Hyrule Field is one of the most iconic locations in 3D Zelda games. Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Breath of the Wild all include some iteration of the wild, open fields of Hyrule. While Ocarina of Time‘s version is the smallest, it is also the most iconic. Hyrule Field plays a huge role in the game as it is the first location where the game world truly opens up. In 1998, when players trekked through the field for the first time, players got a sense of the size, scope, ambition of the first 3D Zelda game. For many people, the sight and sound of Hyrule Field can take players back to wonderfully nostalgic memories of the wild, open landscape that helped define 3D Zelda.

This Celtic cover of “Hyrule Field” by Tim de Man is an incredible rendition of the classic Ocarina of Time song. The instrumentation in the song is extremely lush with a wide variety of instruments including the tin whistle, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, accordion, and nyckelharpa, as well as a variety of percussion.  The nyckelharpa is an instrument that I had not heard of before, but it is Swedish stringed instrument with similarities to the fiddle or hurdy-gurdy. This wonderful mix of instruments is something Tim de Man is known for, and it is something that made Tim de Man’s album Hyrule Highland so excellent.

One the best things about this cover is the sense of progression. The song opens with a tin whistle playing the iconic “Morning” melody. From there, more instruments are added in to flesh out the sound and create a sense of grand adventure. Much like the original “Hyrule Field” in Ocarina of Time, which includes changes in tempo and arrangement depending on if Link was running through the field quickly or standing still, this Celtic cover has ebbs and flows in the tempo. The changes in instrumentation and tempo make this Celtic cover feel very dynamic and responsive.

What do you think of this Celtic cover of “Hyrule Field” by Tim de Man? Let us know in the comments below!

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