arrangers: []
catalog: N/A
categories:
- Game
category: Game
classification: Original Soundtrack
composers:
- link: artist/3380
  names:
    en: Keith Zizza
covers: []
discs:
- disc_length: '58:34'
  name: Disc 1
  tracks:
  - names:
      English: Welcome
    track_length: '1:31'
  - names:
      English: Craftsmen's Song
    track_length: '3:42'
  - names:
      English: Journey Down the Nile
    track_length: '3:18'
  - names:
      English: Memories of Thebes
    track_length: '3:39'
  - names:
      English: On the Falcon's Wings
    track_length: '3:04'
  - names:
      English: Karnak by Camel
    track_length: '4:37'
  - names:
      English: The Valley of the Kings
    track_length: '4:11'
  - names:
      English: Pharaoh's Dream
    track_length: '2:54'
  - names:
      English: The Garden of Egypt, Part 1
    track_length: '2:31'
  - names:
      English: Many Roads, Many Travels
    track_length: '4:16'
  - names:
      English: The Garden of Egypt, Part 2
    track_length: '3:05'
  - names:
      English: Dissatisfaction
    track_length: '5:32'
  - names:
      English: Beloved of Ma'at
    track_length: '4:11'
  - names:
      English: In the Field of Reeds
    track_length: '3:04'
  - names:
      English: Festival Dance
    track_length: '3:03'
  - names:
      English: In the Service of Pharaoh
    track_length: '2:37'
  - names:
      English: Jewel in the Desert
    track_length: '3:19'
link: album/13731
lyricists: []
media_format: Digital
meta:
  added_date: 2009-05-31T04:46
  edited_date: 2022-09-14T16:00
  fetched_date: 2026-01-15T13:06
  freedb: 2
  ttl: 86400
  visitors: 2897
name: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Soundtrack'
names:
  en: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Soundtrack'
  ja: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Soundtrack'
  ja-latn: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Soundtrack'
notes: 'Originally released on the web.

  Included with GOG release of Children of the Nile Complete on or around April 9,
  2013.

  01 - Welcome

  This is the very first piece of music written for the game, way back in June of
  2002. The style and arrangement I used here would be a template for many more tunes
  to follow. It is played while in the game''s setup pages.

  02 - Craftsmen''s Song

  One day I was reading about the lives of craftspeople in Ancient Egypt, and I learned
  that while plying their trade (stonecutting, woodworking, papyrus making, etc.)
  they would often work in groups, singing or chanting in time to the pace of their
  efforts. They would even use their tools to supply the rhythm!

  I imagined this music must have been fun to perform and listen to. Trying to write
  something that would reflect this, and keeping with the contemporary feel of the
  soundtrack, the Craftsmen''s Song came to life.

  03 - Journey Down the Nile

  I wanted to compose something that felt like you were traveling in a boat down the
  Nile, watching people go about their day. I gave it a rigid tempo but a serene musical
  feel, conveying the idea that it''s a pleasant day out there, as you''re rolling
  along steadily, quite relaxed... just don''t fall asleep at the rudder!

  04 - Memories of Thebes

  Every spring in ancient Thebes, the Festival at Opet was held. Beginning in Karnak
  and ending in Luxor, the Egyptians celebrated the inundation of the Nile, and the
  connection between their Pharaoh and Amun, the "king of the gods".

  The beginning and end of this piece are a guess as to what a "band" from this festival
  may have sounded like. From what little has been discovered, groups of musicians
  may have included a flute player, a percussionist or two, sistrum players, and hand
  clappers. Lacking I sistrum (a staff-shaped percussion instrument with metal rings
  attached to the top), I used a tambourine, and performed all of the other instruments.

  05 - On the Falcon''s Wings

  Imagine if you could hitch a ride on (or if you were) a falcon, and you could see
  the splendor of Ancient Egypt from above. This music strives to capture that image,
  circling and gliding over water and land, until finally you rise up above the Great
  Pyramids, and head off into the sunset.

  06 - Karnak by Camel

  Using lots of syncopation and layers of percussion, the rhythm here reminded me
  of riding a camel across the long desert. Why Karnak, you ask? Well, why not? It''s
  just one the many places I imagined someone traveling to.

  Actually, there weren''t many camels in Egypt until much later in their timeline
  (around the Ptolemaic period). But still, one can imagine...

  07 - The Valley of the Kings

  When I read about the Valley of the Kings, I was amazed at how many former rulers
  were buried in one place, and how elaborate some of the tombs were. As I wrote this,
  I thought of those who might have readied a tomb for the Pharaoh, preparing him
  to rest for all eternity.

  08 - Pharaoh''s Dream

  This was the first in-game tune written for the game, and is also one of the more
  low-key compositions. First I wanted to create the image of Egypt at night; then,
  the pharaoh lies asleep, dreaming of being called upon by one of the major gods
  -- as recognized by an eerie, strange voice.

  09 - The Garden of Egypt, Part 1

  There was a great oasis between Upper and Lower Egypt called the Faiyum, where many
  people (including pharaohs) hunted, worshipped, or just wanted to get away from
  it all. When I wrote this tune, I was imagining being at rest in the Faiyum, enjoying
  a lazy afternoon. The instrumentation is sparse, with occasional cymbal/sistrum
  effects giving the music more texture.

  10 - Many Roads, Many Travels

  I had finished writing a lot of music for the game up to this point, and had a lot
  of those ideas still running around in my mind. Here, I brought back reflections
  of previous tunes, as well some new ideas. Putting it all together felt like a kind
  of montage, or a musical road to travel on (hence the title).

  11 - The Garden of Egypt, Part 2

  I liked the contrast of The Garden of Egypt to some of the other more "upbeat" tunes,
  so I decided to do it again, writing some more music about the Faiyum paradise!

  12 - Dissatisfaction

  This is the background music for the higher levels of dissatisfaction in the game.
  Things are getting worse in your city, and you must do something fast to correct
  it... or you''ll be overthrown!

  13 - Beloved of Ma''at

  Ma''at was the goddess of truth and balance. But even more than a goddess, She was
  also the pattern of things, the very order and fabric of the universe. A pharaoh
  would be obligated to uphold Ma''at in everything he or she did. In this way, they
  were "Beloved of Ma''at". This piece is bolder and more majestic-sounding than previous
  ones, reflecting pharaoh''s upholding of truth, balance, and order.

  14 - In the Field of Reeds

  When a person died, their heart and deeds were weighed on a scale against the Feather
  of Truth. If the scale was balanced, they would move on (or cease to exist otherwise!)
  and meet Horus, who would take them to the Fields of Aalu, otherwise known as the
  Field of Reeds. There, relatives and friends who had since passed on would be there
  to greet them, in a forever afterlife of bliss. The Fields were tended with the
  help of shabtis, statuettes placed in the coffin of the dead.

  15 - Festival Dance

  Festivals spanned over the millenia in Ancient Egypt, and were an essential part
  of Egyptian culture. They would be held for just about anything important, from
  celebrating the living or the dead; for gods and goddesses; or even for the seasons
  of planting, flood, and harvest. This is a "universal" dance tune that could conjure
  up thoughts of any of these celebrations or rituals.

  16 - In the Service of Pharaoh

  This is the music you hear when raiders enter your city. Your military must fight
  back, as they are "in the service of Pharaoh".

  17 - Jewel in the Desert

  The "Jewel in the Desert" is the land otherwise known as Ancient Egypt. On this
  tune, the last piece I wrote for the game, I mainly switched off between two stringed
  instruments, the Esraj and the Bulbul Tara. Over a slow repeating chord progression,
  these are heard as the solo instruments, creating a greater depth to the music.'
organizations:
- &id001
  names:
    en: Tilted Mill Entertainment
  role: publisher
performers: []
picture_full: https://media.vgm.io/albums/13/13731/13731-e9dc9b26f2ce.jpg
picture_small: https://medium-media.vgm.io/albums/13/13731/13731-e9dc9b26f2ce.jpg
picture_thumb: https://thumb-media.vgm.io/albums/13/13731/13731-e9dc9b26f2ce.jpg
platforms:
- PC
products:
- link: product/17624
  names:
    en: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile'
    ja: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile'
    ja-latn: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile'
publish_format: Commercial
publisher: *id001
related: []
release_date: '2004-12-17'
release_events: []
release_price:
  price: Free
reprints: []
stores:
- link: http://www.gog.com/game/children_of_the_nile_complete
  name: GOG
vgmdb_link: https://vgmdb.net/album/13731?perpage=99999
votes: 0
websites:
  Official:
  - link: http://www.immortalcities.com/cotn/downloads/music.php
    name: 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile - Official Site'
  - link: http://www.keithzizza.com/music.html
    name: Keith Zizza - The Official Site. Upcoming Music, Bio, Previews, and More
