Let There Be Light is the second collaborative album from multi-instrumentalist Tom Moore and award-winning flutist, Sherry Finzer. Their first album together, Whispers From Silence, was nominated by Zone Music Reporter for Best Relaxation/Meditation Album 2016 and by One World Music Radio for Best New Age Album 2016. Let There Be Light is an exploration of the movement of our outer lives as well as on the inner plane. Quoting from their promotional materials, “Light is the most omnipresent element in Nature. The Universe is made up of light, which then becomes vibrations and sound. The purpose of this album is to help bring light to the listener in as many forms as possible.”

The one generalization I can make about Let There Be Light is that the music is ambient and very relaxing, but that really doesn’t tell you much. Sherry Finzer plays a variety of flutes choosing one or two according the feeling and expression of each piece. For this album, her playing is very spare and is often quite haunting and even magical. Tom Moore is a creator of “space music” and often plays at planetariums and national space conventions as well as at festivals and meditation gatherings. On this album, he plays keyboard, synthesizers, guitar, bass and percussion. Quite a bit of the “space music” I have heard is interesting, but not all that musical in a more traditional sense (I’m a piano teacher - what can I say?), but several of the nine pieces on this album are quite rhythmic and melodic as well as ethereal and atmospheric. In a nutshell, I really like it! Nature sounds (mostly water and birds) are part of the music, and although I often find that distracting, those sounds are well-placed and an integral part of the music. I do have one warning - don’t use this album as your wake-up music. It is so soothing and relaxing that I woke up when it shut off after playing for an hour! (This is a compliment in the context of an ambient music review!)

Let There Be Light begins with “The Way of the White Clouds,” which starts out with the sound of the surf and a repetitive acoustic guitar pattern. Finzer’s bass flute enters playing a very slow and hypnotic melody. There is a soft droning sound in the background that gives the music a very dark, atmospheric feeling as the flute and the sparingly-used other instrumentation spin their quiet magic. “First Light” is even more atmospheric with the sounds of a bubbling brook, birds, insects, and various flutes expressing the peaceful majesty of daybreak. Haunting voices and lightly percussive instruments are added as the piece progresses. “Timeless Journey” has layered repeated patterns on bass, sitar and keyboard as flutes weave magical melodies around them. “A Celebration of Life” begins with the sharp crack of thunder and the sound of rain. This piece has a Native American feeling and Finzer’s flute is gorgeous as she casts a spell playing over a rhythmic guitar and light hand percussion. “Waves of Light” is much more ambient with its warm, ethereal sounds, adding Finzer’s hypnotic flute after a long “space music” intro.

Let There Be Light is a very positive and uplifting listening experience that is sure to ease away the stresses of daily life. It is available from Amazon and iTunes. Highly recommended!