Tron Syversen’s Sacred Dreams is subtitled Music For Relaxation and Wellbeing and the ten gentle tracks can serve to enhance sleep as well as providing an aid for sleeping problems. The music can also be used to create a warm and soothing background for meditation, massage therapy, visualization exercises, and spa treatments. The music of this Norwegian composer is sometimes compared to that of Secret Garden, and three of the musicians on this album have played with that group as well: bassist Per-Elias Drablos, acoustic guitarist Rolf Kristensen, and English horn player Henrik Eurenius. The most important “instrument” in the ensemble could very well be the sweet voice of Elin Lokken, whose wordless vocals (mostly humming) do much to give these lovely pieces their warmth and “cozy” quality. In addition to composing and arranging the music for the album, Syversen appears on piano and keyboards. Additional instrumentation includes violins, flute, and cello, giving a full, rich sound that only “real” musical instruments (as opposed to electronic ones) can give.

Sacred Dreams is the latest US release from Syversen’s nine-album discography, following his very successful Peaceful Journey. The son of a devoted pianist mother, Syversen began piano lessons at the age of seven and trumpet lessons a few years later. As his skills and musical interests evolved, he took advantage of every opportunity to study and play many styles of music including classical, jazz, and big band. Over time, Syversen’s own meditation and visualization practices introduced him to music that was created for relaxation and healing, providing direction and a calling for the composer whose greatest goal remains to create inner peace within the listener.

Although the ten tracks are suitable for playing individually, I would expect that this music is the most effective as a whole musical experience of just under an hour, giving the music time to create a retreat to a place of comfort, inner peace, and beauty. Sacred Dreams is available from tronmusic.com, Amazon and iTunes. Recommended!