Sambo's Wave

VELVET SHOES (ARR)

The timeless poem written by Elinor Wylie, ‘Velvet Shoes’ is an invitation not only to immerse into the tranquility and peaceful environment of the white winter but also through every corridor of existence itself.
We, the earthly wanderers, seek that elusive estate of being- the tranquil heart, the peaceful mind- across all seasons of life.
And so, dear subscriber, my intention echoes yours: to convey this timeless pursuit. We yearn for stillness amid life’s tempests, for moments when the world hushes its clamor, and we slip into the velvet shoes of contemplation. Whether in snow or under a blazing sun, we seek that inner quietude- the sanctuary where our souls find rests.
Velvet Shoes, indeed - a whispered promise, a silent invitation to explore the vast estate of being.

The Celestial Harp song: Bull and Serpent performed Live at the Music Gallery. It was the first live performance of the Celestial Harp and the place was packed.

The composition known as “Evening Prayer” transcends mere temporal boundaries; it reaches beyond the confines of a specific moment. Each listener’s experience of this piece is deeply personal, perhaps diverging significantly from Engelbert Humperdinck’s own perspective. Him as the composer and me as the arranger, our viewpoints may not align, but we share a common thread: this piece found its place in the opera Hansel and Gretel” as a prayer of hope. The word ‘evening’ carries profound symbolism- it represents not only the close of day but also the potential for salvation. Within its syllables lies the transformative power of children’s voices, echoing through its performance.
Dearest subscribers, I hope you enjoy this piece as I enjoyed arranging it.

For Unto Us a Child is Born

“For Unto Us a Child is Born '' shines like a delicate beam of light within George Frideric Handel’s magnificent masterpiece. On its own, this musical passage possesses the power to convey a perfect nuance of richness, seamlessly transitioning the focus from the soloist to the chorus. Handel’s artistry delicately blends elements of opera and oratorio, giving birth to a new form of religious drama- a revelation beautifully showcased in “The Messiah.” Handel’s work value was confirmed by having Beethoven’s admiration; one of his utterances of recognition has been kept as a testimony when he wrote that Handel had the ability to achieve “vast effects with simple means.”
Dearest subscribers, I hope you enjoy this special arrangement.

Overture to Xerxes

I hope that this arrangement “Overture to Xerxes” can project the vibrant energy George Friderik Handel posits in this piece. The metamorphosis unfolded resonates to the alchemy process of obtaining gold from lead. Handel came to live in the spotlight of fame. He was recognized as a great composer and was loved as the greatest music star of his time. Dearest subscribers, I am sending you this special track hoping you enjoy it.

Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star
The Ashokan Farewell

Partner doesn’t necessarily mean to be of the same kind but to be alike enough to share things, coming at some point intersecting in those shared similarities.
This arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Ashokan Farewell have embedded that partnership ending harmoniously in musical similarities; they transferred shared sounds coming to a mutual ownership. From being one individually, they come as one together. Belonging to each other.
To my dearest subscribers, music is that shared ownership of delightful sounds. My music goes to you to be shared, hoping to convey that harmony of sounds that soothe the inner being of every one who listens to it.

Partner song
This special track, the partner song, consists of two separate melodies that complement each other. “Twinkle,Twinkle, Little Star and the Ashokan Farewell” might transport all of us to visualize a soldier who is leaving for war shortly. When in 1984 the film maker, Ken Burns used the Ashokan Farewell at the beginning of the documentary Civil War (1990), he was profoundly moved by the original recording by Fiddle Fever. Dearest subscribers, I invite you to listen to this track and enjoy the harmonious partnership of music.

Just as venturesomes had done the Appalachian thru journey more than once, many composers have gone through this journey in a mystical musical mode. I had the bliss to record memories of long walks along the Appalachian trails breathing the morning fog and even touching the ephemeral mist. Observing the sun burning the fog was a magical view or the subtle presence of deer appearing and disappearing from our sight.
In each note, each melody, or counter melody, or even a round that is contained in this track there is the same attempt to display the same magical quest.
I wish that my dearest subscribers connect with this track the way I experienced it. I am sure that as a puzzle, each piece falls into a unison journey of delightful peace and harmony.

Someone said “Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace.” I wish all my dearest subscribers a season of peaceful joy. A time to see in each friend, in each member of our family a being who gives us warmth sentiments but they can give us challenges and still we feel the happiness of having caring people around us. May the music be the ingredient that blends in all situations to enjoy this holiday season!

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!”
These well known lines have their origin in the sermon given by John Newton based on the book of Chronicles with the purpose to reflect on the “past mercies and future hopes” given by the Lord.
Many souls are in a wretched state until the light of faith comes to guide us out.
As a composer, I want to contribute through notes, the blossoming of a thankful heart on each of my dear subscribers.
May we find, share, and spread our Lord’s heavenly love on each living being around us this Thanksgiving week.

I Need Thee Every Hour

This arrangement, I Need Thee Every Hour, has the intention to convey a spiritual message of trust in the mighty power of God. One who devotes completely in this higher power will be able to experience the fulfillment of a miracle.
The music of this piece comes from the desire of the hymn itself to create a sense of the need of God’s awareness within us. As the piece moves from the beginning to the end, it drops the hope that every person who listens to this track holds this message, the need of God, every hour and every day in our lives.

Most dearest subscribers,

Thanks so much for being in touch with emails, listening to my tracks, sharing them, but most importantly, continue to supporting this marvel world of music.

A postlude, as many know, is used at the end of a religious service to dismiss the congregation. It is a musical piece to transition from a state of spiritual nourishment to return to the daily life challenges that many may go through. It is a piece to be played on an organ keyboard but in addition I added handbells. The sound of handbells leads to a remembrance of awareness about holding onto that musical nourishment when events from ordinary life take us away from that inner musical oasis.

TRAUMEREI

Schumann’s Träumerei has been performed widely and magnificently. I send to all my dear subscribers this performance aiming for what Schumann seeked; the soothing feeling that dreams can become true. May at the end of the day, while you have been pulled out from yourself by the outside world, you come back home and make true your own Träumerei.