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Side Quest (2026)

video game songs for baritone and piano

Side Quest

from CA$10.00

video game songs for baritone and piano, on gamer poetry by James Pepler

You are purchasing a PDF file, which may be reproduced for the singer and accompanist only.

This cycle contains 6 songs in total. Individual songs are available for purchase on request.

Songs:

Text: James Pepler (b. 1985)
Duration: 28 minutes
Difficulty: Hard

Dedicated to Darrell J. Jordan, baritone and fellow gaymer, and made possible through financial support from the Edmonton Arts Council. To be premiered January 2027.

When I was a kid, I never had any patience for listening to music – but I always had patience for video games. Coming of age during the height of the Super Nintendo and N64 with a particular affinity for role-playing and adventure games, the soundtracks became a core part of my formative years and had an undeniable impact on my own musical language as I grew older.

Side Quest is a song cycle that attempts to capture the magic of my favourite video game soundtracks and the brilliant work of the composers behind them. The music is wholly original, but incorporates rhythmic and melodic homages to The Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Metroid, Skyrim, and Final Fantasy. The poetry by BC-based writer James Pepler describes scenes and experiences from these games, often filtered through a child’s perspective of wide-eyed wonder.

Thanks for coming on this adventure with me! Press START to begin.

Click here to see the complete score.

Live recording currently unavailable. MIDI available on request.

Full Text

Download the full texts here.