Over The Rainbow
Danny Boy
Somewhere
Non C'e Piu
O, Holy Night
Somewhere
Non C'e Piu
O, Holy Night
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
You Raise Me Up
The song You Raise Me Up, has now been covered more than 125 times by various artists. The universality of its message makes it attractive to everyone regardless of race, color, and creed. Who cannot relate to a powerful message of inspiration in the midst of struggles and challenges of life? Written by Secret Garden's Rolf Løvland and the lyrics by Brendan Graham, a veteran songwriter from Ireland, it was originally released by Secret Garden in 2002.
You Raise Me Up, Celtic Woman in Slane Castle
You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban
You Raise Me Up, Celtic Woman at NBC Olympics
You Raise Me Up, Celtic Woman In Japan, May 27, 2011
You Raise Me Up, Celtic Woman At Dancing With The Stars
You Raise Me Up, Secret Garden And Brian Kennedy
If that is not enough dose of inspiration, then how much more is needed to be uplifted?
Friday, May 20, 2011
O Holy Night
For a change let's have a singing competition. The following are the criteria:
Quality of Voice - 40 %
Interpretation - 30 %
Blending - 10 %
Stage Presence - 10 %
Overall Impact - 10 %
Garnering an average score of 100 %, the winner is...CELTIC WOMAN! For transparency, here's how they scored:
Josh Groban
Quality of Voice - 40 %
Projection and Interpretation - 30 %
Blending - 0 %
Stage Presence - 10 %
Overall Impact - 9 %
Celine Dion
Quality of Voice - 40 %
Interpretation - 30 %
Blending - 0 %
Stage Presence - 10 %
Overall Impact - 9 %
Celtic Woman
Quality of Voice - 40 %
Interpretation - 30 %
Blending - 10 %
Stage Presence - 10 %
Overall Impact - 10 %
Of course I cheated on the criteria! Both Groban and Dion are soloists and therefore the blending criteria does not apply! However, give extra point to the girls for their gorgeous, medieval-inspired dresses, and visually stimulating faces and performance stages. And when you have a fairy fiddler, that is more bonus points for you! Winners all, but my heart goes with the Irish gals of course. This is unquestionable superior display of real talent and good chemistry. I tell you, it is harder to sing as an ensemble.
Giving credit where it is absolutely due though, I think David Downes's voice and orchestral arrangements gave this very old song a fresh look. Again, this is a testimony of how music can bridge history to the present time.
Giving credit where it is absolutely due though, I think David Downes's voice and orchestral arrangements gave this very old song a fresh look. Again, this is a testimony of how music can bridge history to the present time.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The Prayer
The Prayer is one of the soundtrack music of the 1999 movie, Quest for Camelot, composed by David Foster, with Carol Bayer Sager as lyricist. Originally sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, it's been covered and performed by a number of artists because of its universal message and popular melody.
Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli
Beautiful. Inspirational. Powerful.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
In The Bleak Midwinter
I know it is just springtime. But I cannot resist the most beautiful, haunting, and emotion-provoking piece of Christmas music I have ever heard, depicting the birth of Jesus in a lowly manger:
In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart
In the bleak midwinter, frost wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart
There's a surge of shiver to my spine as I watch these three videos. This is how it must have felt then. How music can bridge history to the present time does not falter to fascinate me.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Forever Young
"Forever Young" is the title track from German rock/synthpop group Alphaville's 1984 debut album of the same name. Although released in America, it didn't reach the American Top 40. But because of its popular culture theme, this song had been covered by a lot of different artists of differents genres, and had been used in movies and commercials. The most popular would be rap artist Jay Z's version. I would admit that his kind of music and songwriting does not appeal to me though.
Forever young I wanna be
Forever young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever and ever
Forever young I wanna be
Forevery young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever, forever
Forever Young, Gregorian
Let,s dance in style
Let,s dance for a while
Heaven can wait we,re only watching the sky
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don,t have the power but we never say never
Sitting in the sandpit
Life is a short trip
The music,s for the sad man
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders getting in tune
The music's made by the madman
Chorus:
Let,s dance for a while
Heaven can wait we,re only watching the sky
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don,t have the power but we never say never
Sitting in the sandpit
Life is a short trip
The music,s for the sad man
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders getting in tune
The music's made by the madman
Chorus:
Forever young I wanna be
Forever young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever and ever
Forever young I wanna be
Forevery young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever, forever
Some are like water, some are like the heat.
Some are the melody, and some are the beat.
Sooner or later they all will be gone,
Why won't they stay young.
It's so hard to get old without a cause,
I don't wanna perish like a fading horse.
Youth is like diamonds in the sun.
And diamonds are forever.
So many adventures couldn't happen today,
So many songs we forgot to play.
So many dreams are swinging out of the blue,
We let them come true.
Forever young I wanna be
Forever young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever and ever
Forever young I wanna be
Forevery young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever, forever
Forever young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever and ever
Forever young I wanna be
Forevery young
Do you really want to live forever,
Forever, forever
Wasn't it only yesterday that we were in a hurry to get a little older? Now that we're older, we are wishing that we could be a little younger. The dilemmas of life are in constant struggle with our psyche but we cannot avoid eventuality. The fountain of youth is as mythical as eternity.
Someday we will lose our talents and productivity. Even grace and beauty will fade. We will be one with the earth at one point, and all those worldly possessions will be taken away from us. But one thing is certain. What we have created of ourselves will stay forever in the hearts and minds of the people we touched.
Forever Young, Lisa Kelly of Celtic Woman
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Celtic Woman's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.
Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
The original German verses were written by Martin Jahn. The lyrics express a close, friendly, and familiar friendship with Jesus, who gives life to the poet:
Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe,
o wie feste halt' ich ihn,
daß er mir mein Herze labe,
wenn ich krank und traurig bin.
Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet
und sich mir zu eigen giebet,
ach drum laß' ich Jesum nicht,
wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 6
Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
darum laß' ich Jesum nicht
aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10
The original German text does not correspond to the most common English version. A close-to-literal translation of the original German:
Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how strong I hold to him
that he might refresh my heart,
when sick and sad am I.
Jesus have I, who loves me
and gives to me his own,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
when I feel my heart is breaking.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no 6
Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's comfort and essence,
Jesus resists all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eye's desire and sun,
my soul's love and joy;
so will I not leave Jesus
out of heart and face.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10
If you are an ordinary music listener, this may sound familiar to you because you hear them frequently in weddings. However, if you are a classical music enthusiast, you know that this is a modified version of Johann Sebastian Bach's work. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 (catalogue number of his work) by the great German musician.
Bach's Jesu Joy
Bach's version is a faster tempo compared to what is more popularly listened to now. I can surmise that this work was inspired by its Baroque era where arts should communicate religious themes as a way of impressing visitors. The Roman Catholic Church during that period strongly endorsed this as a way of maintaining control and power over the popularity of the Protestant Reformation. The original intent of the musical arrangement is not for weddings but the feel of the song is just so "churchy" and triumphant that might have led to its popular use:
Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.
Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
The original German verses were written by Martin Jahn. The lyrics express a close, friendly, and familiar friendship with Jesus, who gives life to the poet:
Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe,
o wie feste halt' ich ihn,
daß er mir mein Herze labe,
wenn ich krank und traurig bin.
Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet
und sich mir zu eigen giebet,
ach drum laß' ich Jesum nicht,
wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 6
Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
darum laß' ich Jesum nicht
aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10
The original German text does not correspond to the most common English version. A close-to-literal translation of the original German:
Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how strong I hold to him
that he might refresh my heart,
when sick and sad am I.
Jesus have I, who loves me
and gives to me his own,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
when I feel my heart is breaking.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no 6
Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's comfort and essence,
Jesus resists all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eye's desire and sun,
my soul's love and joy;
so will I not leave Jesus
out of heart and face.
—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10
A good dose of classical art.
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