The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Soundtrack (by Howard Shore, Soundtrack)

If it takes nothing short of a phenomenally super-hyped blockbuster fantasy trilogy to get your kids interested in orchestral music, so what? The soundtrack of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING -- number three in the Lord of the Rings trilogy -- evokes drama and passion through its intensely arranged musical instruments and choral vocals, and they are mostly wonderful (though some may consider it just a teensy bit tedious without the visuals). Annie Lennox closes the show nicely with an understated Celtic-style ballad. But mostly there are few lyrics to worry about, so this soundtrack is appropriate for kids of any age, although older kids are most likely to appreciate it.

The music on this soundtrack is beautiful, tasteful, and gracefully performed. It's also moody and magical, so will evoke remembered images and favorite passages. Perhaps children too young to see the PG-13-rated movie (which is quite long and far more violent than the music) will be able to make up their own stories to this soundtrack, or simply enjoy it on its own. The soundtrack will definitely be a hit with the true-blue diehard fans.