Beautiful song Rowena, a wonderful adaptation of your poem. The musical form is lovely as well giving a nod to both folk and pop. Excellent work in your layering technique.

Just catching up i must of missed this Rowena . Your voice is delicious on this and with the choir  sounding background just adds great atmosphere. Just lovely 👍

Another good one, Rowena. Nice recording and performance. Can I request that you include your lyrics in your descriptions (I promise I won't steal any!)  You come up with lovely turns of phrase.

what a delightful piece, beautiful how a poem becomes a song so delicate and meaningful.

Oh yes, beautiful poetry becomes beautiful song. Never done that myself, but I'm one step closer after hearing this.

Have I told you that I love you
Have I told you that I care
Have I said we’ll be together
In times of trouble I’ll be there

For the love that lies within you
In every beat of your heart
We can spend our lives together 
And we will never fall apart

In this life, that we choose
With the games that we play
It’s so hard, win or lose
But I will find the words to say

And tell you that I want you 
Forever in my arms
For each day when we’re together
No lonely nights when we’re apart

In this life, that we choose
With the games that we play
It’s so hard, win or lose
But I will find the words to say

And tell you that I love you
I will tell you that I care
And we can spend our lives together
In times of trouble I’ll be there

I’ll be there
In times of trouble I’ll be there

Copyright © A Few Stones. All Rights Reserved.

Have I Told You

Video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ncb88SlFrE

Still Light

Recorded last year my first notes on this track when mixed started with the word 'madness'.
Somewhat refined by editing the structure is ABCBDBEBB...
'B' could represent both bridge and breakdown...the heart of the piece and the initial musings on a alto sax/flute riff that sort of drifted off into improvised ramblings.
Other sections feature flute solo, melodica/synth, distorted clarinet and soprano sax in celtic mode and rumbling triple tongued bass-effect alto sax.
Behind it all (somewhere) is a chugging thai violin. 
Still somewhat crazy.

Thanks to Dianne C. Zweig for artwork.
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/165859198762625196/

Stomp And Reel Breakdown

In 2020 I visited the Isle of Whithorn on the Solway in Scotland.  In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a Little Egret standing still on the rocks below.  the place was so full of atmosphere with St Ninian's chapel high up on the headland keeping watch for the fishing boats to return safely to the harbour.   The next morning, I was inspired to write a poem about what I'd seen.  I've finally made the poem into a song.  Layering up tracks using my Yamaha P121 piano and Roland interface with SM 58 mic which is popping a bit and using audacity to record.  I enjoyed layering up the harmonies and keyboard voices on this.

Harvester Of Man

Freedom Horse

Let go of Time

Let Go Of Time

To my dear friends in Ukraine!

Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
 
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone for husbands everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
 
Where have all the husbands gone, long time passing?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time ago?
Where have all the husbands gone?
Gone for soldiers everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
 
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
 
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
 
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?

Pete Seeger wrote the song in October 1955, claiming to have borrowed the basic idea from the Don Cossack song Koloda Duda, three verses of which he had discovered as a quotation in the novel "The Quiet Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov. Marlene Dietrich made the German version of "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" famous in 1962. It is hardly known that the song goes back to Ukrainian music, but also to Russian. Ultimately, the song does not fit into national pigeonholes. Marlene Dietrich helped this song to its eventual popularity in 1962, although this must also be seen with critical eyes! Another German artist took up the song: Juliane Werding. Unsurpassed, however, is the version by Joan Baez. The bottom line is that it ultimately doesn't matter how the song came about, who wrote it, etc. 

Here I use an instrumental version to draw attention once again to the folly of the war in Ukraine!

Infinite Couplings: Mary Travers of "Peter, Paul and Mary" grew up near Seeger....unbelievable!

...

Sag mir wo die Blumen sind,
Wo sind sie geblieben
Sag mir wo die Blumen sind,
Was ist geschehen?
Sag mir wo die Blumen sind,
Mädchen pflückten sie geschwind
Wann wird man je verstehen,
Wann wird man je verstehen?

Sag mir wo die Mädchen sind,
Wo sind sie geblieben?
Sag mir wo die Mädchen sind,
Was ist geschehen?
Sag mir wo die Mädchen sind,
Männer nahmen sie geschwind
Wann wird man je verstehen?
Wann wird man je verstehen?


Sag mir wo die Männer sind
Wo sind sie geblieben?
Sag mir wo die Männer sind,
Was ist geschehen?
Sag mir wo die Männer sind,
Zogen fort, der Krieg beginnt,
Wann wird man je verstehen?
Wann wird man je verstehen?

Sag wo die Soldaten sind,
Wo sind sie geblieben?
Sag wo die Soldaten sind,
Was ist geschehen?
Sag wo die Soldaten sind,
Über Gräben weht der Wind
Wann wird man je verstehen?
Wann wird man je verstehen?

Sag mir wo die Gräber sind,
Wo sind sie geblieben?
Sag mir wo die Gräber sind,
Was ist geschehen?
Sag mir wo die Gräber sind,
Blumen wehen im Sommerwind
Wann wird man je verstehen?
Wann wird man je verstehen?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE (Wo sind all die Blumen hin)

I never really cared for the finished product i posted last week, it never really sounded right. I loved the Roy Bittan style piano, and that took a long time to learn and record, but it didn't work so i scrapped it for the fender organ that i played on the fly. And I transposed it up a third, and reworked the words and completely remixed it.  I think it works a lot better now.. 

I don’t want to be the one you call up on the telephone
To see if I could come around ‘cause you don’t wanna be alone
Don’t get me wrong I want to spend some time with you
Don’t get me wrong but do you feel the same for me I feel for you
I don’t want to be the one that’s always looking in your eyes
Then you turn lights down low
And suddenly I’m paralyzed
It makes my heart start to stutter my knees they shake
and my words they flutter
I don’t want to be the one that ends up feeling like a fool, 
I don’t want to be the one when love has faded and we’re through
Love’s so overrated, it makes your life so complicated

I Don't Want To Be The One (Redux)

Chapter 105 of 266
Chapters released every weekend. All TAFFETA tracks are created within seven days. 

I use a complete hybrid of organic & electronic sounds within the scope of the Taffeta project. Nothing is out of the question and no limits are set on how things may evolve one way or another.

If you want to hear everything that has come before:
The TAFFETA Albums are available for free on Bandcamp.
Released in 15 part/chapter increments:

TAFFETA VOL. 6 is now available on Bandcamp:
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TAFFETA VOL. 5
https://belialpelegrim.bandcamp.com/album/taffeta-vol-5

TAFFETA VOL. 4 
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TAFFETA Volume 1:
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TAFFETA Volume 2:
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TAFFETA | 105

Shirley Barr is a lovely singer, composer and songwriter that I have had the honor of collaborating with. She wrote a beautiful text and sang it to one of my songs. Here is the result. ;)

Big and warm thanks Shirley for a very nice work and for your positive and cheerful attitude and help to lift this little piece of music. ;)

Listen to more of her lovely music and lyrics here: https://soundcloud.com/shirley_barr

Free From The Old - Seagull & Shirley Barr

This is a bit of a hybrid that combines mostly acoustic instruments with a pop/rock sort of treatment including a distorted electric guitar break. The song relates the history of young love, college age, still kids, that eventually gives way to growth which ultimately brings the passion to an end. Recalling how they both provided security and understanding at the volatile time when kids evolve into adults, until, for one of them, it was no longer needed.

That’s What Loving You Did

Dog Bites

Hello! Thanks for stopping by.  I write songs in reaction to life, quite often my own, or the lives of those around me.  Sometimes my song tells me what I'm thinking before I've even realised myself.  
I hope there is something here that resonates with you, I'd be really delighted to hear your comments.  
I started writing and playing again in March 2015 after a break of about 20 years having realised that life is short and I'd better crack on! I self released my 9 track CD 'Your Life' in 2017 and have since written many songs which will eventually end up on a 2nd 'album'!  I’ve had a couple of radio plays on BBC Introducing and played at a few local singers nights, but I’m really blown away by this Soundcloud community,  there’s a treasure trove of real music on here and the support is really appreciated.  
March 2021 update I've been teaching myself keyboard and have found it an inspiration for song writing and so my more recent tracks are written and performed with the piano keyboard.  
First memory of being captured by Songwriting was sitting behind a sofa aged 10 at a party and discovering Carol King’s Tapestry and a turntable. Teenage years dominated by an obsession with David Bowie, his word craft, imagery, story telling and his example of being able to constantly reinvent himself and not be pigeonholed. 
All tracks are my own compositions and performances except extra rhythm guitar and percussion on ‘Doing Time’ which was Carl Hetherington. 
Most of the images I have used are my own original artwork.  I now have an Instagram page where I’ll be posting my art at rowenaartandmusic 

https://www.instagram.com/rowenaartandmusic 

Thanks for stopping by, it’s much appreciated.

Harvester Of Man

Rowena Simpson

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