Bouquet of Daydreams is the fifth album from pianist/composer Marc Filmer, but is the first of Filmer’s releases that I’ve heard. The album is made up of two versions of each of six original compositions. The first six tracks are piano with strings and tracks 7-12 are solo piano. Filmer is a fan of piano and strings-driven movie themes and this is especially apparent in the visual quality of his music. Light and uplifting as well as warmly inviting, the Bouquet of Daydreams title suits this music perfectly. Born and raised in the UK, Marc Filmer is currently living and working in New York and has had his music commissioned and licensed by a very impressive list of clients.

Bouquet of Daydreams begins with “Morning Glory,” a gentle piece that expresses the promise and optimism of a new day. The piano carries the melody with full string orchestration behind it. “New Expectations” adds a dreamy cast to the spirit of optimism and positivity, imbuing the piece with feelings of longing and hope. “Never Apart” conveys the light-hearted/ dancing-on-a-cloud joy of being with someone you never want to be away from. “Childhood Memories” is sweetly nostalgic, looking back on the innocence of being a child as well as realizing how much has changed - and how much we have changed! The poignance of “Remembering You” touches the heart with feelings of loss and loving remembrance - my favorite of the six pieces. “The Circle” begins at the high end of the piano keyboard, works its way to the normal mid-range for most of the piece, and then returns to the upper registers at the end. Graceful and elegant, it is a truly lovely piece of music!

It will likely surprise no one that, as much as I like the piano and strings versions of Filmer’s music, I still like the solo piano versions of the six pieces best. They seem more personal and, for me, the emotional quality of each piece comes through more clearly and directly. The piano solos are not flashy or overly complicated, but the sincerity behind them is tangible and the music is beautiful - a very winning combination! Fortunately, you don’t have to choose which version you like best if you download the whole album!

Bouquet of Daydreams is available from Amazon and iTunes, as well as many streaming sites. Samples of the music are also available on marcfilmer.com. It is a very enjoyable album and I look forward to hearing more music from Marc Filmer in the near-future!