It begins with a slow hum of the violin. A cello joins in the ensemble, and the pitch increases. A French horn bellows an opening call, inviting the listener to immerse themselves in this sea of sound. And then it comes to a halt – the soft murmuring of a piano interrupts the scene and transitions the listener into a quiet, welcoming space.
The above song – “Wind Guide You” is a centerpiece song created by Jeremy Soule for the video game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The video game centers around the frosty land of Skyrim and the player finds themselves as the mythical Dragonborn, responsible for saving the world from dragons threatening to initiate the apocalypse.
The story and writing of the game are enjoyable and likely deserve a future article on itself, but the main focus of this article is the atmosphere of Skyrim – its sounds, views, and nonverbal messages it seeks to impart to the viewer. In my opinion, those aspects are what makes Skyrim so special as a video game. In fact, Jeremy Soule’s music transforms this game into much more than a video game – it’s also an emotional experience balanced out by beautiful imagery and a soothing soundtrack.
Part 1: The Artist
Jeremy Soule, a self-made musical entrepreneur, was invited to create the soundtrack for the game. Soule sought to impart his own experiences interacting with nature into his music – as he puts it himself, he desired to “embolden the player with a narrative.”
Soule knew that much of Skyrim would be centered around a player interacting in a mystifying yet harsh environment, filled with warm hearths and fiery auroras, but also with hostile bandits, dragons, and near demonic creatures. To illustrate that through his music, he sought to portray somber themes such as adversity and loneliness, but also hopeful messages such as redemption, hope, and awe at nature’s wonder.
To describe and convey themes such as these in music is extremely difficult because as Soule himself admits “music is a literal language… And like some ‘multilingual’ persons, it is sometimes difficult for me to clearly express what is going on in my head.”
Soule describes his music in extremely metaphysical terms – it’s his own interpretation of his work, and how it conveys to the listener. It’s important to note that in a video game, music comes across in a different context than if you were listening to it in silence. This brings me to my next section.
Part 2: The Canvas
Skyrim’s environment is simply mesmerizing. The world can be subdivided into nine separate regions – called ‘Holds’ by the characters in the game – with each possessing its own unique climate, history, and culture. The land nearly always remains locked in a bitter winter, with snowstorms a constant feature. Dazzling auroras illuminate the night sky, and morning dawns spread warm rays onto the freezing tundra.
The game – released in 2011 – has some graphical limitations. Far-off textures will glitch out or render incompletely, and when you closely examine specific features like rocks or trees, they can appear crummy. But looking at a mountain or the night sky looks stunning even in 2023.
It is this world that Jeremy Soule sought to place his music into. The game producer – Bethesda Software Studio – instructed coders to pair moments of exploration, such as cresting a hill or discovering a new location, with Soule’s music. Paired with Soule’s goals in what his music portrays and reflects relative to the world the player character explores, it creates an excellent mix of real-world engagement and background noise to immerse oneself in.
Part 3: The Masterpiece
“The music is loud when it is present. I can’t ignore it. Yet I know that once I hear it, it may never return. So careful transcription in these moments is critical. That’s the life of a composer… it is about listening to what is inside.”
Soule stated the above in an interview regarding his conceptions of music, a reflection revealing the ephemeral nature of music to him – it ebbs and flows through time. Soule often discusses how reflection on how he achieves his own work ensures he can sustain his creativity for newer projects, and how to explain his work to the observer.
After all, none of his songs in Skyrim – save for the main theme which is not tied to an environmental setting – are voiced by singers, although some do have choirs to hum or chant indecipherable lyrics. All of what he does is created through the usage of nonverbal instruments, and so their interpretations are much harder to evaluate.
For this author, I think his work stands out as some of the best instrumental music I have ever listened to. Most of his songs are so soothing that one could use them to fall asleep or listen to them while studying. Songs such as “Secunda”, “Aurora”, and “Tundra” are slow burns that relax the listener and leave one in awe staring at their screen, observing the wonder lying before them.
Other songs, such as the more somber “Solitude” which Soule describes as being a description of a tragic love song. The soft vocals, celli, and harp all bring a lively yet dispiriting tune slowly drowned out by silence.
The world that a player of Skyrim finds themselves in is dark and foreboding, but still offers faint glimpses of a brighter future – a theme that finds itself nestled in Soule’s soundtrack. In my opinion, without the musical brilliance of Soule, Skyrim – widely considered one of the best video games of all time – would have fallen flat in its world-building. Soule’s music truly takes you to the bitterly cold tundra but also instills in you a sense of companionship and respect for nature’s beauty.
Should you find yourself on a hike or walking around your neighborhood, Soule’s music would be a welcome companion.
Stay tuned to the Jesuit Roundup for more music reviews!
