Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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An orchestral cover of A Life Sent On (a variation of the main theme) from Xenoblade Chronicles 3, officially titled "A Life Sent On", now extended to 30 minutes.
Dizi performed by SableProvidence.
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
★Developer: Monolith Soft
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Yasunori Mitsuda, ACE, Kenji Hiramatsu, Manami Kiyota, Mariam Abounnasr
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Xenoblade, Xenoblade 3, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Main Theme, A Life Sent On, Extended
#xenoblade
#xenobladechronicles
#xenobladechronicles3
🎵 Sheet Music & Parts ➤ [Removed by Nintendo JP]
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An orchestral cover of A Life Sent On (a variation of the main theme) from Xenoblade Chronicles 3, officially titled "A Life Sent On", now extended to 30 minutes.
Dizi performed by SableProvidence.
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
★Developer: Monolith Soft
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Yasunori Mitsuda, ACE, Kenji Hiramatsu, Manami Kiyota, Mariam Abounnasr
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Xenoblade, Xenoblade 3, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Main Theme, A Life Sent On, Extended
#xenoblade
#xenobladechronicles
#xenobladechronicles3
![The Storm | Orchestral Cover
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One of the earliest tracks heard in Golden Sun - the ominous, foreboding bass guitar & co. from the opening storm.
➤ Analysis:
This track was a real challenge to arrange.
The exposed and ominous sound of the bass guitar juxtaposed with the strings fading in from silence are arguably the most iconic elements of this track. And updating the track while attempting to maintain that sparse atmosphere was surprisingly difficult: add too much, and that sense of foreboding is lost; add too little and, well, its just the original track.
Achieving that balance is the true test for any arranger.
Here, the bass guitar opens with a quasi-improvisatory phrase on an F#, seemingly imitating the ba-dump, ba-dump of a heartbeat. In this opening, the metric dissonance is strong, creating a form of additive meter (6+2) which could be notated in numerous ways (e.g. it could also be a metric modulation, but I deduced that would be more challenging to read).
To complement the bass guitar, I subtle effects from synthesizers, waterphones and rumbling drums - a subtle approach to retain that sparseness but still providing additional mystery with modern virtual instruments. As the meter steadies out to 12/16 (0:11), these effects are nearly entirely removed, leaving a single swirling synthesizer swimming in the stereo space.
By 0:22, our classic string crescendos begin from silence, spelling out an F# minor triad (F#-A-C#). With these growths being a pivotal element of this track, I enhanced them with timpani rolls and additional brass to add some extra force.
As the crescendo concludes (0:26), a synthesized wind instrument appears with a disjunct melody on an F# Aeolian scale (F#-G#-A-B-C#-D-E). Here, I placed the material in the panpipes - an instrument favoured by Sakuraba in this OST - to remain close to the aesthetic of Golden Suns soundtrack. The improvisatory drums are retained, but with additional rumbling from a bass drum to boost their scale.
At 0:32, we abruptly jump down a tone into E minor / Aeolian (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D) and repeat the previous 4 measures nearly identically, but transposed. This alternation between F# and E persists for nearly the entirety of the track. The panpipe melody is expanded at 0:42, now back in F#, as we get another growing crescendo. This time however, a choir appears as well as an additional major 7th (the E# trilling away in the violins) for additional tension and development.
As the panpipes climb up to the open 5th (C#; 0:46) at the end of the crescendo, a tubular bell appears - often used as a signifier for bad things (e.g. death). Once more, we drop down to E (0:52) with another crescendo and repeat of earlier material.
But by 1:01, we get something new; the bass guitar departs from its heartbeat ostinato and offers some ascending and descending parallel 5ths moving atop an E pedal. To complement this shift, I add some thin string pizzicatos expanding the bass guitars material and to create a scurrying effect as if to tread carefully.
On returning to F# at 1:11, we get some more new material. And to mark this new addition, the melody is now also doubled with a bright synthesizer with the classic digital delay effect appearing in nearly every Golden Sun track. Further, we also depart from F# and E during this section (moving to G# minor), and so to highlight these new harmonies, I added a soft choir to present them. By 1:21, we return to familiar material.
From here to the end is an identical repeat of earlier material (0:42). But so that it is not an exact repeat, I added new string col legno material for an additional percussive fidgeting. Then at 1:42, we return to our metrically disturbed opening, and the track loops.
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest, Vienna Symphonic, Sampleism, AmpleSound and Steinberg.
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library, Sampleism, AmpleSound, Steinberg
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, The Storm,
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#TheStorm The Storm | Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s_z5jk9q89Y/mqdefault.jpg)



![Respite and Sunlight | Orchestral Cover
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Another track from the brilliant soundtrack of Fire Emblem: Three Houses - one of the jolly little support themes, Respite and Sunlight.
➤ Analysis:
Being one of the support background themes, it is a fun, quasi-comedic one!
It begins with some added-note chords (now quite typical for this franchises support themes) built on the key of Ab major. This first chord, Ab+Db+Gb+Bb - is also known as a Gospel Chord (for its common use as a cadence from chord V - I, in this case, Ab+Db+Gb+Bb, to Db+F+Ab). These added-note chords persist for nearly the entire track.
On top of this harmony, a melody arrives at 0:19 with one of Three Houses musical motifs that appears throughout the soundtrack (akin to Awakenings Id motif, and Fates motif accompanying You are the oceans grey waves).
This melody, made interesting by the combination of piano and oboe timbres, dances quickly downward before receiving a response from a flute, imitating this motif with its own melodic excursion to finish.
Once this repeats, a marimba provides a quick 4-bar interlude of seemingly random material unrelated to any motif (0:37). Nevertheless, the function of the marimba here is to add to the light-hearted aesthetic of this track (which the dry, snappy marimba certainly achieves).
The marimba passage is followed by a return to the piano and oboe material (0:46), now doubled interestingly by a parallel 5th below on a flute (or another instrument, I couldnt quite identify it). This rare use of melodic parallel 5ths works quite well in enhancing the un-serious nature of the theme (and simultaneously makes all Baroque composers roll in their graves).
After a minute of static harmonies, the track shifts at 1:03 for a short, chromatic string section. This segment contains some intriguing harmonies, including tertiary shifts (1:06; A#/Bb major to D major) and suspended 7+9 to 8 chords (1:14; D+F#+A#+C# resolving to B minor; B+D+F#).
Then a short interlude in G major (a semitone below the tonic) with added 6th and 9th chords allows for a smooth transition back to the beginning.
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
★Developer: Intelligent Systems
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Takeru Kanazaki (et al.)
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Fire Emblem Three Houses, Respite and Sunlight, Respite & Sunlight, Fire Emblem Respite and Sunlight, Fire Emblem Three Houses OST, Three Houses OST, Three Houses Soundtrack
#FireEmblem
#RespiteAndSunlight
#SheetMusic Respite and Sunlight | Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uHtikRcCYl8/mqdefault.jpg)



![Lamakan Desert | Orchestral Arrangement
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Ew... My clothes are drenched in sweat! This is gross! ... says Mia as we listen to an orchestral arrangement of this sweltering desert heat theme from Golden Sun.
➤ Analysis:
Appearing in all 3 deserts of the series, how does Sakuraba achieve a hot, desert-y sound?
To start, we are using an octatonic scale (a scale of 8 notes; E-F-G#-A-Bb-B-C-D) based on a Phrygian dominant / Hijaz scale on E (with the extra 8th note being the Bb). Right off the bat, thats your fast track to oriental sounding music thanks to the augmented 2nd interval (F-G#; essentially a minor 3rd). Nearly the entire track simmers around this scale.
In the original, Sakuraba uses a plucked instrument, bass guitar and drums, followed later by strings and a sizzling synthesizer. To complement this ensemble (and the desert aesthetic), I decided to use melodic instruments primarily from India (Sarod, Tanpura), but also supporting East Asian instruments to enhance the oriental feel (Dizi, Taikos). The harpsichord also assists in adding a sizzling timbre to the melody.
Further, I expanded the percussion - a pivotal aspect of Sakurabas original. Not only do we now have Taikos, but also bright, shimmering chains as well as percussive techniques in the strings (col legno - striking the strings with the wood of the bow; and snap pizzicato - aggressively plucking the string so it snaps back against the wood).
Harmonically, we remain close to our opening E Phrygian Dominant scale (+Bb) throughout, shifting briefly to A minor a few times - the subdominant (chord IV; 0:15 & 0:48).
At 0:35, we get a fascinating disruption to the meter as the groupings suddenly depart from regular 4-beats per measure. Instead, we get a division of 3 + 5 beats, still adding up to the regular 4-beats per measure (3+5=8, 8/2=4), but temporarily displacing it. The use of parallel 4ths here also alludes to the oriental aesthetic through its pentatonic connotations. Due to these 4ths, we also get a surprising F# chromatic note (outside of our Phrygian dominant scale).
Due to the importance of these parallel 4ths, I scattered more of them throughout the track via the strings and harpsichord (0:08, 0:14, etc.). They also make a grand return in the final phrase (1:14); the bass instruments are given parallel 4th material, surprisingly, with the dominant note of the chord at the bottom (e.g. in scale on E, B would be our dominant - the 5th note - so these 4ths are stacked B to E, creating the 4th interval with the dominant at the bottom). This low use of parallel 4ths evokes an almost ritualistic daunting sound - perhaps due to low droning 4ths/5ths often found in ancient religious chanting.
In the final phrase, where Sakuraba used a sizzling synthesizer, I decided to use a solo violin (probably an unusual decision). Why not use a brass instrument; perhaps a trumpet? The problem is that the material of the final 2 measures contains rapid 32nd notes. Originally, this material stretched over 3 octaves from E to B, so finding an appropriate instrument to fit that range was tricky (and a trumpet wouldnt quite fit comfortably). Thus, I chose a solo violin with great agility, while also re-pitching the material to be playable in its range and also retaining a shining scratchy timbre to better suit the desert aesthetic.
Enjoy!
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest, Vienna Symphonic, 8Dio, AmpleBass and my own set of chains (dont ask).
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library, 8Dio, AmpleBass
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Lamakan Desert, Desert Heat
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#LamakanDesert Lamakan Desert | Orchestral Arrangement](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vughgpIr0TY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Non-Adept Battle Theme | Orchestral Cover
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Finally back with another Golden Sun arrangement, chosen by YOU! The battle theme against non-adept enemies, notably Briggs and Moapa.
➤ Analysis:
Acting as the combat music heard when battling either Briggs or Moapa, how does Sakuraba create tension?
Like many of his battle themes, we begin with a dissonance anacrusis (an upbeat) that thrusts us in to the action. Here, he achieves this by pitting a two chromatic scales a tritone apart (E - B♭) that are also travelling in contrary motion (the bass moves upward, while the melody moves downward). The tritone interval itself is particularly special due to being the most unstable interval in our Western 12-tone equal temperament (the Diabolus in Musica or Devil in Music). Altogether, this creates a mighty dissonance.
After this, C minor (C-E♭-G; 0:03) is established as the tonic. But this only remains for 2 bars, shifting abruptly into D minor (D-F-A; 0:07), quickly followed by a tertiary modulation to F♯ minor (F♯-A-C♯; 0:09). Within 10s, we have travelled a tritone away from our tonic (C - F♯). This then fluctuates between E minor (E-G-B) and F♯ minor (0:11) for a moment, with some additional chromatic glissandi in the trombones and strings, before culminating in a tritone jump from F♯ to C minor (0:17).
Here, Sakuraba repeats the opening material, so for development, I added an extended clarinet and violin countermelody (0:23) as well as adjusting the forces of the E to F♯ oscillation (0:26), including a new violin countermelody (0:30).
Next, we enter our B section, modulating up a semitone into G minor (G-B♭-D; 0:34). Here, the harmony remains relatively stable, offering a common descending pattern of G - F - E♭ - D. Contrarily, the rhythm provides most of the energy here, switching to a loose 3-3-3-3-2-2 / 3-3-6-2-2 emphasis (see the clarinets and middle strings). As the section repeats (0:41), I added a new countermelody in the horns to add some development to this repeat.
For the final section (0:50), we receive an interrupted cadence (chord V to chord I; here D major to E minor), signalling the end of the G minor section as the music transitions essentially into double time (twice as fast, with the harmony now shifting every 2 beats rather than 4 beats). Whereas the previous section was focused on harmonic descent, this section is focused on harmonic ascent, moving up from Em - F♯/D - G - G♯/E - Am. Sakuraba uses 1st inversion chords to achieve this upward ascent in the bass (1st inversion = the 3rd of the chord / mediant is in the bass).
We get a juicy tertiary modulation from Am to F♯ (0:54), acting as a secondary dominant of Em (chord V of chord V; here F♯ to B), allowing us to return to Em for a final repeat of this section (0:58).
And to close us off, I wrote a concluding phrase (2:07) utilizing snippets of the opening trumpet melody (0:03), and resting finally in E minor, funnily enough (very distant from our opening tonic of Cm!)
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest, 8Dio and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Golden Sun: The Lost Age
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, 8Dio, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Non-Adept Battle, Briggs, Moapa
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#Briggs Non-Adept Battle Theme | Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wEQ859T-dYM/mqdefault.jpg)
