Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Grammy-winning 'Civ IV' composer returns for 'Civilization VI' theme

The Civilization series uniquely captures the epic scope of world history in a single game, so it follows that there should be an appropriately grand musical theme to accompany the action. For Civilization VI, Firaxis is sticking with what worked and bringing back Christopher Tin, who composed the theme for Civ IV, to write a theme for the new game, called Sogno di Volare (The Dream of Flight).

“I wanted to write a piece that captured the essence of exploration,” said Tin in a release from the publisher, “both the physical exploration of seeking new lands, but also the mental exploration of expanding the frontiers of science and philosophy.”

Recommended Videos

Sogno di Volare will premiere at a one-night concert on July 19 at London’s Cadogan Hall. A night entirely devoted to Tin’s music, the evening will feature the performances of “The Royal Philharmonic and 200 voices from Los Angeles’s Angel City Chorale, Bath’s Lucis, and York’s Prima Vocal Ensemble.” Tickets are available now here.

Tin’s theme for Civ IV, Baba Yetu, a vocal arrangement of the Lord’s Prayer in Swahili, earned a Grammy in 2011 for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). This was the first time music composed for a video game won (or was even nominated for) a Grammy. The game’s original recording featured vocalist Ron Ragin and Stanford acapella group Talisman, but Tin re-recorded it for his debut album with Ragin and South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir. The song has been widely arranged and performed, giving it rare cache as a video-game theme that has found a substantial independent life.

Christopher Tin - Baba Yetu (Official Music Video)

Civ IV designer Soren Johnson commissioned Tin to compose the theme in 2005 because they were college roommates at Stanford. The two have collaborated more recently when Tin composed the music for Johnson’s independently developed economics-themed real-time strategy game, Offworld Trading Company.

Civilization VI marks the 25th anniversary of the beloved PC strategy franchise, and will arrive on October 21.

Pre-order on Amazon

Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Goku in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.

Gamescom, Europe's biggest gaming convention, returns this afternoon. Video game companies from all over the world will attend to present their upcoming games to the public. To kick things off each year, Gamescom works with Geoff Keighley, of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards fame, to throw a Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase full of announcements. And 2024 is no different, as Gamescom Opening Night Live will take place this Tuesday. It will give us a look at some of the year's biggest games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.

It's a show that video game fans should tune into if they want an idea of what's in development at some of the most popular game companies right now. We've rounded up everything that you need to know about Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 before tuning in today.
When is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024
The main Gamescom Opening Night Live will begin today at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. If you don't want to miss any announcements, know that there's also going to be a preshow hosted by Kyle Bosman that precedes the main event at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT.
How to watch Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024
GAMESCOM Opening Night Live 2024 ONL: Official Livestream (Tuesday, August 20, 11a PT/2p ET/8p CEST)

Read more
Prepare for Civilization 7 with this $3 Steam Summer Sale deal
Three Civilization 6 leaders standing above a board with the Eiffel tower on the left.

One of the most exciting announcements for PC gaming fans during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest live stream this year was for Sid Meier's Civilization VII. It's the next entry in a long-running turn-based strategy game series about building up and thriving as a civilization from scratch. Although Sid Meier's Civilization VII does not come out until next year and doesn't even get a full gameplay reveal until August, this year's Steam Summer Sale provides players the perfect opportunity to catch up on the series.

Navigate to the Featured Deep Discounts section of the Steam Summer Sale and you'll find that Sid Meier's Civilization VI from Firaxis and 2K is available for just $3, a 95% discount from its typical $60 price tag. If you've never played a Civilization game before or want to familiarize yourself with the core tenets of the series ahead of its next entry, this Steam Summer Sale deal provides an optimal opportunity to check it out.

Read more
Civilization 7 finally announced, but you’ll have to wait for more info
The banner for Civilization 7, with highlighted text on a dark background.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII - Official Teaser Trailer

Civilization 7 will conquer your game time soon. The latest in the iconic turn-based 4X strategy franchise was announced by developer Firaxis Games during Summer Game Fest on Friday.

Read more