Love this mate. I know all your stuff is good but given the reasoning behind this piece it just demonstrates how wonderful music can be as an outlet, and then share that with the world.

Brilliant Andy! A plethora of emotions in this song. One of your best IMO! @ 2:59 I thought there may have been a flat note? Listening again...hmmm...prolly just me! Great piece Andy...enjoyed this! Rich

Very good Andy. I like the pace of this, the intertwined piano and cello parts, the silence. Others are commenting on the tone of the instruments but I'm on laptop speakers so it all sounds fine. And you're keeping a lid on it while your son's off to Afghanistan. I'd be in bits - may God bless him and bring him back safe. The change of melody after the first quick piano part was too bluesy for me but that's a minor point. Overall excellence!

I think it always hard to reproduce acoustic instruments unless they are recorded live. Whatever you do, it is always a compromise. The music is very beautiful and profoundly moving.

Beautiful piece this; lovely emotive piano work. Only observation I would have is that the cello sounds slightly too forward in the mix and rather truncated. A slight tweak to the ADSR ratio would fix that I guess. But of course we probably all hear it a bit differently, depending on our set-up. Superb work altogether though. R & D with thanks.

Very cool indeed Andy,like the added parts and the cello is bliss.Here is pint on me fella,and the ending is quality textbook.

Much better sounding piano. Much better quality sound. More realistic. Dan

EDIT - NEW PIANO SOUND - VST CALLED PIANISSIMO. GRAND IT BE!

You certainly seem to have a great mix now and have sorted the cello which sounds great with the other strings. Love the piano sound and the additional two mins fit seemlessly. Especially the part at 5.30 has a touch of magic. You're getting good at this classical stuff. Top notch Andy! Well done

It sounds much clearer to me Andy, with each instrument in it's own frequency!! Love the new darker section, sounds wonderful!!Transitional piano works so well!!! And a happy piece now to finish, what a track Andy, I love it!!! I would certainely rate again if I could!! Have some stars instead *****!! Barry

Now this is really lovely!! a definate rate again!!!

What an impressive piece Andy, very evocative and so moving, just what music is all about to me - moving that ineffible in us all, and this certain does that in bunches.

I love cello and I love the cello in this piece. I also love the way the piano interweaves and plays off the cello and visa-versa. Some very foreboding passages that are quick and convey the inspiration for the piece. Get my rate and thank you for the dl. -rl

A delighful piece of original modern composition. The piano conveys the feeling so wonderfully. I like what I hear of the strings but dont feel qualified to comment on how well orchestrated they are. However its moved me enough to press all the buttons. Well done my good Man. Ant

Bravo Andy! Simply outstanding. The additional work fits seemlessly into the original. The midi (stirngs especially) sound terrfic. And how you get that emotive of a sound combined with the precision and perfection that is your trademark is beyond me. I would have no idea how to create something like this..... Dan

Back again...great new section at the end...ties it altogether nicely.

The dominant cello... typos !!

Andy , I am impressed how this has progressed. I do feel that there are even more additions that could be made. he dominantcello could becomplimented by some higher solo violin.It does have a sombre tone throughout but pensive as Valarie suggested.The tension is there and you keep the listener hanging on till the end but I do think that a cresendo somwhere would not go amiss. I loved the track immensly and tip my hat sir on the orchestration you have created. Finally, god speed yor son returns from his tour of duty unscathed and feel proud that he is representing Queen and country. Take Care my friend and take a fat nom and rate. Andy :)

Hi Sir James, this is lovely, luv the string sections and the overall sad melody, mixed with the pianos make this an excellent piece. Abso lovely sir, I dont hear anything out of place!! Sonya.

FINAL VERSION CALLED "FOR JOHN". MANY THANKS SO FAR FOR THE GUIDANCE.

Outstanding piece Andy,so much passion and emotion coming from this track.Don't care about the production it just works for me and sounds fine.Ya a talented fella thats for sure,nice one Andy for moving into this direction of music.Its nice to try different styles and i enjoyed the journey you took me on.

This has taken on a more sombre mood and can understand why. The lengthy notes on the cello sound great and very realistic, but it seems the faster the notes are played the more keyboard sounding they become. Shame you ditched those lovely chords at the end! All the ingredients are there but it just needs tweaking and you're just the right person to do that. Good luck to your son during his tour of duty.

Was'nt expecting it to go down this road,a serious piece...quite sombre.String section sounding pretty authentic,don't know whether it's my setup,but the cello's mid freqs seem quite high...but it could be my (temporary)speakers...blew my others.Impressive piano work dude.

This really is becoming a moving piece of music Andy and I`m enjoying the journey as it develops. I could stop now knowing this piece will end up beautifully treated and complete but you asked for advice so I`ll be honest as my ears see things but hopefully contructive:- Thoughts on this would be to add a little more feeling to the piano chords by playing them a little softer and with feeling as you have with the melody. The cello needs to breath a little as it plays as its sound a little mechanical. At around 2:12 there is what might be considered dischord between the melody and the strings, or it could be considered deliberat tension - Tension however usually leads to a new passage where as you fall to silence. As I said great original work so far and one to be proud of. Best of British to your Son who joins a bunch of lads who demonstrate the best that is to be a Brit. Ant

Andy. Back for the updated version. This is becoming quite the musical classic from you. You're so talented sometimes it gets lost on me and I take it for granted. For some reason, this piece touches me more than any other work you have shared with us that I've heard. The emotion, especially now with the strings/cello and your playing cuts to the heart my friend. However it ends up, as is or different, it's a special piece of work from you. Dan

Dude this is Great, keep on doing what you do, I want a finished piece by the end of the week LOL jk. Really it is the start to something great! Vin

Cool track, how I hear it progressing is going in the Muse direction, would would need a great deal of extra work on your part but there is an epic 'United states of Eurasia feel about it in there. I'm seeing a quasi classical opening (basically as it is now exactly) with some strings being introduced, the tempo change when you play the great piano riff is just perfect to lead into a huge prog rock blow out. Obviously I'm using the Muse thing purely as a modern reference as a jumping off point, maybe because I am into that track at the moment and love a great piano led pro rock thingy as much as the next bloke, you may have a totally different plan for it. As it is now, chords are great, can definitely hear a tune in there waiting to get out. This track could actually be a great starting point for a huge site collaboration thingy as well, endless possibilities here. Will rate now as cant imagine anything you do with it not sounding great :)

Excellent comments you have received Andy and I agree with all of them! It's emotional, sensitive and open to quite a few genres you care to take it into!! Im really liking what I hear so far mate without issue!! I am also quite sure that whatever you do with it, it will be a winner!!!! Already lookin forward to the next update!!! Barry

I love the gravity you impart into the opening chords - also your playing is very sensitive and intimate. I like the way this is explorative and beautiful and open to so many possibilities - in variation or orchestration.

AHHH Andy,you have gone all mushy on this one dude,love the piano playing and those arp flurries are very cool.Great thing about the piece mate is the silence,just as important as the music.Bravo

I love the idea of the cat walking across the keys as you play a few chords you have some powerful imagination Mr Oakwood :) But seriously it cries out for electronic not classical accompaniment in my opinion - Subtle beats though until around 2:30 when you can rock it up big time until it all breaks down to the quiet of the opening to fade Great start Ant

Nice expressive flurries and some colourful chordage:) Where's guitar riff'n heavy drums dude...is Mr Oakwood mellowing with age?

Sometimes it's just great to hear the piano. Love this just as it is with all the light and shade, especially those Manilow chords at the end! Excellent

No, it's not sombre. It's pensive. (Anyone can do sombre.) Pensive is more self-revealing, and therefore much more intersting.

Ya daft softy Annette - it's not for the compo - the compo's for real classical pieces revamped. Rated hee hee

Wow the competition is hotting up!! Beautiful piece..love those Jazz notes in there.Well done!

Hey Andy. I love it. Very delicately played on those rhino tusks. Sounds pretty darn good to me as is. Very emotive playing my friend. Dan