November 15, 2001

Franchises

Halo

Platforms

Mac PC (Microsoft Windows) Xbox Xbox 360

Companies

Bungie Gearbox Software MacSoft Games Microsoft Game Studios Westlake Interactive

Genres

Shooter

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For the premiere demo of Halo: Combat Evolved at MacWorld 1999, Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori were tasked to create music for the demo within three days. They were directed to make the song that would become the Halo series' main theme sound "ancient, mysterious and epic". While driving to Salvatori's home, O'Donnell brainstormed the song and its core melody:

"[A]s I was driving, I thought 'Okay, ancient...you know, monks are ancient, so I'm going to start with some sort of monk chant, and it's got to be hook-y, it's got to stick in people's heads and then we'll go on to something sort of epic and pounding; cellos and drums, and stuff.'

I've always analyzed [the melody to "Yesterday" by The Beatles]; it's got one high point, it's got one low point, it's got four sort of irregular phrases...

So, [the Halo theme is]...not a copy of the Yesterday melody, but the Yesterday melody inspired me to put that together, because I thought, 'Well, if I have one high point, one low point, to four irregular phrases but still do a legitimate monk chant melody...it may be able to have legs.'"

The song was recorded the day prior to MacWorld 1999 by three jingle singers, O'Donnell and Salvatori, accompanied by a string sextet of four violins and two cellos. O'Donnell requested one of the jingle singers to perform the Qawwali-like voice solo during the string melody, but upon hearing O'Donnell's example, it was decided O'Donnell would sing the solo instead.

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