LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL is an escape from the monotony of life and daily trials and tribulations. Employing CELTIC WOMAN's songs as title to my posts, I draw observations and opinions on a personal level. Join me as I tread the language that communicates to all...MUSIC.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
"Forever Young" is the title track from Germanrock/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.
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:
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
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.
