ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword "The Beginning" 3:58

The title of this arrangement fits nicely as we start a new year, so we welcome in 2023 with Rebecca E. Tripp's 80th OC ReMix (super-duper close to overtaking djpretzel for having the most posted ReMixes)! Originally made for her birthday back in 2020, Tripp's genteel new age take on Skyward Sword's "Sealed Temple" will hopefully be as serene as the upcoming year (so we hope). :-) The ocarina was significantly popularized by classic Zelda entry The Ocarina of Time, and Rebecca pulled in OCR newcomer Steven Higbee for a contemplative performance originally intended for flute. The arranger explains her vision:

"This was always my favourite song in that game, and the first time Link enters the temple is also my favourite moment! The serenity and magic of this event was simply exquisite. In this arrangement, I attempted to convey the visuals of the Sealed Grounds and Sealed Temple. The dust floating in the sunbeams, the gentle breezes in the trees and, of course, the comforting, stoic presence of Impa. It's reflective, like a kindly grandmother. ^_^ This is the Skyward Sword song I'm most proud of (aside from the medley). :3 It's one of my personal favourites!

The ocarina parts were performed by Steven Higbee. I originally planned to use a flute, but he volunteered ocarinas, and I'm SO glad he did!"

On the judges panel, Rexy astutely noted that Steven's doubling of the ocarina an octave apart smartly mitigated the instrument's potential shrillness, allowing his performance to shine in the foreground. Buoyed by the strength of Steven's involvement, Jivemaster praised the sound palette, both the instruments and effects, that came together in a relaxing result:

"The soundscape sounded a lot more intimate than I anticipated. Things sound quite close. A smaller ensemble is used for this one, with foresty vibes and bird sounds scattered around. Maintains a fairly slow pace throughout, though that's ok. Not as eventful as your other pieces, but I see this one as a chill ride."

In her approval, DragonAvenger served up a "mission accomplished" regarding the imagery:

"Enjoying the very subtle take on this. The word delicate got used a lot by the other judges, and it really does fit the mix just right. The background sound effects (birds, etc) do make this feel like you're sitting in a small glade with some dappled sunshine on a lazy summer day. Being as it's currently January, this is a nice image, and I want it to be summer now."

On the criticism side, several Js felt the levels needed boosting and that the ending section after 2:40 was needlessly drawn out, but I place a curse on all of them. :-D I'm sure you can play gotcha with me griping about the structure of any number of ReMixes, but my general outlook has always been that as long as the source material remains dominant and the overall presentation feels uniform, you get carte blanche to explore your concept however you want. Rebecca has a genuine gift for these kinds of musical tapestries, and you gotta be permissive enough to let the artistic flag fly. Emunator and I were on the same wavelength; he had no reservations:

"This is absolutely magical! The glassy, plucky soundscape gives this a very spritely feeling, and Steven's ocarina adds a central focal point to carry the track without being overly dominant. I think you're at your best when you're working with this kind of palette, Rebecca!"

Without question, a beautiful mood-setter that gets the imagination flowing, "The Beginning" of something good. Wonderful work by the prolific Rebecca and a warm welcome to Steven with his deceptively powerful friend, the ocarina!