Baba Yetu (from Civilization IV) (trans. Matt Conaway): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Christopher Tin / Arranged by Matt Conaway
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00455064
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Description
Although composed for a video game, this African-flavored modern masterpiece has taken on a life of its own in pop culture as well as on the concert stage. This transcription by Matt Conaway matches the original orchestration and is compatible with the composer's own version for chorus. Performed with or without chorus, the effect is dramatic and moving.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00455064
More about this title
About the Composer: Christopher Tin
Christopher Tin's compositional fingerprint spans film, television, video games, advertising, and recording. His work is defined by memorable melodies, restrained orchestration, and dramatic impact. A California native of Chinese heritage educated in England, Tin's aesthetic draws from his multicultural upbringing, creating music that feels both globally informed and immediately accessible.
Tin earned dual degrees from Stanford and Oxford in music composition and conducting, then studied at the Royal College of Music in London on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he graduated with highest honors and won the Horovitz Composition Prize. His album Calling All Dawns secured two Grammy Awards including Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists for "Baba Yetu." His work has been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Philharmonia, and he has composed for major film and video game titles including Civilization IV and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Why we love this
A piece this musically sophisticated yet accessible rarely crosses over from game music into serious concert repertoire, and "Baba Yetu" has earned its place through pure compositional strength. Conaway's transcription respects Tin's orchestral vision while giving concert bands a chance to tackle African rhythmic language and harmonic color at a manageable Grade 4 level. The flexibility to perform it with or without a vocalist opens multiple programming possibilities.
What to expect
A journey from intimate and meditative into something celebratory and communal. The piece breathes with the spaciousness of African music while maintaining the harmonic sophistication that makes it relevant on any concert stage. It's simultaneously contemplative and propulsive, never losing sight of its essential warmth.
Who it's for
Concert bands looking to expand beyond traditional wind band literature into contemporary concert music with genuine crossover appeal. Directors who want their students to engage with non-Western musical traditions and experience how melody and rhythm can carry equal weight in shaping a powerful arrangement.
How to get the most out of it
- Anchor the African percussion elements (especially the talking drum and shakers) to drive the rhythmic energy; these aren't accompaniment but melodic collaborators.
- If adding a vocalist, treat that voice as an additional instrumental layer rather than a soloist floating above the band, maintaining the piece's unified texture.
- Shape the harmonic progressions with dynamic intention; Tin's chord changes carry emotional weight and need conductor clarity to land with impact.
- Balance the opening's spare instrumentation carefully so the gradual layering builds organically rather than feeling tentative.
How to use it
Place this as a centerpiece for a concert exploring music beyond the classical canon, or pair it with world music traditions that complement its African influences. Its emotional arc makes it equally effective as a concert opener (drawing the audience in immediately) or as a closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.
Skills your students will build
- Interpreting syncopated rhythms in African music idioms
- Balancing harmonic color with melodic clarity
- Reading and executing parts written for non-traditional band instrumentations
- Responding to dynamic and textural shifts that build narrative tension
- Sustaining focus through sparse, deliberate orchestration before gradual tutti entry