ReMix:Final Fantasy X "Sprouting Omens" 3:57

A quick, pleasant classical/new age take on "Sprouting," from FFX, courtesy Rebecca E. Tripp:

"I composed this as an Xmas gift for my SO! ^_^ I hope he likes it (and that everyone else also likes it)! Though I know FF10 doesn't technically have an "overworld" theme, I think this song, called either "Omens" or "Sprouting" depending on the list, is the closest thing the game has to one. This is one of the themes that Uematsu did compose in FF10. It feels roughly equivalent to the other "Main Theme" motifs from the games that came before.

I use NoteWorthy Composer to make MIDIs, and Ableton Live to mix it and add in instrument libraries. I wanted to find an instrument that would be equivalent to the previous lead. That way, it has a similar kind of shape and texture to the original, but at the same time it doesn't just feel like a copy of what was there before."

The chord at the one-minute marker struck me as interesting, and I really like the variety of orchestral and folksy instruments, with an accordion-type lead & hand drums blending in with strings, mixed winds, and eventually a choir. Bassoon gets some play, and Rebecca gets a lot of mileage out of pizzicato strings throughout. It's relatively typical/representative of many of the artist's mixes, but it's still an enjoyable listen - judges were unanimous, and prophetik music went into the most detail:

"i thought the arrangement itself was great. there's tons of variety in how the melodic content is approached, and while i really didn't like the loud pizz of the cello and bass being used to carry the melody, that was minor compared to the overall scoring. zanarkand's melody is just so rich and the track really allowed that to shine through. mastering sounded fine as well aside from it being very quiet - there's some specific instruments that stick out and could use a bit of trimming, like the glock, but that's it.

overall this is really solid. the arrangement is transformative, there's a lot of creativity in the approach, and the realization is capable. nice work."

What he said :) Rebecca has many arrangements in this vein which share some common characteristics, but there's always an identity underneath & some differentiators that help to distinguish the work. Beautiful, inviting treatment of a beautiful melody - enjoy!