New Transcription: "Over the Shiverpeaks" from Guild Wars (2005)

After playing around with some Vienna Symphonic libraries, I discovered a familiar sounding violin legato patch. Lo and behold, it was the exact patch that Jeremy Soule used in this gorgeous track from "Guild Wars" (2005). I couldn't resist trying to re-create it - feel free to check it out!

If you're after the sheet music for "Over the Shiverpeaks", you can find it here!

This includes individual part scores for:

• Flute

• Solo Violin

• Violin I

• Violin II

• Viola

If you are one of my Patrons, you can now find the MIDI, XML and SIB files I created for this transcription now available to download from your Patreon Google Drive folder!

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Arranger's Note:

"A classic from Guild Wars, this work is surprisingly minimalist, judging by Jeremy Soule's usual standard, utilizing only a solo violin, flute, and a brief passage with additional strings. It therefore certainly creates this feeling of "floating-ness", as if you are soaring high above the snowy-peaked mountains of the Shiverpeaks.

The work itself appears to float between different tonalities, seeming to rest finally in D minor (1:56), but not before commencing in B-flat Lydian (0:03, characterized by the opening E-natural and B-flats), F-lydian (0:09), G minor (0:21), A minor (0:43) and a juxtaposition of G minor/G major (1:09).

This blurring of tonalities helps to convey a sense of floating, again complementing the title "Over the Shiverpeaks".

The tempo and time signature are similarly quite open to interpretation, constantly rushing, constantly dragging, it is entirely up to the performers (and thus makes it quite challenging to write down accurately on the page!). This again adds to its overall floatiness.

Trivia: I performed this track live into the DAW, rather than my usual method of importing and editing MIDI data. Those legatos were just too good!"