Hi Bob, Andrew, Ron, KDY and Brain,

Thank you all for your nice words about this waltz! I feared a waltz wont do much, alike a Dutch song, but your replies were great!
And -of course- I'm late with my replies. My excuse is that the end of April is a very busy time. We have Kings day (all children will try to sell stuff they got from the attic. And in every city they sit in the streets to do that. And they also have all kinds of games you have to join.In one of the cities, our King and his family come and join these games. Beside that, we have to file our tax returns before the first of may. Nothing to return, only to pay. And a lot of birthdays, so that's why I'm late.

Originally Posted by rsdean
Hans,
This is such a beautiful and relatable song...
Love the melody and exquisite arrangement. One of your best vocals. The mix is also perfect.
A new favorite for me!
Bob

Hi Bob, I didn't know a waltz is the style you liked. If I knew before I would have invited you and Joliz to join this song! Thanks for your very nice comment. I think Tamar will shine too! (haven't told her yet...)

Originally Posted by Andrew Dee
Hi Hans!
Those instruments do work well together! Good choices. The 3/4 time was a good choice also. My ears are now attuned to the sound of a minor iv chord, and I’m sure you featured this in your song - it’s a sound that never grows tired IMHO. I love it when the BVs come in for the chorus - that sounds like there are many others singing along that have the same thoughts as you. I would have preferred the soloists to be a little louder during the solo (or the piano softer) but this was only because I read the ‘solo’ heading to that section, otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed - it is so good anyway.
Loved it!
Andrew

Hello Andrew, yes, it was a wild guess, those different instruments together. I doubt if that has ever been done before. But when I combined them, just for fun, I liked the sounds and kept them in the song. As I said, it wasn't my intention to make a waltz. I almost threw the idea for this song in the trash. I couldn't find a melody. And suddenly, when I changed the time signature to 3/4, a melody popped into my head. Tamar complained that my songs are very difficult to sing along to properly, but she eventually managed it. And her singing added something that I really liked! As for the solo; here, just like in my previous song, these instruments are very difficult to make sound louder. If I had turned the piano down, it would have sounded like a dip in the song... You wouldn't have liked that either!

Originally Posted by DC Ron
Superb, Hans! Great concept and executed in a unique but compelling way. The unpredictably winding chord progression reflects the uncertainty of the narrator in a very cool way. GREAT lead vocals. LOVE the multiple harmony voices. The entire arrangement and mix are outstanding. The ending is indeed hopeful, though happy endings to these tales are SO rare. The last held note might have decayed a bit more naturally, but, like relationships, songs can end in unexpectedly abrupt ways, can't they?
Fantastic stuff.

Hi Ron, thanks for your words. If you read what I wrote to Andrew, you'll see how much trouble I had finishing this song. The story was in my head first (and I even had someone in mind who I hoped would hear it. Especially the ending.) But as you said, these are rare occurrences. And apart from that, I am also very happy with my current relationship. It has lasted well over 40 years...

Originally Posted by K-Dub Ya
Great subject matter Hans, and supported well with the instrument choices and style. I can relate to the subject, as I often wonder where someone is, what they look like and what they're doing. In fact I've just located a cousin I last saw in the 1970s. We'll catch up soon and share life stories for the last 50 years soon. That aside, the song is very listenable. I particularly enjoyed the solo, but everything is great.

Kind regards

Hello KDY (forgot your real name, sorry) What a nice story you wrote! Hope you can keep that contact "alive|". Sorry the solo couldn't be louder, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Originally Posted by B.D.Thomas
It's a rather unusual choice of instruments for a waltz, but it suits the song very well.
Well sung, I think your vocals get better with every song.
Enjoyed my listens [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

Hi Brain, Yes, I like to experiment (sometimes) with unusual sounds or instruments. And in this case, they sounded good together. Not all the time, but still...
I once used a sitar for a solo in a song. I think Marty almost had a heart attack then! But it turned out well too. And I am very happy that my singing still sounds good enough. I was afraid that wouldn't be the case at my age.
Thanks!

Hans

Hans Berkhout
(Birchwood)
https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130