Online Composer and Writer

Since a while I'm working on projects together with Richard Schletty. Richard is a Graphic Designer, Web site designer, Painter, Animator and music composer. Have a look at his website.
I met Richard through a unexpected short internet chat about music. I send him some of my music, he send me some of his poems after which we decided to do something together. Our collaborations are going both ways: sometimes I send him some of my music with the question if he could write some lyrics on it and sing it, sometimes Richard sends me some of his music with the question if I could develop the material or orchestrate it, depends on the kind of music we are working on. It's a nice way of working together, far apart from each other but with the help of the internet, everything is possible.

Here is what we did till now:

Inland Sea

This song is based on a melody from my first piano sonata, the lyrics are written and sung by Richard Schletty. 

Here are the lyrics of this song:

Inland Sea:

Waves traverse an inland sea
Songbird flies from Zuider Zee
Lifted by a prayerful poem
Journeys to a northern home

On a windy, snow-capped knoll
Harshest winter chills its soul
Soon a maiden finds it resting
Breathes upon the frozen cresting
Breathes on it, warms its soul

Polymnia tends the sparrow
Scatters seed upon the barrow
Raises deep-soul energies
High above adversities

Bird, revived, with sweetest trill
Brings back music to my sill
Gathers wool to warm new hearts
Sore in need of finest arts
Gathers wool, warms new hearts

Soaring, sweeping, winged chance
Come and spark a new romance
Paint the skies with threads of gold
Weave your magic
Weave your magic in the cold

Lyrics ©2007 Richard Schletty

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Instrumental arrangement by André van Haren. Vocals and mixing by Richard Schletty. ©2004 Christopher Schletty and Richard Schletty.

Here are the lyrics of this song:

Sleep, Baby, sleep on this magic night.

Sleep, Baby, sleep while Mother holds you tight.
Little baby, so so small, lying in that humble stall.
So sleep, Baby, sleep while angels watch they keep.

Sleep, Baby, sleep while angels hum a tune.
Sleep, Baby, sleep beneath the silver moon.
Kings and shepherds see the star and come to visit from afar.

So sleep, Baby, sleep while angels watch they keep.
Sleep, Baby, sleep beneath the starry sky.
Sleep, Baby, sleep to Mary's lullaby.
You have come to save us all, little Jesus, so so small.

So sleep, Baby, sleep.

"This World is not Conclusion"

Words: Emily Dickinson
Music composition and piano: André van Haren - Andre van Haren
Voice and mixing: Richard Schletty - Richard Schletty

This world is not conclusion;
A sequel stands beyond,
Invisible, as music,
But positive, as sound.
It beckons and it baffles;
Philosophies don’t know,
And through a riddle, at the last,
Sagacity must go.
To guess it puzzles scholars;
To gain it, men have shown
Contempt of generations,
And crucifixion known.