American cellist David Darling (1941-2021) joined the Grammy-winning Paul Winter Consort in 1970 and released his ECM debut, Journal October, in 1980, going on to record fifteen albums for the label. In 1986 he founded Music for People, an organization built around musical improvisation as self-expression, and in 2010 he won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for Prayer for Compassion. Darling died peacefully in his sleep at home on January 8, 2021, at age 79.

Mood and energy: Warm, resonant, unhurried. Recommended uses: reflection, meditation, sound healing.

Sacred Ground Confidence Score: 5 out of 5 stars   Final recommendation: Approved.

Why this artist belongs in Sacred Sounds: A Grammy-winning cellist whose ECM pedigree and improvisational, therapeutic philosophy through Music for People give the collection a distinctive string-based, healing-oriented entry validated by the genres highest honor.