I’ve always loved video games, and the games of the Elder Scrolls series have a special place in my heart. Since I first played Morrowind, the land of Tamriel has captured my imagination, and I eagerly looked forward to the releases of Oblivion and Skyrim (to this day, a replica of an Imperial septim, the coins used in the series, sits next to my keyboard). All three games featured excellent music, with a beautiful and often pastoral score by Jeremy Soule.
Skyrim is, for me, the highlight of the series so far, combining the deep storytelling of Morrowind with the playability of Oblivion (and also including vikings and dragons). As I played, I began to wonder how I might have approached the task of writing music for this vast world had I somehow been lucky enough to land the job. It’s a question I often think to myself as I play a game or watch a movie, but in the case of Skyrim it’s possible to easily modify the game files to add almost anything to the game – including music!
I decided to write an entire alternate score for Skyrim, approaching things from a slightly different angle than the original score. I expanded my palette beyond the orchestra of the original music, including a wide range of medieval and folk instruments such as hurdy gurdy, lyre, and tin whistle. A Swedish nyckelharpa is associated with the main character, while the dragons – harbingers of a foretold apocalypse – are accompanied by an otherworldly Bulgarian female choir.
I also delved into the Creation Kit, the software used to modify the game, and experimented with adding more situational tracks. Each of the game’s main factions has their own theme and soundworld, and these are dynamically added to the music you hear when undertaking quests for that faction. Different landscapes likewise have their own unique sounds, and when delving into the caverns and dungeons of Skyrim you’ll hear different music depending on what monsters lurk below.
Skyrim Rescored has been an exciting project, a chance for me to stretch some compositional muscles, and I’m excited to share it. Stay tuned for more information about the project! For now, here’s a work-in-progress version of the main menu theme:
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