From Rashad Pollard with this note:

Something you might enjoy viz culture, in this case music, based on very ancient European mythology and which, maybe (and that is up to you) find a slot in SICA news. And it does seem to strike some inner context.

The advent of music, from the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien, expanded from the myths and traditions of Europe including the Celtic, British, German and Finnish peoples, edited by Rashad Pollard.

In Middle Earth, before the coming of Men, the Elvish ruler Illuvatar spoke to his people, and he introduced to them, for the first time, themes of music; and they sang these themes to him. But for a long time, they sang each alone, or but few together, while the rest simply listened.

It then came to pass that Illuvatar called them together again and declared a truly mighty theme to them and he instructed them to make this music in harmony, together; to make a Great Music. And a sound arose of endlessly interchanging melodies woven in harmony that past beyond hearing into the depths and heights of all of creation.

But as these themes progressed it came into the heart of one, Melkor, to interweave matters of his own imaging that were not in accordance with the theme of Illuvatar, for he sought therein to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to him. And straight away discord arose about him, and many who sang grew despondent.

So Illuvatar called them together a third time and intruded a new song to them; one with even greater beauty and power. But the discord of Melkor rose in uproar once more and contended with it, and caused even more disharmony.

So, Illuvatar rose for the fourth time and presented a sound that took to itself a new profundity; at first soft and sweet, a mere rippling of gentle sounds in delicate memories, but moving deep and wide and beautiful. But the other continued loud and vain and endlessly repeated without harmony, a clamorous unison of many trumpets braying upon a few notes. It assayed to drown the other music by the violence of its voice.

In the midst of this Illuvatar raised up his hands and in one chord, deeper than the Abyss; higher than the Firmament; piercing like the Sun that shone from his Eyes, caused the Music to cease.

In time, then, it was that Men entered the Middle Kingdom of the Elves, and Elves and Men lived together. Men heard also of the Great Music of Illuvatar and the violence and dissonance of Melkor based on his own self-interest and passions, and how it came about, through this, that this division and discord, wars and premature death haunted the lives of Men as it haunted the Elven Kingdoms before them.

But still, they knew they would be able to find the great silence and stillness of Illuvatar, and that this would always guarantee that the beauty and harmony of the Great Music may be recalled, and so a return to the world of peace and harmony would always be sustained and never be lost, forever.