Saint Joy's Way
The Flowers of Theresienstadt
Chinese Water Garden
Song For Dad
nistar
Christmas Comes But Once A Year
Sleepy Maggie
Rise Up Larry
Desert Flower
So Long I Love You
1 - Saint Joy's Way
This is a tune about a wonderful Being. And her crow.
Tuning: E A D G B D,
Guitar: Goodall RJC
2 - The Flowers of Theresienstadt
This is the first "real" fingerstyle tune I wrote when I was around twenty years old, and it is obviously influenced by Michael Hedges and Pierre Bensusan, but already shows my love for complex intertwined melody lines.
For whatever reason, it happened that I spent my 18th birthday at the concentration camp in Theresienstadt near Prague. I found this place to be a very good place to meditate about the strength of man. I didn't feel two kinds of human beings there, there was only one energy, and it was strong.
After that experience, I was moved to write a tune about Theresienstadt as a place that is not associated with that camp, hence the image of flowers. It also refers to the souls who spent some time there, in challenging situations that no doubt also left room for heartfelt moments no one knows about today.
Tuning: D A D G A D,
Guitar: Martin CS-D18-12 - thank you, Christoph, for this wonderful guitar!
3 - Chinese Water Garden
The first part of this tune was written long ago, but it took many years until the rest found its way to it. I played this tune for the first time during one of those meditation church services mentioned above, and the topic for the meditation was "Water". Thank you, Rolf, for holding these meditation church services!
Tuning: D A D G A D,
Guitar: McIlroy A 25
4 - Song for Dad
This, as you might have guessed, is dedicated to my father. I wrote it when I was about 24, and my father went through a challenging time. Even though it sounds rather simple, I find this tune to be very difficult to play right.
Tuning: E A D G B E,
Guitar: Goodall RJC
5 - nistar
nistar means hidden in old Hebrew. The jewish mystics said that the name Esther comes from the word nistar. The Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn't mention God. But it is obvious that He is working through Esther. So nistar is an expression of the fact that God can work great Wonders through Beings who are open for Him.
Tuning: E A D G B E,
Guitar: Lakewood A 32
6 - Christmas Comes But Once a Year
This is a traditional Christmas fiddle tune from the Shetland Islands, way up north between Scotland and Scandinavia.
Tuning: D G D G Bb D,
Guitar: Martin CS-21-11
7 - Sleepy Maggie
This is an Irish fiddle tune that was originally written in the unusual key of B minor. I transposed it to G minor, due to guitar tuning reasons. The original tune has nothing sleepy in it, my rendering has slightly more relation to the title.
Tuning: D G D G Bb D,
Guitar: Martin CS-21-11
8 - Rise Up Larry
This Irish traditional tune had a strange name, especially considering its lovely melody. Traditional music often gets changed along its way through the centuries, so I took the liberty to change the title to something a bit more uplifting. It even has a connection to the old title, it's kind of the next step. I learned this tune from the wonderful fiddle playing of Martin Hayes.
Tuning: D G D G A D,
Guitar: Martin CS-21-11
9 - Desert Flower
I wrote this tune for my mother, while on a long spiritual retreat in the Arizona desert.
Tuning: D A D G A D,
Guitar: Lowden O 10
10 - So Long I Love You
This tune somehow reminded me of situations where you feel it is time to leave, simply because it's time to move on, and not because you're fed up with the place, situation, or people you leave behind. Hence the title. Years later, it turned out that this tune is a good tune to finish the CD. It wasn't planned that this is now like a farewell to the listener, but I don't mind.
Tuning: D A D G A D,
Guitar: Goodall RJC
