If there is one game element that can stick in our minds long after we’ve put the controller down, or walked away from the keyboard, it’s the music - and Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is no exception.

Even a simple melody can be enough to transport us back to a desperate fight with a dragon, the tranquil streets of Whiterun, or deep within a Draugr crypt.

But when that music is performed live by an orchestra and choir it takes on a whole new dimension. Everybody knows the soul-stirring refrain of Dragonborn, but hearing it played live, in front of you, can feel like being caught in a blast of Unrelenting Force, such is the power of an orchestra. And that’s exactly what fans will be able to experience on November 16 at Skyrim in Concert, the first ever concert of music dedicated to The Elder Scrolls, which debuts in the UK at London’s famous Palladium theatre.

The job of bringing all of Jeremy Soule’s intricate and subtle melodies to life over a full concert program is down to Andrew Skeet. If you’re a fan of videogame music, you might already recognise Andrew’s name. He was the arranger and conductor of the hugely popular The Greatest Video Game Music 1 & 2 albums, the first of which Rolling Stone called the “Weirdest Hit Album” of the year, grabbing the highest ever Billboard 200 entry – #23 – for a classical music album since John Williams’ soundtrack to Revenge of the Sith.

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Andrew is no stranger to Bethesda Games Studios’ work, having already produced popular orchestral versions of music from Fallout 3, Oblivion and Skyrim’s own Far Horizons – which itself is one of the most popular videogame tracks on Spotify. You can listen to a recording of Andrew’s Far Horizons arrangement by the London Philharmonic Orchestra below to give you a taste of what to expect from next month’s concert.

Turning the music from the game into full concert pieces for orchestra and choir is no easy task, however. Music that’s been designed to fit interactively around the way you explore the frosty landscapes of Skyrim doesn’t necessarily translate to the passive experience of sitting and listening to an orchestra. And that’s where the skill of arranging and orchestration comes in.

As Andrew explains, “the process of arranging for a concert like this is both artistic and practical. Key is the selection of material, we look for pieces that are complementary but also contrasting and my aim is to take people on a journey through the musical landscape of a game. To evoke the atmosphere of the game and to take people back to what it felt like playing at various stages.”

Most importantly, the aim is to never stray too far from the original music. “Sometimes we subtly add instruments underpinning large sections because live concerts need to be a little larger than life. Also, I sometimes extend a section or repeat it with subtle orchestration changes if I feel that it makes the journey more satisfying without spoiling the original structure of the piece. But I always go back to the original and listen to make sure that not a single melodic fragment or counter melody or chord voicing is left out. We respect the original and people’s memories of hearing it within the game.”

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But there’s more to The Elder Scrolls than just Skyrim, and fans of the older games will be pleased to know that newly arranged suites of music from both Morrowind and Oblivion will feature too. Whatever your musical preference is, November 16 will be the ultimate night for fans of The Elder Scrolls and its soundtracks. Sounds like music to our ears.

Tickets for the concert are available via:

Ticketmaster - http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/skyrim-in-concert-london-16-11-2016/event/3700513DB41BE9C2

SeeTickets - http://www.seetickets.com/performance/skyrim-in-concert/london-palladium/2/pal/373476