Through The Old Mirror

Dimitra Dourouda Byron, Greece

Dimitra’s the name, music is the game… And I hope I am not bound… to go underground! I have been a restless traveller on the Road to Freedom of the Spirit and the Soul paved by the unique Crusader of contemporary music, Chris de Burgh, since 1983, at the age of ten. I have had the great fortune of enjoying him “live in concert” as well the true pleasure and honour of meeting him personally on several occasions in Greece, the UK and Germany. Other influences since childhood include Mike Oldfield, Richard Clayderman, Abba, Ennio Morricone, Yanni and Manos Hadjidakis. For the past 8 years I have been working as an executive secretary in a private institute for counseling and psychological studies, which has turned out to be a fascinating on-going process of personal and professional development for me. I live in Byron (a municipality named after the famous British romantic poet, Lord Byron), about 20 minutes form the center of Athens, Greece. My street is no longer as quiet as it used to be, this being the reason for deciding to… cheat on my wonderful Ackermann (my old German piano) and record in a studio. Moreover, I always wanted to go through this challenging experience, but I never had a solid… excuse for it, as I am not a musician but an amateur piano player. “Through the Old Mirror” was triggered by an old towel hunger with a built-in painting, brought to me by my father from my late grandparents’ house, as I was sitting on the piano. A melancholic, nostalgic and rather mysterious sense filled my heart as I started to play random notes and immediately the story started to unfold in my mind: I saw myself returning to my house at old age, after many years of absence. Since birth I have been living it the same old house, furnished with several antiques. My piano is also quite old, and my parents, too! So here I am at the doorstep, indecisive to enter. The rusty door is squeaking and a scent of humidity protests against time. Dust is everywhere in the living room. A dim light is cast upon the furniture, all under washed out covers. A gentle touch on them, a careful look around the worn off walls, brings back memories from the past: wild parties with friends, family gatherings, moments of isolation and private music concerts. I take a look through the old mirror above my grandmother’s credenza and the most extraordinary thing happens: sounds and images, faces and incidents spring out of the mirror in a powerful whirl. I realize that the memories are not so pleasant anymore, as many beloved ones have set off for the last journey. Gratitude for the beautiful life, pain for the perished life, melancholy for the time gone by and nostalgia, they all dance together like ghosts around me, before they return to the old mirror. As my fantasy ends, I wonder: How am I supposed to deal with these overwhelming emotions and continue with my life? And then I see it right in front of me, in the golden letters carved upon my piano: “Ackermann”. This is my old mirror. Through my old piano I can reflect upon my deepest feelings, exorcise my demons and actualize my dreams. I made up this melody 9 years ago. You can imagine how tremendously shocked I was when I read the story behind Chris de Burgh’s “Leningrad”! I started shouting, “Oh my God” repeatedly. Before long, my parents and my friends knew about “telepathy striking again” between me and my old friend and spiritual companion: Chris de Burgh. "Through The Old Mirror" did not appear on the tribute CD. But you can download the track when you right-click and "save as" here as a bonus track.