This isn't strictly a scene, but I adore the Ainulindalë. Tolkien's creation myth for his world is just pure poetry, and I never get sick of reading it. It speaks to me as a musician, of course, but also it is just a wonderful idea of how a world could come into being. The lapsed Catholic in me was initially a little uncomfortable at some of the more overtly Christian themes and ideas, but I long since got over that and just enjoy the tale for its beauty and its majesty. There is a short phrase that the tale ends on: "in the Deeps of Time and amidst of the innumerable stars," and I cannot tell you what it is, but that just gives me chills every single time.

Even if you don't read the rest of the Silmarillion (and Eru knows I haven't), I thoroughly recommend the first chapter, as it is just magical. Why, here's a handy pdf! And here's an utterly beautiful webcomic that tells the tale with gorgeous artwork.

Not a scene, but a quote:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

In the books I quite enjoyed the scene where Frodo and Faramir had a long talk while eating food. I listened to the autobook years after I had seen the movies and I felt this really added to Faramir's charicter.

Also the scouring of the Shire I understand why it was not included in the films as it as already a long movie. But in the book it really showed how much the Shire had changed since they left.

Suddenly Frodo noticed that a strange-looking weather-beaten man, sitting in the shadows near the wall, was also listening intently to the hobbit-talk. He had a tall tankard in front of him, and was smoking along-stemmed pipe curiously carved. His legs were stretched out before him, showing high boots of supple leather that fitted him well, but had seen much wear and were now caked with mud. A travel-stained cloak of heavy dark-green cloth was drawn close about him, and in spite of the heat of the room he wore a hood that overshadowed his face; but the gleam of his eyes could be seen as he watched the hobbits.

I first read LotR in fifth grade. It was one of the first novels I ever read truly for myself. It started me down a long path of high fantasy reading that persists to this day.

I idolized Aragorn as a kid (still do a bit) and loved everything about his character and lore. Andúril and his Ranger sword currently hang above my desk.

With the exception of a few years skipped I have reread the book yearly since the mid 90s. The paragraph above when Aragorn is first described has always heald a special place in my heart (it's a great scene in the movie as well).

There are many other amazing scenes but this is by far my favorite (admittedly nostalgia plays a big role in my choice).

It might just be the audiobook (Rob Inglis version) doing justice to this part, but I’ve always enjoyed the witch king confrontation + Rohan arrival, particularly:

"Old fool!" he said. "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.

And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.

And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.

Gandalf recounting his fight with Durin's Bane, specifically after he'd fallen into the chasm.

The deep earth terrifies me. Huge phobia. Caves are nightmares. Where Gandalf went is pure hell to me - lost in tunnels so far below Middle Earth that it's indescribable except through mythic language. "The foundations of stone" indeed. I'd be catatonic.

I imagine him tracking Durin's Bane for those eight days while both of them were trying to remain quiet enough to not rouse the Nameless Things that ate the very tunnels they crept through, Gandalf only rarely using his magic to light the way. In their hunted, weakened states, I don't imagine either of them wanted to square off against some hideous flesh amalgam with a hundred tentacles trying to eat them. I know that description isn't canon, but I always imagined the Nameless Things as an even worse version of the Watcher in the Water.

A close second is Morgoth being nearly consumed by Ungoliant. As with much of the Silmarillion, Tolkien leaves the finer details up to us. Since Morgoth was massive, and Ungoliant was large enough and dark enough to frighten even Morgoth, I always imagined the scene as this massive spider, large enough to step over mountains, the living embodiment of every twisted shadow and ill-intent on and below Arda. So powerful that her attack made Morgoth himself scream in pain. A truly terrifying creature.

If you can't tell, I most enjoy Tolkien's forrays into eldritch/primordial horror. They're far too brief, in my opinion. I wonder sometimes if he approached them purely from a utilitarian perspective - a way to place his heroes in context - rather than from a perspective of curiosity. Perhaps that's why they're so shortly explored despite their scope.

Frodo boarding the White Ship leaving Middle Earth for Valinor at the end of The Return of the King. Doesn't matter how many times I've read it (dozens and dozens), doesn't matter whether the Undying Lands mean he's immortal or it's more like heaven and he's dead (Sam's vision makes me lean toward the latter), I always burst into tears. The overall tableau is wrenching. And grey. What is it about grey and LOTR?!?

"Then Frodo kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went aboard; and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost. And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed on into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise. But to Sam the evening deepened to darkness as he stood at the Haven; and as he looked at the grey sea he saw only a shadow on the waters that was soon lost in the West. There still he stood far into the night, hearing only the sigh and murmur of the waves on the shores of Middle-earth, and the sound of them sank deep into his heart. Beside him stood Merry and Pippin, and they were silent. At last the three companions turned away, and never again looking back they rode slowly homewards; and they spoke no word to one another until they came back to the Shire, but each had great comfort in his friends on the long grey road."

I always get the most emotional at the scene where Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas decide to hunt after the orcs that captured Merry and Pippin. It's the feeling of making a difference in the world, even when your plans failed.

I read The Hobbit in fourth grade for a book report. The Barrow Wights and subsequent Tom Bombadil will always be stuck in my mind

Do I have to pick one? Eowyn asking to be allowed to ride to war, her speech about her experience shut in with King Theoden and Grima, and then later the arc of her ride and her role in the battle is moving and satisfying. (sorry I don't have the book in front of me).

From the Hobbit Bilbo taunting and singing to the spiders in Mirkwood. Attercop is a word I will never forget since reading it as a child.

I was disgusted with what they did to the Hobbit with the movie version.

Edit, Tolkein was almost certainly familiar with the Song of Roland and the Chronicle of the Cid. I hear echoes of those chivalric tales in the quote you included in your post.

My favorite is definitely Finrod vs Sauron

He chanted a song of wizardry,
Of piercing, opening, of treachery,
Revealing, uncovering, betraying.

Then sudden Felagund there swaying,
Sang in a song of staying,
Resisting, battling against power,
Of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
And trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
Of changing and shifting shape,
Of snares eluded, broken traps,
The prison opening, the chain that snaps.

Backwards and forwards swayed their song.
Reeling foundering, as ever more strong
The chanting swelled, Felagund fought,
And all the magic and might he brought
Of Elvenesse into his words.
Softly in the gloom they heard the birds
Singing afar in Nargothrond,
The sighting of the Sea beyond,
Beyond the western world, on sand,
On sand of pearls on Elvenland.

Then in the doom gathered; darkness growing
In Valinor, the red blood flowing
Beside the Sea, where the Noldor slew
The Foamriders, and stealing drew
Their white ships with their white sails
From lamplit havens. The wind wails,
The wolf howls. The ravens flee.
The ice mutters in the mouths of the Sea.
The captives sad in Angband mourn.
Thunder rumbles, the fires burn-
And Finrod fell before the throne.

I also like the one line after Fingolfin challenges Morgoth.

And Morgoth came.

The thing that I always adore about that speech is

Fell deeds awake

“Fell” is such superb writing. Tolkien had such a love of language that he could find the perfect word. I wonder if it is somehow related to William Empson’s concept of misreading poetry

Foul deeds await

There’s a depth to it which amazes.

Luthien going up against Sauron and casually defeating him after he’s been shown to be nearly unstoppable is a high point.

However, my personal favourite part of Tolkien’s writings is the Ainulindalë. It’s just such a tour de force of creative, thoughtful world building. The metaphor of the music and the discussion of free will is just a bonus!

Oh, I have so many! The ones where sentence brevity has a lot of impact:

And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.

Such a really great way to build anticipation, hit you with the climax, and leave you reeling from the awe of the scene -- all in one paragraph.

Then the lust of the Dwarves was kindled to rage by the words of the King; and they rose up about him, and laid hands on him, and slew him as he stood. So died in the deep places of Menegroth Elwë Singollo, King of Doriath, who alone of all the Children of Ilúvatar was joined with one of the Ainur; and he who, alone of the Forsaken Elves, had seen the light of the Trees of Valinor, with his last sight gazed upon the Silmaril.

The poetic repetition of the gaze upon the Trees and the Silmaril is poignant. But what really struck about me in this scene is how much longer it dwells on the titles and accomplishments of Thingol, while the actual passage about his death ("and slew him as he stood") is incredibly short. Thingol was at the height of his hubris -- and it only took a moment to cut him down. The death itself was enough to take me aback; beyond that initial shock, if you re-read that paragraph more and more, the more you see how beautifully crafted it is.

Then the ones that simply had a profound emotional effect on me:

And he issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron, crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.

One of the fan-favorite scenes, surely. "And Morgoth came." is once again a sentence with so much impact for its brevity. This particular scene that follows it is one of my favorites: the Enemy, a towering shadow. But Fingolfin gleams as a star beneath it still. Fingolfin was supposedly driven here by despair, so it's so profound how this scene evokes so much hope.

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.

My single favorite passage. There is such an ache in "And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?" You get the feeling that life and death are not matters humans should be governing at all.

galadriel giving gimli 3 locks of hair

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/27210/is-there-a-hidden-significance-behind-the-fact-galadriel-gave-3-hairs-to-gimli-i

Birthday party scene in the shire without a doubt https://youtu.be/s2sVMLr1fDg