Inspired by the poem "Winter Stars" by the American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933).

Winter Stars

I went out at night alone;
  The young blood flowing beyond the sea
Seemed to have drenched my spirit’s wings— 
  I bore my sorrow heavily.

But when I lifted up my head
  From shadows shaken on the snow,
I saw Orion in the east
  Burn steadily as long ago.

From windows in my father’s house,
  Dreaming my dreams on winter nights,
I watched Orion as a girl
  Above another city’s lights.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,
   The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars,
All things are changed, save in the east
  The faithful beauty of the stars.

The Faithful Beauty of the Stars

I want to try to get a natural and relaxed sound without clutter. The flowing guitar (arpeggio) supported by double bass and lot of the melody interest is also in a higher bass register, a second basss line.  Lots of acoustic tones. Subtle drum beats give movement and push.  Sometimes more is less?  What do you think?

Light On A Stream

I have the great honor to publish a new version of my unfinished Dream Trio, revised and realized by composer Gerhard Richter of Austria -- myopus on Sound Cloud  -- https://soundcloud.com/myopus If you have listened to my original version of this piano trio, you know that the instrumental sound is poor, especially the violin. 
Herr Richter very generously offered to make a new realization of my work using better instrumental sounds. I gratefully agreed.
 But he has done much more than that, providing a more expressive and realistic virtual performance and improving and extending my composition. I am especially amazed by his wonderful completion of a fugatto I started. It is the work of a master musician, but I am not surprised. Gerhard has composed many top-notch classical works, including a Piano Trio in D-flat that I am especially fond of: https://soundcloud.com/myopus/sets/piano-trio-d-flat-major-des
Thank you, Gerhard! You have made my little piano trio sound better than I ever could!

Dream Trio, Revised and Realized by Gerhard Richter

This is one of my all time favourite songs.
Summertime was an "Aria" composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 Opera Porgy and Bess. They lyrics were written by Du Bose Heyward. The song is also co- credited to Ira Gershwin
I added some strings but thatks to jazzbacks for the wonderful backing.

Summertime     ( George Gershwin cover)

Baltic Azure

Solace

RUNNING UP THAT HILL

Like so many this last week I got mesmerized again after so many years by the beautiful songwriting in this song by and of Kate Bush. A song from my young teenager years, released in 1985, that already impacted my younger self. And now due to a Netflix series called "Stranger Things" its back with a vengeance for younger generations. 

A quote from LIAM HESS, May 30, 2022:  
Over the weekend, the song shot to the top of the U.S. iTunes charts, with the show’s largely teenage fanbase taking to Twitter and TikTok to post about their new musical discovery from decades past. Others, however—notably long-time Bush fans of a certain generation, who have patiently sat through many decades of radio silence from a musician notorious for taking long hiatuses and doing minimal press—rolled their eyes. “How could you not know about the genius of Kate Bush already?”

 Great music is eternal after all.

This is my humble attempt at it in the form of an acoustic guitar trio piece. I hope you can enjoy my cover of this classic.

As always I really appreciate your likes, comments and shares!
-Dan

Music by Kate Bush, off the album Hounds of Love, arranged for three guitars by Dan van den Berg, June 2022
Photo by Clive Arrowsmith
All guitars by Dan van den Berg

Running Up That Hill | Kate Bush (cover) | Dan van den Berg

Music for Piano, Strings and Choir

Ever so thankful to work with the amazing Nic Evennett on this song.  Her talent is special and I strongly recommend you listen to more of her wonderful work
https://soundcloud.com/wingless-night
Pleased to report this piece recently aired on Exile FM in the UK.
For a video version go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxq88LAwrtc&amp=&feature=youtu.be

Whispers

The upside
We're in this together.
My ally,
Faring the weather.
Mistaking
The wicked for the wise,
They're shaking
The thunder from the skies.

I worry, I worry...
Is that the wind in the tree?
The swaying,
Is she waving goodbye to me?
Oh darling,
Cradle my fears,
They're pooling
Under my head.

You'll surely listen, you'll surely listen now,
Whispers tell you everything.

She's waiting
For sorrys on the breeze.
The sun is sore,
The rain is hard to please,
The silvergrass
Is curling around me,
Forgiving,
And soft on my feet.

You'll surely listen, you'll surely listen now.
Whispers tell you everything.

(lyrics by Nic Evennett)

Whispers (Classical Glass and Nic Evennett)

Dream music. Being able to sit at my piano and just play anything I am feeling is one of the best parts of being me. Never knowing what is going to come out is intoxicating. "I want to make music about rain," is all I need. It doesn't have to be the best there is, it just has to be real. It gives meaning to being alive. If I wasn't here this music wouldn't exist. I wouldn't exist, and now I will always be here to anyone who comes after me.

We Needed The Rain

My first outing with the beautiful upright piano from Spitfire Audio, their Firewood Piano. The strings are from Spitfire as well. "Ember" invites you to a world of warmth, imagination and possibilities.

© 2020 Roger Hooper Music

The photo in the artwork is by Peter Linforth on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/thedigitalartist-202249/

Ember

A sleeping song for cello and piano. It's a lullaby with ‘spooky’ moments. 
Made with Ivory 2 and Audiomodelling SWAM V3  cello, and breath control TEC and Altiverb as a virtual acoustic surrounding.
For best result use hifi stereo or headphones.

Berceuse (composer and performer Ad van Nederpelt)

“A painter paints pictures on canvas but musicians paint their pictures on silence.” -  Leopold Stokowski

A member of Cellar Door which you can find here: https://soundcloud.com/cdoor

"The most powerful and magical language is music. The reason for this is that music is the original language. Music is not ornamented poetry, and poetry is not ornamented prose. Poetry is fallen music, and prose is fallen poetry. Prose is not the original language; it is poetry made practical. Even poetry is not the original language; it is music made speakable, it is the words of music separated from their music. In the beginning was music." (Peter Kreeft, Philosophy of Tolkien)