Editing Awakening (music)

{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Center|This article is about the soundtrack. For the Halo 4 trailer, see [[Awakening]]. For the art book, see [[Awakening: The Art of Halo 4]].}}
{{Music infobox
 | name       = Awakening
 | yt      = OEHk2C3IKT4
 | album      = ''[[Halo 4: Original Soundtrack]]''
 | composer   = [[Neil Davidge]]
 | length     = 5:44
 | next       = [[Belly of the Beast]]
 }}

'''Awakening''' is the first track in ''[[Halo 4: Original Soundtrack]]''.

==Overview==
The track opens with high strings fading in, with cymbals clashing. Low strings and synth bass cut in with short notes, creating a sense of urgency as high strings fade in the background. Piano begins the main driving melody, echoing the short notes, accompanied by percussion. The melody repeats, joined by low strings as well as high strings. High strings carry on with the urgent melody, echoed by the low strings. Together, they build up to a climax, where female choirs sing in accompaniment. At the climax, synth bass and low strings take over as the main melody, with high strings playing in accompaniment. The melody takes on a more uncertainty feeling with a slower tempo. They build up to another climax before returning to the original melody, which then ends with high strings playing the same progression from the introduction. Together the instruments fade out to an end. 

==Appearances==
The track can be heard:
*Briefly in the ending cutscene of the [[campaign]] level ''[[Shutdown]]''; it begins as the cutscene start, and ends when [[John-117]] lodged his [[combat knife]] into a [[Type-56 Lich]].  
*In [[Memento Mori/Everything Has Gone Wrong|Episode 5, Chapter 3]] of ''[[Spartan Ops]]'', during the opening cinematic, when Marines from [[Warbird Company]] are attacked by the [[Silent Blade]].
*In [[Scattered/Escape_Plan|Episode 6, Chapter 1]] of ''Spartan Ops'', after [[Fireteam Crimson]] rescued [[Icebreaker squad]] and must protect [[TJ Murphy]] while he unlocks a parked [[Type-44 Troop Carrier|Phantom]].
*In [[Exodus (Spartan Ops)/Seize the Power|Episode 10, Chapter 3]] of ''Spartan Ops'', when Fireteam Crimson has boarded a Lich and must steal its power core.

==Production notes==
*''Awakening'' was written by Neil Davidge as a sketch idea, which he presented to [[343 Industries]] at their first meeting in [[2010#December|December, 2010]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.gamereactor.eu/halo-4s-composer-commentary/|Site=Gamereactor|Page=Halo 4's Composer Commentary|D=3|M=9|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://macprovideo.com/article/apple/interview-neil-davidge-on-composing-the-halo-4-soundtrack|Site=macProVideo|Page=Interview: Neil Davidge on Composing the Halo 4 Soundtrack|D=3|M=9|Y=2021}} The track was released publicly prior to the release of ''Halo 4'', in [[2012#August|August 2012]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://onlysp.escapistmagazine.com/halo-4-awakening-full-length-and-unedited-from-the-ost/|Site=OnlySP|Page=Halo 4 – “Awakening” Full Length and Unedited from the OST|D=3|M=9|Y=2021}}
*''Awakening'', along with ''[[Nemesis]]'' and ''[[To Galaxy]]'', was one of the three tracks that had their stems released by 343 Industries for the ''Halo 4'' Remix Contest, which was held in October 2012, prior to the release of ''Halo 4'' and its soundtrack.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://halo.bungie.org/misc/halo4remixstems.html|Site=halo.bungie.org|Page=Halo 4 Remix Contest - Stem Archive|D=3|M=9|Y=2021}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Soundtrack|H4}}