Ishiara

Ishihara (Live Acoustic Demo)

This is a piece of music I scored from some rather splendid Icelandic drone footage. Listening to it with my eyes closed I realised it stands up as a music piece without video.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcYDH7pAv9dqk394YUeid8Q

Icelandia

This piece seeded itself in my head a few weeks ago. How could it not? What's happening in Ukraine is so wrong in so many ways. 

Reason for Extended Version : Since I scored & recorded the original a couple of weeks ago, I've seen a lot of footage of 'What was left behind' when the Russians retreated from North of Kiev which tbh, I thought I'd never live to see again after Vietnam, Cambodia & Bosnia.... (& the rest!!) but here, we are... again!

Because of that, I felt it only fitting to play the rest of the Ukrainian National Anthem (I touched on it at the beginning of the original!) with a choral arrangement at the end of the rest of the National Anthem.

Music Geek Alert (Instruments used)

4 x Contra Basses (BBCSO Spitfire - Legato)
6 x Cellos (BBCSO Spitfire - Long Flautando)
12 x Violins (BBCSO Spitfire - Long Flautando)
12 x Violas (BBCSO Spitfire - Long Flautando & Tremolo)
1 x Lead violin (BBCSO Spitfire - Legato)
Vocals : Clara & Danielle with their amazing timbres
Vocals : Mercury Choir
Vocals : Oliver Patrice Weder & his remarkable swimming pool choir (Spitfire)
Vocals : 3 Gothic Sisters
Oboe (BBCSO Spitfire)
Piano (from Piano Book .... ;) )
Cymbalon (similar to a Zither)
Various digital instruments for 'The Groove'

Hymn For Ukraine - Extended

Hymn For Ukraine - Extended Mix

I started writing this at the beginning of 2023 after the 'Festive' season was over. It's a song that touches on mental health. The ups & downs we all have from time to time. Then there are people, possibly friends or relatives you know, who have it a lot worse and at times when a shoulder to lean/cry on just isn't enough, medication & counselling is sometimes needed. 

Ironically, the "Tis the season to be jolly! is one of the worst times of the year for people where isolation, emotionally and physically is right there for them and the festive season is like rubbing salt in a wound. 

This piece with all it's ebbs & flows is an acknowledgement of that see saw of despair/inspiration people can go through which I've been told is both a blessing and a curse at times. Remember, you're not alone.

Thank to the following amazing musicians for supplying the notes & sounds I then put together like a big sonic jigsaw to hopefully make something greater than it's parts that other people may enjoy it like I do.

BBC Symphony Orchestra from Spitfire Audio

Celli - Played both Legato & Long Flautando
Solo Cello - Legato
Violins - Long Flautando
Solo Violin - Legato & Long Flautando
Contra (Double) Bass - Legato
Oboe - Legato
Flute (2 plus a piccolo and octave higher...Nice!)

Westwood Instruments Lost Piano.
Spitfire Audio's Kepler Orchestra for it's amazing Philip Glass minimalistic influence and also their Fragile Strings Evolution collection, recorded at Air Studios.

Piano Book and it's members for all the amazing VST's put together by you peeps for anyone to use such as 'Mellow FM's Mellow Piano' from Francesco Silvestri which was used here as well as Mike Georgiades guitar harmonics. A big thanks to you both.

Guitars
Various including Fin Greenall's 'Mal Brady Bouchier' nylon guitar as well as his trusty Martin D28 steel-string, not forgetting his Martin D35 steel-string acoustic. It would be remissive of me not to mention my trusty Gibson E135 (yes, I found a slot for you too!) with a 70's valve driven amp and plenty attitude lol!

Vocalists
Sara Fors and her superb female choir.
The Gothic Sisters (Choir Society of Wilmington Delaware) for their 'Soprano with soul'.
Adey Bell from Montana, with her intimate, angelic voice.
The amazing Clara Sorace who can (and does) everything from Soul & Gospel through to Celtic & Dark, melancholic, throaty vocals.
The very talented Lawrence Reppert with his majestic Tenor voice.

Others
Spitfire Audio's Albion Solstice for the sublime harp as well as the free LABS Lap Guitar!

Black Apple

A homage to Morricone & Gershwin, 2 of the finest composers in their realm in the last century IMHO, adroitly assisted with Kenny McCraw's vocals for some gravitas :) 

No animals  or children were injured during the making of this, honest guv! 

It's also worth mentioning that I am NOT make money off this whatsoever, just spreading the Gershwin/Morricone love :)

Once Upon A Summertime

This world we occupy has some good tricks up it's sleeve. It could be something as strange as a talking clock that doesn't actually tell you the time or even a weather forecaster getting his prediction spectacularly wrong. It can be a random, chaotic world or a world full of surprises depending whether your glass is half empty or half full I guess.

With this in mind we all have our 'Getting through the day' mechanisms in one form or another and this piece of music is attempting to reflect that.

What we do to add a sparkle or even just cope with this thing called life or to deal with a repetitive, dull job or perhaps not be able to get a job, this 'Personal panacea' if you like, could be anything...

Gardening, DIY, swimming, family day outings or even work itself. The list is endless. Whatever works for you is really the sentiment of this piece.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, putting together lots of genres of humanity into one place.

The World Turns Easier

Well, folks, it's that time of the year again. Ever revolving in a cycle like a Volvox, It's Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever religious or non religous based reference you use for this particular time in the annual calendar.

A time to appreciate the people around you, be good to one another and spare a thought or 100 for the people who will spend this time alone or even homeless. My thoughts are with them.

Wishing you all a lovely time whatever situation you find yourself in :)

Volvox

A trip to the hospital by train for my first Physio' session after a shoulder replacement following an RTA. Due to 'Constraints' at the time, it was composed with just my right hand and right leg and it's only in the last week or so I've gained enough mobility of my left arm and hand to finally get it all recorded 👍

That all said, I hope you enjoy listening to it 🎧

Colin (Feb' 2024)

Hand Break

Recorded this before the summer and have played around with it trying to get it to sound ok.  Any feedback would be appreciated.
Cheers.

October Moon

October Moon - Demo

Demo of tune I hope to include in a Progressive rock project I am working on.  The singer is Kenny McCraw a Midlothian singer/songwriter and good friend.  There are some wonky guitar bits but its a demo.  Any feedback welcomed.

MKC - I Believe - demo v.2

Kenny Stein

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