All Of My Days

This is just for reference; and to record that me spending time on the Internet is not entirely wasted. I love how I have access to so much media in this virtual world. The Internet gives me an avenue to craft up big, fantastical dreams (probably unrealistic because I’m lazy like that)

Anyway, word of the day: mondegreen (:

Movie to watch:

Away We Go

Credit: http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=25674

The soundtrack is great listening with Alexi Murdoch tracks ((:

I was surfing swissmiss

 

Bag Girl Polka Dot

This piece reminds me of happy days in Shanghai with 4 other 15 year olds and a funny old man as our teacher in charge. Happy days; solely from imagination and memory because the photographs I took are all gone, probably floating around as thousands of kilobytes in the digital universe which I cannot see D: 

Highlight of the day: I keep getting paper cuts from the spine of those binded books of prelim papers! It’s a great way to start the studying process – now I look like one stressed up student with all the pent up rage and scars on my wrist to prove it.

南中华乐团

丝竹情韵’08
18th July 2008
Singapore Conference Hall, 7.30pm

The juniors were smashing-ly brilliant last night, and I’m pretty sure they rocked the socks of the people sitting in the conference hall! (:(:(: I guess the selection of the pieces certainly helped, and the audiences were either amazed at the technical prowess of the soloists, awaken by the majestic sounding drums or intoxicated in the lyrical melodies. This year, the juniors tackled really challenging pieces and the orchestra (and Mrs Ee!) really deserve credit for pulling off decent interpretations.

Sitting in the gallery seats, I had a pretty good view of the orchestra and what struck me was the look of concentrations on each and everyone’s faces. Everyone looking intently at Mrs Ee, trying their hardest to play as one and to produce their best music. Looking at the entire orchestra decked out in blue and black (some were white and black towards the best) I felt immensely proud to know that I was once part of this family and always will be in spirit.

I’ve always moved on easily in terms of relationships, so I’ve always enjoyed myself in HCCO and to be honest never really thought or missed NYCO. I’ve always treated HCCO as a new experience and in a way the memory of NYCO gradually faded into the background. Coming back as an alumni member, watching their rehearsals and the actual concert itself; these experiences helped to weave all the memories back together. As I look back now, I can’t help but feel extremely lucky to have 4 years in NYCO and 4 years with Mrs Ee. How lucky I am to be able to have 大组 in M401, 小组 in M403, 秀梅大会堂 to go through dry runs. How fortunate I am to have been exposed to 华乐 beyond my wildest imaginations and the seniors and juniors who have taught me many things. Above all, it is really a blessing to be able to play with an orchestra where every member plays with one heart despite the many differences we have. We make magic.

Perhaps it was just one night of magic, but boy what a heck full of magic it was.

♥ NYCO

I Divas dell’opera…& more

Je dans l’amour avec l’opéra! (; More specifically, the voices of the opera divas of the 20th century – we’re talking Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi. Oh and Angelina Gheorghiu and Renee Fleming are not bad too, though I wouldn’t classify them as divas yet.

                    

It is absolutely intriguing to listen to the stylistic differences and the way each singer (Soprano?) phrases her music. The same piece of music sounds so different when sung by two different divas; each infusing the music with her own breath of life. It’s joy to listen the intense voice of Maria Callas, with all its different timbres; and compare it with Renata Tebaldi’s clearer, crisper version. I am definately no expert in vocal music, yet listening to these arias sung by the different opera singers sparked off an interest in the human voice. 

I think, this is why instrumental music came after vocal music in many cultures, because the human voice came first before all the instruments in the world. It’s why we could sing before we could play. An afternoon with the opera divas has made me realised that the human voice is the only instrument that allows one to personalise his/her music to the maximum, and the one where individual style shines out the most. Off course, technique and proper training do play important roles, but ultimately every portamento, gameka made, is truly your own.

-

& you know, this is what God has given us – a voice. It doesn’t matter if its’ big or small, rich or bland; perfect pitch or not, our voice represents a part of us. It’s in this that I see the power of our God, and how we can never compare to his greatness. Yet, He loves us so much and is willing to do so much for us; listening to our prayers, forgiving us for the countless times we have hurt him with our sins. Its a reminder to me, to cherish the voice God has given me, not only to continue to praise him in worship, but to spread His love to the people around me. It has shown me again, that I am only a seed in his palm, and it is alright to just submit everything into His hands, because God will take care of everything. Although I still have questions and my heart aches, I’ll wait until I find the chance to share this personally, to voice everything out.