The expansiveness of this piece and the message that accompanies it, for me, was best realized using in the unparalleled living, human quality that voices can provide. For this arrangement, I drew inspiration from several contemporary choral composers. I was inspired by Eric Whitacre’s cluster chords and masterful use of phrasing, as well as by the the overtone singing in Sarah Hopkins’ “Past Life Melodies” and the sustained lines of Christine Donkin’s “Magnificat.” In the spirit of Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs, each singer recorded their parts separately, only to have it all come together for the final track.

For the new section, I adapted text from Bugenhagen’s explanation of the Life Stream in the game. The overtone singing at the beginning and end of the piece represents the intermingling souls of the Life Stream.

I would like to thank each one of the talented singers who lent their beautiful voices to this track. It has been such an honor to work with all of you, and to share our love of choral and video game music. I would also like to thank Sebastian, without whom this whole album would not exist.

Appears on MATERIA: Final Fantasy VII Remixed