004 "Chains" (with Masta Killa) (from R.A. The Rugged Man album Die, Rugged Man, Die)
• 2004 "Secret Rivals" (from the Masta Killa album No Said Date)
• 2004 "Saviorself" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Legacy of Blood)
• 2005 "Champions" (with Soulstice) and "Wannabattle Tactics" (with Buckshot & Donte) (from Main Flow album Notebook Assassins)
• 2005 "Horsemen" (by Pak-Man and the HRSMN off the Pak-Man album Chow Time)
• 2005 "The Saints" (with Nas) (From the Dirty Harry mixtape The Warriors)
• 2005 "The 10 Plagues" (by Socalled off the Socalled album The Socalled Seder)
• 2005 "Testimony" (with SHI 360 and Remedy)
• 2006 "Beastin" (from the Chino XL album Poison Pen)
• 2006 "Constant Dreams" (from The UNDC album Closed captioned)
• 2006 "Pagan Helmets" (from Neurologists album As The Dark Settles)
• 2007 "Awaiting The Hour" (From The Ill Bill mixtape Black Metal)
• 2007 "Divine Sacred" (from Lightborn album "The Psychology of Fire")
• 2007 "Shall I Continue" (from Gumz album From Fetus to Genius...)
• 2007 "In The Name Of Allah" (from the Cilvaringz album I)
• 2007 "Liquid Wordz" (from the Canibus album For Whom the Beat Tolls)
• 2007 "Taarruz Basladi" (from the Ako-Akonomi album)
• 2007 "Build" (from the Contribution X album Cobra Of The North)
• 2007 "Law & Order" (from the iCON the Mic King & Chum^{[disambiguation needed ]} album Mike and the Fatman)
• 2007 "Picture of Selassie I (Remix)" (from the Picture of Selassie album by Khari Kill Feat. Jah Bami)
• 2008 "Galaxies" (from the Praxis album Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness))
• 2008 "Eat Ya Food" (from the Brooklyn Zu album Chamber #9, Verse 32)
• 2008 "Bloody Moon" (from VoodooCore {Shaka Amazulu The 7th & Wasabifunk})
• 2008 "One Day" (From Endemic (Terminal Illness) ft. Killah Priest & Timbo King)
• 2008 "Theory Of Dominance" (with Corown Da Sensei/Da Shogunz)
• 2008 "Se7en" (With Shaka Amazulu The 7th ft. Timbo King)
• 2008 "Walking The Line" (with Annakin Slayd from the album Stalwart Empire)
• 2008 "Immaculate for the Babylon A.D. Film" (With Michael Arkangelo and Shakura Holiday Prod by RZA and Shavo (Achozen))
• 2009 "Babylon Beast" (from the Heavyweight Dub Champion album Rise of the Champion Nation)
• 2009 "Where I Come From (Remix)" (with Tha Advocate, Willy Northpole, Hussein Fatal, Stat Quo, DoItAll, Big Lou, Sha Stimuli, Mr. probz)
• 2009 "God is Love" (from the U-God album Dopium)
• 2009 "Memoir Of A Gravedigga" (from Shaka Amazulu The 7th [Black Stone of Mecca album] ft. 9th Prince, Warcloud, Frukwan, and Shabazz The Disciple)
• 2009 "Murder" (with Chino XL & Sean Price, off the DJ-JS1 album "Ground Original 2- No Sellout")
• 2010 "Soul Purpose" (from Dusty Philharmonics album "The Audiotopsy", Unexpected Records)
• 2010 "Purified Thoughts" feat GZA/Genius (From Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids)
• 2011 "Wu Crime" feat GZA/Genius (from Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang)
• 2011 "Picture Perfect" Tragic Allies feat. Killah Priest (from Tragic Allies debut album The Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil)
• 2011 "Among Us" Trai Kennedi feat. Killah Priest (debut single by producer DUS)
• 2011 "Emerald Cypher" Canibus Feat. Killah Priest, Born Sun, K-Rino (Lyrical Law)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Killah Priest on Myspace
• Killah Priest at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview on DUBCNN
• Uncensored Interview on Conspiracy Radio

Howard Shore
Shore in New York on October 7, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Howard Leslie Shore
Born	(1946-10-18) October 18, 1946 (age 65) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Classical, Orchestra, Film Score
Occupations	composer, orchestrator, conductor, music producer
Years active	1978–present
Website	howardshore.com

Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg, having scored all but one of his films since 1979.

He has also composed a few concert works including one opera, The Fly, based on the plot (though not his score) of Cronenberg's 1986 film premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on 2 July 2008.,^[1] a short piece Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a short overture for the Swiss 21st Century Symphony Orchestra.

Shore is a three-time winner of the Academy Award, and has also won three Golden Globe Awards and four Grammy Awards. He is the uncle of film composer Ryan Shore.^[2] Shore serves on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music.^[3]

Early life and career[link]

Shore was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the son of Bernice (née Ash) and Mac Shore.^[4] He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating from Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. From 1969 to 1972, he performed with the group Lighthouse. In 1970 he was the music director of Lorne Michaels and Hart Pomerantz's short-lived TV program The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour. Shore wrote the music for Canadian magician Doug Henning's magical/musical Spellbound in 1974, and he was the musical director for Lorne Michaels' hugely influential late-night NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1980, appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band, and dressed as a beekeeper for a John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd performance of the Slim Harpo classic I'm a King Bee. Shore also suggested the name for The Blues Brothers to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.

Film scoring[link]

1979–2000[link]

Shore's first film score was to David Cronenberg's first major film The Brood (1979). He would go on to score all of Cronenberg's subsequent films, with the exception of The Dead Zone (1983), which was scored by Michael Kamen. The first film he scored that was not directed by Cronenberg was Martin Scorsese's After Hours.

Following After Hours, he scored The Fly (1986), again directed by Cronenberg. Two years later, he composed the score to Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks. He then scored two more of David Cronenberg's films: Dead Ringers (1988) and Naked Lunch (1991).

During 1991, Shore composed the score for the highly acclaimed film The Silence of the Lambs, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, and directed by Jonathan Demme. He received his first BAFTA nomination for the score. The film became the third (and most recent) to win the five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress). Shore is the only living composer to have scored a "Top Five" Oscar winning film.

During 1993, he composed the scores for M. Butterfly (another collaboration with Cronenberg), Philadelphia (his second collaboration with Jonathan Demme), and Mrs. Doubtfire, directed by Chris Columbus. The latter two films were highly successful; Philadelphia winning Tom Hanks his first Oscar.

Shore scored another three films in 1994: The Client, Ed Wood, and Nobody's Fool. Ed Wood is notable for being one of the two films directed by Tim Burton that did not feature a score by Danny Elfman.

Shore continued to score numerous films from 1995–2001, including two David Fincher films, Seven (1995) and The Game (1997); also, he collaborated on two films with Cronenberg along with Tom Hanks' directorial debut, That Thing You Do!. Shore composed the score for the 2000 film The Cell.

2001–2005[link]

Shore at LOTR press conference at Wellington, New Zealand in 2003.

Shore's major success came in 2001 with his score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in the highly acclaimed The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The news that Shore would score the trilogy surprised some, since he was primarily associated with dark, ominous films and had never scored an epic of this scale. However, the score was hugely successful and won Shore his first Oscar, as well as a Grammy Award, and nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

The following year, Shore composed the scores to Panic Room, Gangs of New York (replacing Elmer Bernstein), and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the second film in the trilogy. The latter two films were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, although neither won. Shore's score for The Two Towers was deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy, due to a new rule that disallowed the submission of scores which contained themes from previous work. This rule proved very unpopular, due to the fact that had it been present in earlier years, it would have invalidated various other sequel scores (such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones) from being nominated. As a result the Academy dispensed with this rule for future years. Shore did, however, receive a BAFTA nomination for Gangs of New York.

In 2003 he composed the score for the final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The film was the most successful film in the trilogy and the most successful of the year. Shore won his second Oscar for Best Original Score, as well as a third for Best Original Song for "Into the West", which he shared with Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox. The film was nominated for, and won a total of eleven Academy Awards, a record for the number of Oscars won by a single film, and a record that only two other films—Titanic (1997) and Ben-Hur (1959)—have matched. Shore also won his first Golden Globe, his third and fourth Grammy (the fourth for Best Song), and was nominated for a third BAFTA. The scores of The Lord of the Rings became one of the most successful film scores ever written, and the biggest success in Shore's career.

In 2004, Shore again collaborated with Martin Scorsese, scoring his epic film The Aviator. He won a second Golden Globe for the score, becoming the second composer to have won consecutive Golden Globes in the Original Score category. He also received his sixth Grammy nomination, and his fifth BAFTA nomination.

He collaborated again with David Cronenberg in 2005 to score A History of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen. The film was a success and received two Oscar nominations. In 2006, he collaborated for the fourth time with Martin Scorsese, this time to score The Departed. The film was highly successful and won four Oscars, including a long awaited win for Scorsese, and Best Picture.

Although Shore was originally commissioned to compose the soundtrack for King Kong (indeed, he had already recorded most of the music), he was later replaced by James Newton Howard due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" on his and the filmmakers' parts. This was a mutual agreement between himself and Peter Jackson. Despite this, Shore has a cameo near the end of King Kong as the conductor of the pit orchestra in the theater, performing portions of Max Steiner's score to the original 1933 version of the film.

2006–present[link]

In 2007, he composed the music for Soul of the Ultimate Nation, an online multiplayer video game. The soundtrack is notable for being the first video game soundtrack to feature Lydia Kavina on the theremin. During 2007 he also composed the scores to The Last Mimzy, and Eastern Promises, the latter of which was another collaboration with David Cronenberg and earned Shore his fourth Golden Globe nomination. In 2008 he scored Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and directed by John Patrick Shanley. The film was a success, earning five Oscar nominations.

In 2010, Shore composed the score to the third installment in the highly popular Twilight film series, following Carter Burwell and Alexandre Desplat, who scored the first and second films, respectively. He also replaced John Corigliano to score Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson.

Shore's 2011 projects are A Dangerous Method, continuing his long-term collaboration with director David Cronenberg. He also composed the score to Martin Scorsese's Hugo, his fifth collaboration with the director, which earned him a sixth Golden Globe nomination and fourth Oscar nomination.

Shore's future projects include Robert Sigl's The Spider^[5] and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit,^[6] which is currently in production. He is also set to compose the music to Sinatra,^[7] and The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,^[8] both of which are being directed by Martin Scorsese and are due for release in 2013.

Conducting and performing[link]

Since 2004, he has toured the world conducting local orchestras in the performance of his new symphonic arrangement of his highly acclaimed Lord of the Rings scores. The new work is entitled The Lord of the Rings: Symphony in Six Movements. There are two movements for each of the movies, and an intermission between the second and third (or first and second, in some cases) movements. The concert presentation of the symphony also includes projected still images relating the music being performed to scenes from the films. Recently, however, Shore has been busy with other projects, leaving other conductors including Markus Huber, Alexander Mickelthwaite, and John Mauceri to lead the orchestras. April 24, 2008 marked the North American Live to Projection debut of Fellowship of the Ring, with the score performed live by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki. Wicki also conducted the Filene Center Orchestra at the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, Virginia on May 21 and 22, 2008 in the U.S. premiere of the Fellowship of the Ring Live to Projection. September 16, 2010 Shore conducted the RSO Vienna (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra) which performed "In Dreams from The Fellowship of the Ring" at Hollywood in Vienna in Vienna, Austria.

Television[link]

• Shore was commissioned by Macy's to write a Fanfare for the Store's 150th anniversary featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Wanamaker Organ, the world's largest playing pipe organ. The work was debuted in the Grand Court of Macy's Philadelphia Store on September 27, 2008 in a concert that drew reviews from most of the major East Coast newspapers.
• With John Lurie, Shore wrote the theme song for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The theme was carried over to The Tonight Show when O'Brien succeeded Jay Leno as host.

Radio[link]

• Shore narrates a one-hour CBC Radio documentary/soundscape on music in thriller/suspense film genres also including references to radio dramas and other media. The episode was called "Unsettling Scores"^[9] and premiered on the program called Inside the Music.

Awards[link]

Shore has received four Academy Award nominations, winning three, two for Best Original Score, for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). He also won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Into the West" from Return of the King. He received his fourth nomination for his work on Hugo.

Shore has also received six Golden Globe nominations, winning three consecutive awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song - "Into the West" for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and The Aviator (2004), making him the only the second composer (after Alan Menken) to have received consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Score. He also won three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Score for each of the Lord of the Rings films, and received a second award in 2003 for the song "Into the West" from "Return of the King" in the category of Best Song. He has also received five BAFTA nominations, but has not won.

On June 11, 2007, Shore was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from York University in Toronto for "his sweeping artistic vision".^[10]

Shore has also been honored with awards from The National Board of Review, Recording Academy Honors, The Broadcast Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, Genie Award, World Soundtrack Award, New York's Gotham Award, and The Saturn Award for Science Fiction.

Shore is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Science Fiction Feature Film for The Last Mimzy.

On September 16, 2010 he was awarded with the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of Vienna at the yearly film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna.^[11]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of noted film producer and composer collaborations

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Howard Shore

• Official website
• Howard Shore at the Internet Movie Database
• Howard Shore at Soundtrackguide.net
• Howard Shore at The Danish Filmmusic Society (DFS)
• Howard Shore Interview at Tracksounds