Editing Halo Theme

{{Era|RW}}
{{Quote|'''Duh-duh-duh-daaaaaah! Duh-duh-duh-daaaaah!''' It would be a real toe tapper... if I had some. You must listen to [[Martin O'Donnell|Marty O'Donnell]], he's quite the genius! He da man!|[[Tim Dadabo]] jokingly acting as [[343 Guilty Spark]], commenting on the Halo Theme and its composition.{{Ref/YouTube|bebfm7beKmM|Mike W|Original Halo Voice Outtakes|Time=857}}}}
[[File:Halo chant.png|right|thumb|380px|The chant from beginning of the Halo Theme.]]
The '''Halo Theme''' is the staple music of the [[Halo universe|''Halo'' series]].

It is characterized by its opening [[Wikipedia:Gregorian chant|Gregorian chant]], a tribal percussion section, and a low strings section. The low strings section featured a series of triplet rhythms, in which each triplet was followed by the melody leaping upwards by an octave, a ninth, a tenth, and finally an eleventh, before restarting at an octave. The complete theme features high strings playing a high-tempo melody which repeats in variations.

==History==
[[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]] composed the ''Halo Theme'' over the course of three days in July of 1999. O'Donnell was asked by [[Joseph Staten]] on a Thursday to compose a soundtrack for the then-upcoming [[Halo announcement trailer|''Halo'' MacWorld premiere demo]] on the following Tuesday. However, the music would need to be first recorded and shown internally within Bungie on Monday — the same day Bungie representatives would board the flight to New York for the presentation on the following day.
{{Ref/YouTube|Id=aias|oPK81NG5ncE|Academy of Interactive Arts & Science|Halo and Destiny Composer, Marty O'Donnell <nowiki>|</nowiki> The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook}}

Staten told O'Donnell that the theme needed to evoke the game's "ancient, epic and mysterious" atmosphere. To best convey this impression, O'Donnell drew inspiration from his studies on [[wikipedia:Medieval music|Middle Ages music]] and decided to incorporate Gregorian chant into the theme, which has since become a staple of the ''Halo'' series in its various forms.{{Ref/Film|Id=RTL|[[Remaking the Legend]]}} He was also inspired by the first verse of [[Wikipedia:The Beatles|The Beatles]]' song "[[Wikipedia:Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]", which inspired the four-phrase structure of the Gregorian chant.{{Ref/Site|Id=Beatles|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/03/23/how-the-beatles-influenced-the-halo-theme-|Site=IGN|Page=How The Beatles Influenced the Halo Theme Song}}{{Ref/YouTube|Id=digipen|UKG0d3jYe9Q|Martin O'Donnell|Composing Music for Halo, Destiny, and Golem}} O'Donnell has stated that he laid down the core melody of the theme in about half an hour during the drive to the studio at Salvatori’s house.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=aias}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=RTL}}

Recording one day prior to the MacWorld presentation, the theme was recorded with an orchestra composed of six string instruments: four violins and two cellos. O'Donnell and Salvatori sung the Gregorian chant with three jingle singers, who had previously collaborated with the duo on a number of commercials. O'Donnell and Salvatori applied reverb to the strings and choir recordings, while the cello recordings were overdubbed, thus creating the impression of a large orchestra when the recordings were added on top of the [[Wikipedia:MIDI|MIDI]] recording. O'Donnell requested one of the jingle players to sing the [[wikipedia:Qawwali|Qawwali]]-like solo during the string melody, but upon hearing O'Donnell's example, it was decided O'Donnell would sing the solo instead.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm|Site=Xbox|Page=Just the Right Sense of "Ancient"|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm}}{{Ref/Reuse|Id=digipen}}

After the MacWorld presentation, O'Donnell adapted different aspects of ''Halo Theme'' into various pieces of music in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and its sequels. O’Donnell cited an anecdote from his teacher, film composer [[wikipedia:David Raksin|David Raksin]]: according to Raksin, when he expressed concerns over the repeated use of [[Wikipedia:Laura (1945 song)|the main theme]] of ''[[Wikipedia:Laura (1944 film)|Laura]]'' in its film score, Raksin was told by his mentor [[Wikipedia:Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]] that good themes should be used repeatedly, while bad themes would have never been used in the first place.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=digipen}} O’Donnell and Salvatori followed this philosophy when composing other ''Halo'' music - a tradition carried by future composers in the franchise. Called “emotional equity” by O’Donnell, a sense of familiarity would be felt by players when themes are being repurposed, remixed, and reused throughout the trilogy.{{Ref/YouTube|0zG18XfsnvI|The Act Man|A LEGENDARY Interview with Martin O’Donnell (Composer From Bungie, Halo, Destiny)}}

{{clear}}

==Uses==
===''Halo: Combat Evolved''===
{{Music infobox
| name       = Halo Theme
| yt      = JDI1KlXRogo
| album      = ''[[Halo: Original Soundtrack]]''
| composer   = [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]]
| length     = 2:57
| producer   =
| last       = [[Dust and Echoes]]
| next       = [[Siege of Madrigal]]
}}

'''Halo''' is the twenty-sixth and final track in the ''[[Halo: Original Soundtrack]]''. It also features bonus piece ''[[Siege of Madrigal]]'' at the end. 

In its original incarnation, first heard in the [[Halo announcement trailer|''Halo'' announcement trailer]], it placed heavy emphasis on deep, powerful drums and fast paced strings, mainly the violin. 

The track plays: 
*In the main menu of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''
*At the start of the level ''[[The Silent Cartographer]]'', during the beach landing.
*In the [[Halo: Combat Evolved credits|credits of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']].

The Gregorian chant was adapted and incorporated into the following tracks:
*High strings and vocals in ''[[Enough Dead Heroes]]''
*High strings in ''[[Perilous Journey]]''
*''[[Ambient Wonder]]''
*Vocals in ''[[Covenant Dance]]''
*High strings ''[[On a Pale Horse]]''
*Vocals in ''[[Suite Autumn]]''
*Low strings in ''[[Dust and Echoes]]''

The string melody was adapted and incorporated into the following track:
*The "reveal theme" in ''[[Truth and Reconciliation Suite]]''
*The ''Halo Theme'' string melody variation in ''Truth and Reconciliation Suite''
*The rock remix as a contrary motion groove in ''Truth and Reconciliation Suite''
*The low strings as contrary motion groove in ''[[Perilous Journey]]''
*The low strings in ''[[Rock Anthem for Saving the World]]''

An arrangement of the theme, titled ''[[Installation 04 (music)|Installation 04]]'', serves as the theme of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.

===''Halo 2''===
{{Main|Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix}}
The original piece from ''Halo: Original Soundtrack'' was remixed into the ''[[Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix|MJOLNIR Mix]]'', the first track on the ''[[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack|Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, Volume 1]]''. The main theme remains unchanged, but it features electric guitar overlays by former Whitesnake guitarist [[Steve Vai]]. ''Halo 2'' uses the track in its original form in certain parts, such as at the beginning section of the level ''[[Metropolis]]''. The MJOLNIR mix is played at the end of'' Metropolis'' as [[John-117]] boards the [[Type-47A Scarab|Scarab]], and later during the [[Halo 2 credits|end credits]].

''Halo 2'' featured ''Cloistered Expectancy'' (from the track ''[[Prologue (music)|Prologue]]''), which was the ''Halo 2'' rendition of the Gregorian chant from the ''Halo Theme''.

Two variants of the ''Halo Theme'' are featured in the ''[[Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack]]''. The ''[[Halo Theme Gungnir Mix]]'' is a remixed version of the ''MJOLNIR Mix'' from ''Halo 2'', and the ''[[Halo Theme Scorpion Mix]]'' is a percussion heavy version of the main theme.

===''Halo 3''===
{{Main|One Final Effort}}
The theme was again revised for ''[[Halo 3]]'', arranged into the track ''[[One Final Effort]]'', this time recorded with a live orchestra instead of synthesized strings with the grand piano as its main instrument. The version used in ''Halo 3'' finishes with the ending used at the end of ''[[The Maw (level)|The Maw]]'', as opposed to the reprise of the opening chant used in the original theme and the MJOLNIR Mix. Occasionally, [[343 Guilty Spark]] can be heard humming it with the [[IWHBYD skull (Halo 3)|IWHBYD skull]] activated in [[campaign]]. 

===''Halo 4''===
{{Main|Sacrifice (music)}}
The Halo Theme was reprised as the song [[Sacrifice (music)|Sacrifice]]. The chant portion of the theme, now referred in the [[Halo 4 credits|''Halo 4'' credits]] as "Halo Cantorum", is heard when [[Installation 03]] is revealed in the level ''[[Composer (level)|Composer]]''. The main notes of the Halo Theme play in the theme ''[[117]]'' when John neutralizes the external shield generators on ''[[Mantle's Approach]]''.

Notes that ambiguously sound similar to the main chorus play subtly when Dr. Halsey tells her interrogator not to underestimate the Spartans.

===''Halo 5: Guardians''===
{{Main|The Trials}}
The ''Halo Theme'' returns in ''Halo 5: Guardians'', rearranged as the ''[[The Trials]]'' with more focus on '''electronic''' digital instrumentation. It's also featured as part of the soundtrack in ''[[Halo Canticles]]''. It was recorded at Abbey Road{{Ref/Site|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/12/halo-5-first-play|Site=The Guardian|Page=Halo 5: Guardians – first play|Quote=Always a hugely important part of the Halo experience, the soundtrack has been composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi, including a re-recording of the classic Halo theme at Abbey Road studios that features a rather pleasing piano motif providing a counterpoint to the traditional operatic sweep.}}

The Gregorian chant can also be heard faintly in the ''[[All Hail]]'' and ''[[The Cost]]'' advertisements.

===''Halo Infinite''===

The Halo theme was featured in the [[Discover Hope]] trailer, implying it will have its own rendition in the sixth mainline Halo game.

Part of the theme plays during the song [[Set a Fire in Your Heart]].

===Other media===
The [[Halo Wars: Original Soundtrack|soundtrack]] for ''[[Halo Wars]]'', composed by [[Stephen Rippy]], also uses the ''Halo Theme'' at various points, including ''[[Spirit of Fire (music)|Spirit of Fire]]'', ''[[Quite the Vacation Resort]]'', and ''[[We're Burning Sunshine]]''.

The ''Halo Theme'' does not appear in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. While stated before release that the ''Theme'' would not appear in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'',<ref>[http://www.edge-online.com/ '''EDGE Magazine'''], ''February 2010''</ref> several tracks in the soundtrack borrow motifs from it. For example, ''Immemorial'' from ''[[Overture (Halo: Reach)|Overture]]'' takes three bars from the beginning of the chant, while ''Unreconciled'' from ''[[Tip of the Spear (music)|Tip of the Spear]]'' takes the drumbeat and uses both the beginning of the chant and the main melody.  

The initial eight notes of the chant appear in the track ''[[Axios]]'', which can be heard after John-117 kills the second Mgalekgolo in the climax of ''[[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]]''.

Although the Gregorian chant portion of the ''Halo Theme'' is used as a major motif in ''[[Halo: Nightfall]]'' trailer, the original music piece does not contain the ''Halo Theme''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FWdSEQOHzc '''YouTube''': ''"The Liberator" (Music from the Halo: Nightfall trailer)'']</ref>

The initial eight notes of the chant appear in episodes three and six of ''[[Hunt the Truth]] [[Hunt the Truth Season 2|Season 2]]''.

====''Halo: Legends''====
{{Music infobox
| name       = Halo
| yt      = RVmLVGu479U
| album      = [[Halo Legends: Original Soundtrack]]
| composer   = [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]]
| length     = 2:21
| producer   =
| last       = [[Opening Suite 2]]
| next       = [[Desperate Measures (music)|Desperate Measures]]
}}

A partial remix of the track appears in the ''[[Halo Legends: Original Soundtrack|Halo Legends Original Soundtrack]]''. This remix plays during ''[[Halo Legends]]'' episode ''[[Origins]]'' during the scenes depicting the escalation of the [[Human-Covenant War]].

{{clear}}

==Trivia==
*The country of [[wikipedia:State of Palestine|Palestine]] aired government-sponsored music videos, and plays, one of which, according to a source, used the ''Halo Theme'' music without Bungie's sanction.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/news.html?item=8596 '''Halo.bungie.org''': ''Halo music used in political video.'']</ref>
*The opening Gregorian chant consists of a series of 28 ([[seven]] times four) notes. Additionally, the second and fourth 'phrases' of the chant each consist of seven notes.

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

{{Soundtrack|H1}}
[[Category:Halo music| ]]