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VSO wows gamers with a performance of Symphony of the Goddesses from Legend of Zelda game

Koji Kondo, composer of Symphony of the Goddesses from Legend of Zelda addresses the audience at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sept. 23rd, 2016. Photo by Marcel Daly.
On Friday, September 23, gamers and music enthusiasts alike were treated to the latest iteration of the much-loved Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses – Master Quest.
 
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre was packed with of a vast variety of people from different cultures, ethnic backgrounds and ages spanning from babies to the elderly. The one thing that many of these fans had in common was their clothing – t-shirts, hoodies and hats bearing the Hyrule symbol or other Zelda themes were seen commonly, as were multiple cosplay characters in full costume and make-up.
 
 
 
The music from the classic – and still evolving – video game The Legend of Zelda was composed by Koji Kondo, and has become very familiar to all those who have played the many games in the Nintendo series. In the case of Symphony of the Goddesses, this music has been arranged for a full symphony and performed on a backdrop of images from the various games projected onto a large screen.
 
The performance started off with music from Ocarina of Time, then Wind Waker. A large screen showed scenes from each Zelda game that the music was being played from respectively.
 
Each movement showed the beginning of the game that it scored, as well as emotive imagery that provided a sense of nostalgia and sometimes even goosebumps as the music allowed fans to relive those sad or happy moments in the game.
 
 
There was a short intermission, and when that was done they began with music from Twilight Princess and then from A Link to the Past and a Link Between Worlds.
 
The symphony finished it off with music from Majoras Mask and Skyward Sword, which was a highlight – besides the Skyward Sword game being a fan favourite of the franchise, the way they put the songs together sounded amazing.
 
Familiar melodies like “Saria’s Song” and “Ballad of the Goddess” were beautifully performed, and displayed a charming combination of scenery and music - it's easy to see why people love the game so much.
 
Each segment was well-received by the audience, and the entirety of the audience gave standing ovations to the orchestra after each act. The Zelda franchise - created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka and Eiji Aonuma - is incredibly popular, and has been for decades.
 
This may well be because Link is the human incarnation of courage, something which many people may feel they lack, and through him, playing the game can give people a sense of their own courage. The Symphony of the Goddesses brought that same feeling of connection, courage and beauty to each and every fan in the audience.

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