ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time "Garden of Venus" 5:50

Assorted harp glissandi introduce this entrancing classical/new age piece by Rebecca E. Tripp, arranging "Great Fairy's Fountain" from Ocarina of Time in one of her more understated, yet most engaging & evocative, ReMixes:

"The Great Fairy is among the most intriguing and benevolent expressions of the Venusian goddess archetype(s). She is the seductive Lady of the Lake, she is Mab and Titania, Aphrodite in her pool: an illustrious Queen of nature. An Empress of the woodland realm, and beauteous envoy of the gods. It is in part due to her presence that the chosen hero is able to expand his abilities and condition himself for the sacred realm. As, repeatedly, she tests his courage, generosity, and virtue, she is a perpetual challenge of self-betterment.

I did not take this arrangement lightly; this is something that I've been imagining in my mind for many years now. Though I've technically already covered this song a fair few times (it's in my LttP and OoT medleys for instance, and there is also an older standalone), I never truly felt that any of those arrangements really captured the aesthetic I wanted to convey with this piece. It was actually kind of a similar situation with this fairy music as it was with "Zelda's Lullaby," which I eventually turned into "Divine Princess of Destiny" after years of brainstorming and pondering how I could ever begin to do such an iconic theme justice. I kind of feel like this cover is a sister piece to that princess suite, since I used very similar instrumentation and style.

The versions of the "Fairy Fountain" theme from A Link to the Celts and Symphony of the Goddesses came a little closer to how I've always imagined a live version of the piece was supposed to sound. I felt that both of those arrangements infused the melody with soul, elegance, and beauty. For my part, I longed with all my heart to make something that could stand next to those two masterpieces. My version is a little "darker," since I wanted something that would refill the listener's magic meter in addition to their health bar. The SotG and ALttC arrangements were very "heart" replenishing, with a little bit of magic on the side. Hopefully, mine is very "magic" replenishing, with a little bit of healing on the side. For that reason, I added in a spacey-sounding synth in addition to the traditional/orchestral instruments. My vision was to capture the subtler, more otherworldly Great Fairy, partially as an homage to the aforementioned greater archetype, of which the fairies in the Zelda franchise are merely an aspect. Hopefully, this song blossoms in the listeners' mind, sparkles in the ears, and splashes gaily in the heart."

I love the spectrum of choral/vocal parts, some of which have some Latin phrasing going on and sound mystical & elven and others which border on operatic; they add a ton of atmosphere to the piece & have a greater net effect than standard choir elements would have. There's also a sense of restraint & longing, along with the general mystical wonderment vibe, that is never interrupted... it's hypnotizing, without being repetitive, obvious, or soporific, and I think it represents some of Rebecca's best work to date. Gario concurs:

"Great piece of music you got goin', here! The arrangement is ethereal and rich, and the instruments sound gorgeous. The vocals are a nice blend of VSTs and actual voice, and the blend works wonderfully. I think this is a solid direct post, so thanks for sending this our way!"

Superb, enveloping, & transporting work from Rebecca, which stands out even amongst her formidable collection of arrangements as something special. Highly recommended!