Original composition…..Alejandro Gonzalez M.

Durmientes

Written: 2005-06/2023-25
Duration: ca. 33'
for orchestra (3 (dbl Pic.), 3 (dbl Eng. Hn.), 3 (dbl Bass Cl.), 3 (dbl C-bsn.); 4,3,3,1; timp +3; hp; kybd; strings)
Written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/journey-of-a-dragonfly
Video: https://youtu.be/hZOVmC9R82M

PROGRAM NOTE
As a child, my parents vacationed at a summer cottage in Maine by a small lake. Often by myself, I would sit on a giant boulder and watch the lake and the wildlife for hours.

One day, a beautiful bright-winged dragonfly flew across the lake and hovered before me. I was startled and intrigued: its long, slender blue body glistened in the sunlight. Finally, it began to fly around the perimeter of the lake. It stopped every few minutes and hovered in place, almost as if waiting for me to follow it. I followed the dragonfly until sunset, imagining a world in which only the dragonfly existed, on its own terms, within its own world.

Years later, I hiked around the Niagara Gorge near Niagara Falls and explored Devil’s Hole Park. There is an opening on the side of a cliff called Devil’s Hole Cave. Interestingly, early Native Americans called it the Cave of the Evil Spirit and foretold subsequent disaster to anyone who dared enter the cave. The combination of the lake, the dragonfly, and Devil’s Hole Cave all came together and helped crystalize the idea for this work.

Journey of a Dragonfly begins as the sun rises; a foreboding darkness looms in the background, contrasting the Dragonfly’s graceful entrance into a world filled with the excitement of being alive. A gust of wind carries dandelion seeds skyward alongside butterflies and rainbow-colored wildflowers. Butterflies land on flowers before the Dragonfly ventures through a dark forest and emerges, only to be chased by five blackbirds. Weaving back and forth to try and escape, the Dragonfly flies into a narrow crevice as two of the blackbirds collide with trees. While still being chased, the three remaining birds retreat as the Dragonfly discovers a dark hole leading to a tunnel. The dragonfly speeds down the ghoulish tunnel and emerges at the end of the tunnel at the side of a cliff, hovering in place. It looks around in horror and sees a gigantic cavern and then Devil Town. After flying through Devil Town and witnessing tortured souls, a bomb factory, Attorney Alley, and the Devil’s Saloon, off in the distance, the Dragonfly sees Satan’s House on a hill and decides to explore. The Dragonfly enters the house and sees the Devil Child, the Devil Mother, and the Devil himself. Suddenly, the Devil Child catches the Dragonfly in a glass jar as the parents prepare dinner in the kitchen. The Dragonfly eventually manages to escape, only to be chased by the Devil Child and then by a group of hellish bats. After a chaotic chase, the Dragonfly finds the tunnel and speeds back toward the world above. Finally free, the Dragonfly finds a flat rock to rest. The tale concludes as the Dragonfly falls asleep, the sun sets by the lake, and the evening fades to black.

Journey of a Dragonfly was written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season.

– RP

Movements:
1. The Lake: Sunrise
2. Dragonfly’s Entrance
3. Chase: Blackbirds
4. Descent Into The Underworld
5. Devil Town
6. Satan’s House
7. Trapped
8. Kitchen
9. Escape
10. Chase: Bats
11. Ascent To The World Above
12. The Lake: Sunset

Journey of a Dragonfly for Orchestra

Full album
https://atlsplaza-nd.bandcamp.com/album/--8

John - Eternal Light of the Word

This remastered album is the musical journey accompanying the harrowing events of Book 3 of "Hinter uns das Land" ("Behind Us The Land"), a poignant novel by Frank Talmon l'Armée. As the war closes in, the Feyerabend family, along with countless others, is forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to flee their beloved home in East Prussia. This collection of 16 tracks captures the emotional turmoil and the perilous journey that unfolds, painting a vivid sonic picture of a family caught in the midst of historical upheaval.

Book 3 plunges the listener into the chaos and fear of the final days of the war in East Prussia. The once-familiar streets of Danzig (now Gdańsk) become a haunting labyrinth of desperation and uncertainty as Inge and her family navigate the treacherous path to the harbor. The music reflects the growing tension, the ever-present threat, and the agonizing choices forced upon those seeking refuge. You will sense in the music the desperation of many refugees, but also their determination to survive.

The journey culminates in the boarding of the "Lappland," a vessel overflowing with refugees, all carrying their own stories of loss and hope. As the ship embarks across the vast and unforgiving Baltic Sea, the music evokes the vastness of the ocean, the precariousness of their situation, and the uncertain future that awaits them. You can hear in the sounds the inner turmoil of the characters: the children who do not yet fully comprehend what is happening and the adults who try to hold on to hope in the face of unimaginable fear.

From haunting melodies that echo the emptiness of a lost home to surging orchestrations that mirror the turbulent sea, this soundtrack captures the full spectrum of human emotion in times of war. Moments of quiet reflection are interspersed with powerful, driving rhythms, reflecting the resilience and determination of those who refuse to give up hope, although they know their lives will never be the same.

This musical collection offers a unique and immersive experience, drawing the listener deeper into the world of "Hinter uns das Land." It's a testament to the enduring power of family, the unwavering human spirit, and the search for peace amidst the ravages of war.

Nothing Is Life (Radio Version) (From the Original Novel Soundtrack)

“Soul Hunt” is one of the most direct and visceral tracks on the album — a relentless vision of unseen warfare, where human souls are the prize in an eternal struggle between forces far greater than ourselves. Based on one of my oldest lyrics ever written, the song captures a world drenched in fear and metaphysical violence. Peace is yearned for but never found.

The verses paint a bleak picture: “It’s all over” declares one line; “Bloodstained icons weep in woe” ends another. These aren’t just poetic images — they’re cries from a world where fragile human lives are tossed into a cosmic battleground beyond comprehension. The music echoes this turmoil with razor-sharp, old-school thrash metal riffing, driving the message home with unrelenting force.

At its heart, “Soul Hunt” forms the eschatological core of the album — a dark framework where the sacred collides with the violent. The Latin chorus, “Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna” (“Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death”), taken from the Roman Catholic Office of the Dead, becomes more than a liturgical chant. It’s a desperate plea for endurance, for grace, for something to hold onto in the face of annihilation.

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SOUL HUNT

A star fell blazing, torn from the sky,
Ghostfire flickers, years burn dry.
Lunatic echoes are tearing the spheres,
Behind steel gates, the enemy appears.

He winks at me with a hollow stare –
A pupil-less gaze, a frozen glare.
"Come with me," he speaks to me, "behold!
We'll walk in the void like the gods of the old!"

Bell tolls crash on the lead-gray land,
The last fires go out, lost in the sand.
It’s all over – we fade in the tide, 
abandoned island, fortress denied.

Life’s breath is stolen, I drink from the still,
degusting the wine that the ages spill.
Spare me, O Lord, from the hunter’s chase,
Grant me, O Father, a night of grace!

Libera me Domine
de morte eterna! 
(Deliver me, O Lord, 
from eternal death)

The forest echoes from the hunting cries,
Dark shadows creep where the lost souls lie.
A soul hunt is raging deep down below,
bloodstained icons weep in woe.

Horror Sacri

Soul Hunt

Gray

Title track from our title track from our debut album out now!

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW! LISTEN HERE!

SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/album/1kb6C7OYXgbehQhJ9sOZOo

APPLE MUSIC - https://music.apple.com/gb/album/too-broke-for-money/1843961534

Lyrics - 

Too broke, too broke

Wallet’s empty, tank on E
But who needs cash when we’re wild and free
Skip the rent, burn the mail
Turn this night into a fairy tale

We don’t need your validation
We’re the broke-ass generation

I’m too broke for money, but I’m rich in friends
Living off pizza crusts and weekend plans
Laugh at the bills we’ll never pay
Who cares anyway

Too broke but still alive
Rowdy as hell, we’ll survive

Too Broke For Money

Another candle, another year
Colleagues nod, the cat says "purr"
The mirror shrugs, the future grins
Life's messy, but it sings

Happy birthday to me!
I'm still becoming who I want to be
Happy birthday to me!
The questions matter more than certainty
The past is gone, the future’s wide
The horizon's closer than I think

The magazines sell panic at midlife
"Buy a car, trade your spouse, dodge the knife!"
But my cat insists the meaning is clear
The lap is warm, the song is here

Happy birthday to me!
The silence teaches more than melody
Happy birthday to me!
The flaws are part of the symphony
I may not dance the way I dreamed
But the spotlight's softer than it seemed

Yes, mortality's a bore
But I've still got books unread
Wine unsipped
Arguments un-won
And my cats, plural, demanding bed space
If this is midlife
Then I call that halftime
And I've always loved the second act

Some friends are gone, some chapters closed
Some seeds I planted never rose
But others bloomed in the strangest ground
And joy's a weed, it sticks around

Happy birthday to me!
The years are chapters, not a eulogy
Happy birthday to me!
The page keeps turning restlessly
The curtain lifts, and I still want to see
Happy birthday to me!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Floating Up Above (remix)

"Babel" is the 2nd full length album by Greece world pop music ambassador Ulisseus.

Ulisseus: Babel
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ulisseus12

Babel

Goosebumps

"Can I Be’s Smoke" is a hypnotic journey that feels like 60 BPM while pulsing at 120. Driven by heavy kick and snare, it blends industrial tension with psychedelic, dreamy textures. The result is a slow-burning, modern darkwave track — both floating and grounded, melancholic yet cinematic. Music for nights of smoke, steel, and strange reflections.

Can I Be's Smoke

An Epic Novel. A Sonic Universe. One True Story.

Welcome to the sonic universe of "Behind Us The Land" (Hinter uns das Land). What began as a soundtrack for an epic historical novel has evolved into a global, cross-genre music phenomenon, celebrated by millions of listeners and a worldwide community of artists.

Discover the different worlds within this project:

The official soundtrack to the 80-year true story of the Feyerabend family.

The epic progressive metal of the virtual band Adelheide's Wisdom.

The chart-topping indie pop of the virtual artist Ulla F.

Helmed by author, producer, and lifelong music curator Frank Talmon l'Armée, this project is the result of a deep-seated passion for music and storytelling. As the human visionary, he employs a hybrid method of traditional songwriting and the pioneering use of AI tools as his "orchestra" to bring this monumental saga to life.

This is a place for deep listeners, for fans of epic stories and genre-defying music. Dive in, explore the albums and playlists, and become part of a story that connects the past with the future.

At its heart, 'Behind Us The Land' is more than just the 80-year story of one German family. It's a universal parable about loss, resilience, and the unbreakable will to build a new home from the ruins – a story that repeats itself tens of thousands of times every single day, all over the world. Our music aims to give a voice to this universal experience and to inspire courage.

OUR VISION & MISSION

Our Vision: We believe that resilience can make even the deepest wounds bearable.

Our Mission: This project is dedicated to a profoundly human, true story to achieve two things:

To Bear Witness: To show what war does to ordinary people and how its scars echo for generations.

To Give Courage: To strengthen and inspire anyone who has suffered loss or lived through difficult times.

This is music as a testament. A story that repeats itself every day.

A Beyond & Before Music production.

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Ein Romanepos. Ein Klanguniversum. Eine wahre Geschichte.

Willkommen im Klang-Universum von "Hinter uns das Land". Was als Soundtrack zu einem epischen historischen Roman begann, hat sich zu einem globalen, genre-übergreifenden Musikphänomen entwickelt, das von Millionen von Hörern und einer weltweiten Community von Künstlern gefeiert wird.

Entdecken Sie die verschiedenen Welten innerhalb dieses Projekts:

Den offiziellen Soundtrack zur 80-jährigen, wahren Saga der Familie Feyerabend.

Den epischen Progressive Metal der virtuellen Band Adelheide's Wisdom.

Den chartstürmenden Indie-Pop der virtuellen Künstlerin Ulla F.

Geführt von Autor, Produzent und Musik-Kurator Frank Talmon l'Armée, ist dieses Projekt das Ergebnis einer lebenslangen Leidenschaft für Musik und das Erzählen von Geschichten. Als menschlicher Visionär nutzt er eine hybride Methode aus traditionellem Songwriting und dem wegweisenden Einsatz von KI-Werkzeugen als sein "Orchester", um diese monumentale Saga zum Leben zu erwecken.

Dies ist ein Ort für anspruchsvolle Hörer, für Fans von epischen Geschichten und genre-sprengender Musik. Tauchen Sie ein, erforschen Sie die Alben und Playlists und werden Sie Teil einer Geschichte, die die Vergangenheit mit der Zukunft verbindet.

Im Herzen ist 'Hinter uns das Land' mehr als nur die 80-jährige Geschichte einer deutschen Familie. Es ist eine universelle Parabel über Verlust, Widerstandsfähigkeit und den unzerbrechlichen Willen, aus den Trümmern eine neue Heimat zu schaffen – eine Geschichte, die sich täglich zigtausendfach auf der ganzen Welt wiederholt. Unsere Musik soll dieser universellen Erfahrung eine Stimme geben und Mut machen.

UNSERE VISION & MISSION

Unsere Vision: Wir glauben daran, dass Resilienz selbst die tiefsten Wunden erträglich machen kann.

Unsere Mission: Dieses Projekt widmet sich einer zutiefst menschlichen, wahren Geschichte, um zwei Dinge zu erreichen:

Zeugnis ablegen: Zu zeigen, was Krieg mit normalen Menschen macht und wie seine Narben über Generationen nachhallen.

Mut machen: Jeden zu stärken und zu inspirieren, der Verlust erlitten oder schwere Zeiten durchlebt hat.

Das ist Musik als Vermächtnis. Eine Geschichte, die sich täglich wiederholt.

Ein Projekt von Beyond & Before Music.

© 2006-2025 Beyond and Before Music

#HinterUnsDasLand #BookSoundtrack #CinematicMusic #Storytelling #RockOpera #AdelheidesWisdom  #BeyondAndBeforeMusic