How my cloud rider took lady Ferrus as it were .. i am on continuously on a sound search, a longing to find that beautiful and touching voice .. and i found out about Diana Ferrus through Ingrid Jonker on youtube. Every once and a while i watch the Ingrid Jonker documentary Korreltjie niks is my dood and in the recommendations was a poetry video about Saartje Baartman (that became also the inspiration for the Vir Saartjie* harPoetry) mentioned recited by Diana Ferrus. So i started following Diana on twitter and facebook. Then i felt inspired to search on soundcloud for her voice because i wanted to see if there would be a hq recording of one of Diana's poems available. And there it was "Letters", such a warm voice and heartfelt poem. I immediately recognized my music, my sound-story - harPoem - about the Cloudrider in the poem. It matched perfectly, i did not have to change my music or the poetry to make it work. How wondrous!

About the Cloudrider
It all began with Museum Boijmans van Beuningen asking me to make music for a sound installation inspired by Lyrisches by Kandinsky. 

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What strikes me in this picture (lyrisches by Wassily Kandinsky) are the blue and red of the clouds and self-sure posture of the green rider and the movement of the horse's manes .. drawn in just a few lines with an amazing drive and passion. The colors and the seemingly simple playful way of painting give a sense of urgency. I have the feeling that the rider wants to rise above the earthly and maybe he wants to jump out of the actual painting in due time. - I wanted to capture this idea of escape in music. It begins with a run-up, the movement of my harp sounds become faster and faster – just like a rider who wants to jump, then holds his breath for a split second and takes the plunge. The rider is transcending – he is in the clouds, the time stands still, a dream come true .. the rider is one with his horse, at full gallop and freedom of movement they ride through the clouds to flee reality. After the jump one can hear a slightly dissonant harp sound that gives room and relief to end up in a meditation. How I wish this bliss could be never-ending. This melancholia suits me and touches me to the core. This amen or resolution is clearly my perception. My emotional life. As a musician I love to become one with the music. Such a tremendous joy to be in my world of harp and soul, a wonderful world of beauty and consolation. The dreamy and esoteric are to me an escape – like a painter who steps into his painting and disappears – that is how Kadinsky's rider could jump into infinity – he has become one with my last sounding harp tone.