"In the forest, stars shine bright,
Quiet whispers, pierce the night,
Magic, beauty, everywhere,
Night songs, fill the air"
- Poem/Lyrics by Francess Harris

A companion piece to "The Forest Sleeps."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Forest Sings" - Words & Music by Francess Harris - Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved.

The Forest Sings

© Joe Liberty 2025, all rights reserved

Tuff luck 

Got sold that dream of a Ponzi scheme 
Hard work n sacrifice know what I mean
Trade your life away to make a few bucks
And all ya got left is a lotta tuff luck

Tuff luck
That sucks
Tuff luck
Aww

To fast to live, to young to die
Without enough sense to ever wonder why

To old to work to broke to quit
Just a cog in the wheel lost in the mix

Tuff luck
That sucks
Tuff luck
That really sucks
Tuff luck

TuffLuck

Spring, after the hibernation period of Winter, an explosion of Life and Colour takes place, making this spectacle one of the most beautiful and anticipated seasons on planet Earth .

Photo by the wonderful photographer Ray Billcliff, visit his site for a wonderful experience.
https://www.pexels.com/@raybilcliff/

Cycles - Spring

Taken from my forthcoming e.p Fear of the kingdom ,the great unknown is about getting out there and exploring the planet ,its been a great year of traveling for me and im pleased to finally come back and share the experience of travel with this new psychedelic piece of music
here is the link to the music video i made for the track https://youtu.be/9zPqJkrQFO8?si=ah4Mhhk3qlv-wF7c

the great unknown

It's been a joy to collaborate with Seagull on a number of different projects over the last several years, but this song proved to be a more unique challenge for me musically; to try to create a guitar part for a Middle Eastern style of music.  I'll let you be the judge if we succeeded:)  Clara's vocals really define the song as Seagull's electric guitar and synths set the stage with bird song in the background.  He did an exquisite job of nestling the Godin nylon-string into the mix.
Minus the electric guitars of course, I do wonder if this type of music might have been heard in and around Palestine at the time of Christ's birth.  Was it echoing in the Magi's ears as they sojourned across the sands to worship and give gifts to the newborn King?  It is music that is pleading, emotional, calling out for peace to a world gone mad in its quest for power and wealth.  Regardless of one's faith or religion, Christmas can be a time and season of resetting one's values and outlook on life, perhaps a true "Genesis" of beginning again.
Music, Mix, Production, track image - Seagull; @farout-music-studio
Lovely Voice - Clara Sorace
Godin nylon guitar-David

Genesis (Seagull, Clara, David)

Cast of Characters:
Cgmaness – @hiddenhands-760647700 – Chris – organ, synth, effects-heavy guitar, initial drums and bass, and composition
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 – Warwick four-string fretless bass, PRS SE semi-hollow body electric guitar, vocals, and lyrics
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST bassoon and harpsicord   
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – production, mix, and mastering

This song began with Chris composing it with his synth, guitar, drum pad and bass. Like many of his songs, it was pretty well formed before the rest of the group got a hold of it. This song was part of a load of songs he shared with the rest of Eclectic Collective all at once. We've been picking them off one by one, though, as we're always grateful to Chris for sharing his magic with us.
  The odd sound of the rhythmic melody, which uses chromatic walks, immediately caught Josh's ears. It struck him as something the Doors might have come up with. So, he set about replacing Chris' simple bass line with something fancier, as well as coming up with the lead guitar for the whole thing, and the lyrics and vocals, as well. Josh was really taken with this one, and heard all kinds of parts in it almost immediately. Ken went to bat next, adding his innovative, John Densmore-like drums to it, replacing Chris' initial rhythmic idea. JJ came next and added the essential piano you hear throughout. After that, Mark found a place for his amazing bassoon/harpsicord solo in the middle. But before it was all over, Chris also added some doubled vocals, too, to actualize the lyrics, which are about two friends taking an acid trip together. 
  After it was all laid down, we asked Tez to mix it for us, which he did in his expert fashion, as always.
  This is our latest song composed by Chris, and we love working on his music. If you dig this, you should pay his page a visit, too, as it's full of diamonds. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Original lyrics by Josh Clary:
Come take a trip with me and together we will see
Into the end
Of time
That you are also me 
And I am also you
We’re in the soup
And in a loop

Underneath your skin 
You’re the same as I
Yet we strive  
To divide
If you want to blur the lines
Just dislodge yourself from time
Let’s fly
Let ego die


We’ll discover what is hidden,
And know why it’s forbidden 
So hold tight 
To what’s right
Just come along with me
And together we can see
Use the light 
Of night

You are also me and I am also you
It’s true
We’re in the stew
I am also you and you are also me
Just look inside 
And see
  
Just feel your temples squeeze
And put your mind at ease
And tune in
To my vibe
You can come along 
Just listen to the song
And melt 
With me

Down and down we go
We should take it slow
Unless we can’t 
We’re all ants
 I knew that we’d have fun
I knew you were the one
To do this with
Now we’re a myth

We could go all night 
Until the sun is bright
It’s a long 
Long ride

You are also me and I am also you
It’s true
We’re in the stew
I am also you and you are also me
Just look inside
And see

You Are Also Me (Eclectic Collective)

“It seems like everything sleeps in winter, but it’s really a time of renewal and reflection.”  – Elizabeth Camden

“Wisdom comes with winters.” – Oscar Wilde

Winter Reflection

Cast of Characters:
The Beautiful Dark -- @thebeautifuldark -- Carl — vocals, lyrics, acoustic guitar and composition
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark –- VST strings and mellotron 
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – upright double bass, plucked and bowed
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken -- drums
J.J. Terrell– @j-j-terrell – piano
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen — Tom Anderson custom T model electric guitar and e-bow
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – production, mix, and mastering
 
Carl came up with this song at the beginning of November on his acoustic guitar, and shared it with the rest of us shortly after. Carl is a songwriting supernova, in case you're unfamiliar with our newest addition to the team. We're always excited and grateful to get to work on his music. 
  Mark was first to add his parts, although he tweaked them throughout the process. His work can be heard in the dramatic string arrangement and mellotron at the crescendo. Josh was next to jump in, adding his new upright bass to the song. He played not only the plucked part, but the bowed part in the strings section, too. Ken came along next with his perfect drums to complete the rhythm section. JJ wanted in on this, too, so he added the foundational piano you hear throughout. Last, but not least, Stephen dropped in his electrifying guitar solo and the accompanying e-bow texture parts you hear toward the end. 
  Once it was all in the bag, we asked Tez to produce and mix it for us, which he did in his always expert fashion. 
  This is our latest song of which Carl is the author. He's been making music with us for the past half a year now, and we can't get enough of his abundant creativity. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Original lyrics by The Beautiful Dark:

Leave Out The Names - The Eclectic Collective

When winter comes and winds are cold and keen, 
When nights are darkest, though the stars shine bright, 
When life shrinks to its roots, or sleeps unseen, 
Then may he bless and bring you to his light.
  
- From Malcolm Guite's "Winter Benediction"


A few days after a wonderful Christmas celebration, I was rudely awakened one morning by Covid...C'est la vie, but as a result, I ended up doing absolutely nothing until today, when I decided that some time at the piano would be a welcome diversion.  The result is "A Winter Benediction."  😊

Wishing everyone a very Happy (and Healthy) New Year!

A Winter Benediction

op. 03/2026

Blue Friday (Pre Piano Version) V.12

Welcome to my SoundCloud page.  It serves as a jar of sorts, to catch the musical ideas flying around in my head!  My hope is that you find something to listen to that offers encouragement and refreshes your soul.

All music is original with a few exceptions (such as new arrangements of old Christmas songs, etc.).  All music has been composed and performed with absolutely no AI-assistance.  I primarily perform and record on the Yamaha MODX8, with an occasional recording on my older Yamaha Clavinova.  You will also find collaborative works on my page, featuring some other amazing musicians on SoundCloud.

It is a joy to share my music with you, and I hope you enjoy listening!

Winter Reflection

PianoFran