About: Ninielle (Niénor and Túrin)

The song „Ninielle“ was initially written by Ben and Mo(nika) in Fall 2015. Discussing J.R.R. Tolkien’s „The Children of Húrin“ they both imagined writing an ancient sounding melody for the beautiful sad love story between „Nienor and Túrin“. Mo wrote some words and arranged them like an old European folk song, with an acapella intro sung by Faelend’s Eruhíni Chorus. Ben played an impromptu chord sequence, added soft and heavy guitar parts, Ben and Frank programmed a backing track, Mo sang the melodies to it. At the end of the day the pre-production of the song „Ninielle“ was finished. Faelend thanks all the volunteers who came to play in the music video to the song which was filmed at Schloss Walbeck in Spring 2016. Guren glassui, my heart is glad!
credits:
Music: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen and Jürgen Magdziak
Lyrics: Monika Stienen
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak and Gerd Breuer
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen
Recorded at Keusgen Studio Haldern
Produced by Faelend
‚Ninielle’ i.e. ‚Níniel’ (Sindarin): Tear-Maiden

About:  I Esgal (Gollum´s Woe)

Frank’s original composition for EGOamp’s „The Veil“ found it’s way into Middle-earth when Mo added a new melody with Sindarin and Quenya words to it. Frank and Mo imagined that this desperate lament could be sung by Gollum in his cave under the Misty Mountains whilst the etheric voices of Elves would echo through the stony hallways: „Live! In the land of the living dead!“
credits
Music: Frank Stienen, Monika Stienen
Lyrics: Frank Stienen, Monika Stienen
Arranged by Frank Stienen and Gerd Breuer
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de
I Esgal (Sindarin): the veil

About: Faelend (Revised)

The Song „Faelend“ was first published in 2008 under the name „Faelend Project“,
when Frank and Mo, both Tolkien-Fans from a very early age, had the idea of writing a mystical song with „Elvish“ lyrics. Both had visited Wales and loved the sound of „Welsh“ which was spoken in the Gaeltachts of Wales. While watching Peter Jackson’s trilogy „The Lord of the Rings“ Mo heard the beautiful sound of Galadriel, Arwen and Aragorn speaking Sindarin (one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish languages), recognized the similar sound of Welsh and Sindarin and wrote her first Sindarin songtext about the love between Arwen and Aragorn. The song ‚Faelend’ was recorded and produced overnight, Frank programmed the music, Mo sang all the vocals and harmonies. The Song was first published in 2008 by the VIP Nation Forum on the sampler „State of the Heart 2“. When their friend and guitarist Ben listened to it he said: „Let’s start a real band and call it Faelend!“. In 2014 they re-recorded the song in the Keusgen Studio Haldern and called it „Faelend (revised)“.
credits
Music: Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen and Ben Paderna
Lyrics: Monika Stienen, Ben Paderna
Arranged by Frank Stienen and Jürgen Magdziak
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen
Recorded at Keusgen Studio Haldern
Produced by Faelend
Faelend (Sindarin): journey of the soul

About: Lind em-môr (Lúthien and Beren)

This song is originally based on a traditional Irish melody. It’s a very special example of how a song can develop when the writers put their hearts right into it.
Lind em-mor could be described as palimpsest. The lyrics were first written in German by Conny’s sister Gabriele. She wrote it for her daughter. It was then called „Ganz nah bei Dir“. Conny and Martin translated it into English and called it „Close to you“. In spite of the beautiful words the song failed to surface. Martin Griesbeck from tonmischungen.de and Mo decided to rewrite it for Faelend. When Mo first read the words she saw J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvenmaid Lúthien dancing on a clearing in the forest. With Helmut Pesch’s help she found the Sindarin words for it, called it „Lind em-mor“ and sang it at the kitchen table. Conny played a soft violin, Ben played a wonderful guitar riff and Jürgen played piano arpeggios to it.
credits
Music: Monika Stienen, Ben Paderna, Frank Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak, Martin Griesbeck
Lyrics: Martin Griesbeck, Monika Stienen
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak and Martin Griesbeck
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de
Lind em-môr (Sindarin): Song of Night

About: Gúren bêd enni (My heart tells me)

Mo and Helmut W. Pesch met in 2015 at a Faelend Concert in Minden and started to talk about the beauty of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish Languages. Helmut offered Mo his advice concerning the Sindarin words of the Faelend songs. Soon she sent him the words for Lind em-mor and he helped her with the grammar and the pronounciation. Mo offered Helmut: „If you ever decide to write a song in Sindarin, i’m going to write the music for you.“ Two hours later he sent her his beautiful lyrics for „Gúren bêd enni“, which describe Nienors premonition about her fatal connection to her brother Túrin. Helmut had this song in mind for a long time. Mo called her brother Frank and sang a melody to it. Both decided to produce Helmut’s song. At that time Helmut didn’t even know that the title song of the album is also about the Tear-Maiden Níniel (Nienor) as well.
credits

Music: Monika and Frank Stienen, Ben Paderna

Lyrics: Helmut W. Pesch
Arranged by Monika and Frank Stienen
Engineered by Frank Stienen
Produced by tonmischungen.de
Gúren bêd enni (Sindarin): „My heart tells me“

About: Children of Ilúvatar I (Eldar)

When Ben first came up with the idea of writing a song for the ‚Children of Ilúvatar’ together with a haunting blues riff, Mo played a Koto line to it and wrote the lyrics. Frank and Ben added Taiko-Drums. Since the song didn’t yet have a real melody, Mo was humming the title, found something very simple and recorded eight layered vocal harmonies for the pre-production. She imagined this refrain being sung in fifths by a choir of Elves: This was when Faelend introduced the ‚Eruhíni Chorus’.
Eruhíni (Quenya): Children of Eru, Elves and Men.They dedicated Children 1 to the Eldar (Quenya for Elves), the first Children of Ilúvatar, J.R.R. Tolkien’s transcendent god in Arda.
credits
Music and lyrics: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen
Arranged by Ben Paderna and Jürgen Magdziak
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen
Recorded at Keusgen Studio Haldern
Produced by Faelend
Eldar (Quenya): elves

About: After the rain (Eiliant)

The ballad „Eiliant (After the Rain)“ was composed between 2010 and 2015. Ben wrote a little poem, Mo sang the melodies to it and added more words imagining Arwen Undómiel, who waited many years for Aragorn’s return. Jürgen sat down für twelve hours and wrote an alluring chord sequence, Michael composed the choir vocals. In 2014, when the band had a rehearsal at the kitchen piano and played the song, the sky turned black and it started to rain. After the rain a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. Minutes later a second one appeared. This was a sign: After the rain there will be a rainbow, an Eiliant. Mo and Frank added these lines to the song.
credits
Music: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak,  Michael Strohm
Lyrics: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen
Recorded at Keusgen Studio Haldern
Produced by Faelend
Eiliant (Sindarin): rainbow

About: Children of Ilúvatar II (Edain)

As soon as Children of Ilúvatar 1 was recorded, Ben, Mo and Frank thought about writing a sequel, Children of Ilúvatar 2. It had to be a song about the Edain, all Men, who traveled to the West, met the dark Avari first of all the Elves and were taught from them music and language (tolkiengateway.net).
credits
Music and lyrics: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen
Arranged by Ben Paderna and Jürgen Magdziak
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen
Recorded at Keusgen Tonstudio
Produced by Faelend
Edain (Sindarin): Second People

About: Falling stars (Gil-Estel)

The Song was written in 2012 when Mo, Ben and Frank saw a falling star,
a „Sternschnuppe“, a star of hope. They made up a story that everytime when you see a „Sternschnuppe“ you’ll have the chance of meeting the new love of your life.
They read about J.R.R. Tolkien’s character Earendil and his byname „Gil-estel (Star of Hope)“. One sunny afternoon the whole family and friends took their guitars and had a picknick at the lake: They sang „Falling Stars “ until dusk. This will always remain a beautiful memory.
credits
Music: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak, Frank Stienen, Michael Strohm
Lyrics: Monika Stienen
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak and Martin Griesbeck
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de
Gil-Estel (Sindarin): star of hope

About: Cildren of Illúvatar III

Avari Lullaby:Ainulindalë

The topic of this trilogy in C minor is the story of the Avari Elves, who refused to follow the invitiation of the Valar and didn’t go on the Great Journey. The lullaby came to Mo’s mind, when she walked over the fields with her dog Barnie. She was wondering what kind of lullaby Avari elves would sing for their kids. It would be something like the legend of their own People, an ‚Ainulindale’ from the perspective of the Avari, a branch of elves, who tell their own story in their own way. Mo started to humm the word ‚Ainulindale’, the music of the Ainur, came home and wrote the lyrics. When the band first played the ‚Avari Lullaby’ in August 2016, a pretty little girl in the audience lay down on the grass and fell asleep.
credits
Music: Monika Stienen, Ben Paderna, Jürgen Magdziak, Frank Stienen
Lyrics: Monika Stienen
Arranged by Monika Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak, Martin Griesbeck
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de

About: Avari Dance:Echui

The second song of the trilogy. Wake up! It’s the dawn of the Avari! Mo asked Conny to write a new tune with the chord structure of the lullaby,a tune that would sound a bit like a traditional Irish dance, but mostly like something, that the Avari Elves and their people would play when they have a party.
credits
Music: Martin Griesbeck
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak and Martin Griesbeck
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de
Echui (Sindarin): awakening

About: Avari Night:Fuin

The third song of the trilogy is a statement for individuality and freedom. Starlight shines for the Avari Elves. They didn’t follow Oromë to Valinor and were later known as the „Unwilling“.
credits
Music: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak,  Martin Griesbeck, Michael Strohm
Lyrics: Monika Stienen
Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak and Martin Griesbeck
Engineered by Martin Griesbeck
Produced by tonmischungen.de
Fuin (Sindarin): night
For Micha and Tanja.

About: Ninielle:Epilogue

credits

Music: Ben Paderna, Monika Stienen, Frank Stienen, Jürgen Magdziak

Arranged by Jürgen Magdziak
Engineered by Klaus-Dieter Keusgen and Martin Griesbeck
Recorded at Keusgen Studio Haldern and tonmischungen.de
Produced by tonmischungen.de