According to a new article from Collider, The Wheel of Time will release a 14-track album on November 12, 2021 titled The First Turn. The album is described as “largely conceptual,” and has “key themes that spawned variations to the final score.” This appears to be the “musical vocabulary” album that Balfe mentioned during his interview on The Dusty Wheel, that would serve as an introduction to characters and themes in the world of The Wheel of Time. The official score will be released across several additional albums as the episodes air.
Balfe shared an official statement on the score and The First Turn:
“The universe of The Wheel of Time is truly unique. Inspired by oral traditions in storytelling, each theme’s voices tell the story of the character, place, or idea in Old Tongue, a language unique to the universe of The Wheel of Time. The score to this series is a re-imagination of fantasy music, doing away with the genre’s reliance on large, traditional orchestras in favor of more modern colors while retaining the strong melodies and bold harmonies that fans can expect from such an epic. It was my honor collaborating with showrunner Rafe Judkins along with our 14th Street Music team and musicians to share The First Turn album with you.”
Two New Singles
Previously released single Al’Naito (“The Flame”) is one of the 14 tracks from The First Turn. Two additional singles debuted today–Mashiara (“Lost Love”) and Caisen’shar (“Old Blood”). Peter Cox — whose vocals were featured in the Whitecloak theme debuted on The Dusty Wheel — confirmed he was a vocalist for Mashiara while also sharing a snippet of the lyrics: “no’ma mi cuebiyar.” Of Peter, composer Lorne Balfe said “his voice is one of the most unique and memorable voices to come out of Britain ever, and we’re so fortunate to get him on this soundtrack.”
Production company 14th Street Music also released a lyrics video for Caisen’shar. Vocalists include Abby Lyons, whose vocals were also featured in Al’Naito, and Our Native Daughters. Our Native Daughters is comprised of Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell, who released their debut album Songs of Our Native Daughters in 2019. They aim to “shine light on African-American women’s stories of struggle, resistance, and hope.”
“I didn’t choose this path, but I’ll follow it.” The second single from @thewheeloftime is out today. Listen to Caisen’shar in old tongue by #14thStreetMusic’s @LorneBalfe. Vocals by @helloabbylyons and @ONDaughters.
More info here: https://t.co/S3InkofYXQ pic.twitter.com/FK07Dt4jrk— 14th Street Music (@14thStreetMusic) November 5, 2021
Of course, we’ve already got fans working on a translation. Here’s one from Twitter user Bain and Chiad:
My best guess at a translation for Caisen’shar (taking some liberties with diction and syntax) #Alt #TheWheelOfTime pic.twitter.com/NmUbLSsShS
— Bain & Chiad (@Bain_Chiad) November 5, 2021
What do you think of the new singles, and what are some more themes you want to see in The First Turn? Let us know in the comments!
I'm a longtime SFF fan but Wheel of Time will always be my first love. I want to call myself Green Ajah, but--let's be real--I'm probably a Brown. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, writing, and getting lost in the wilderness.
I think there should be more instrumentals. When done right, maybe even with an orchestra, they are the ones that really make the scene work. Michael Meyers scenes in Halloween; Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, Jaws and so many more. Check out “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – The Danish National Symphony Orchestra”, it’s great. Plus, why are all of the songs in the old tongue?
The Pink Panther theme!!!
Great article Sara! I love the music, it’s really atmospheric. I also love the album name “The First Turn”.