Covenant Dance

Covenant Dance
Album:	Halo: Original Soundtrack
Composer(s):	Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
Length:	1:57
Previous:	Devils... Monsters...
Next:	Alien Corridors

Covenant Dance is the fourteenth track in Halo: Original Soundtrack.

Overview

As its name implies, the piece is carried by a strong dance beat. At 00:16, the beat becomes underlaid to a more dominant snare-drum beat. Starting at 00:30, a variation of the Halo theme, followed by long ascending notes, which consists of the monkish chorus in time to the beat. At 00:52, the beat and chant grind to a halt and are replaced by a less regular synth beat, still following a tempo matching the drum beat. At 01:08, a higher synth melody arises to follow the new synth beat. At 01:15, the drumbeat starts up again. At 01:31, the chant returns, but shortly disappears again. Soon after, the drum and synth follow it, allowing the song to smoothly conclude.

Appearances

It can be heard:

• In the level The Truth and Reconciliation, when John-117 and Fire Team Charlie are ambushed after boarding the Truth and Reconciliation.
• In the level Assault on the Control Room, when John-117 opens the first blast door to the control room of Installation 04
• In the level Two Betrayals, when John-117 encounters the first battle between the Covenant and the Flood.
• In the opening cutscene of the level Keyes.

The opening percussion plays in the Halo 2 level The Great Journey, when Arbiter Thel 'Vadam enters the cavern area in the Bastion of the Brutes.

Arrangements

The piece was arranged into Choreographite in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary: Original Soundtrack.

Production notes

• This track is a partial remake of Alexander Seropian's Leela theme heard in the first Marathon game.
• The percussion in this track is reminiscent of a motif from the soundtracks for Myth and Myth II, including With Friends Like These and Shiver.
• The track uses the following instruments and patches/samples:
  • E-MU Procussion:
    • 082 Sarengeti (Main rhythmic percussion)
  • E-MU Proteus 2000:
    • Protozoa ROM - 082-0 GulaGula (Synth bass)
    • Protozoa ROM - 067-3 Miya Daiko (Kick drum and low rumble)
    • Protozoa ROM - 058-2 Percussion 1 (Drum that plays with Sarengeti)
    • Composer ROM - 041-3 Snares 1 (Left channel snare)
    • Composer ROM - 042-3 Snares 2 (Right channel snare)
  • Kurzweil K2500X:
    • Orchestral ROM - 975 Timpani
  • Roland XV-5080:
    • PR-D 102 Soundtraque (Synth pad)