Wednesday, May 13, 2009
For those who didnt get the email because the mailing list isnt exhaustive, ive uploaded our three SYF pieces for available download.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/wkzy0jftjtk/01 Sounds of Joy.wma
http://www.mediafire.com/file/mwwatvwqtnw/02 Yver.wma
http://www.mediafire.com/file/41qy1j4wtzm/03 Mate Saule.wma
They're our actual SYF recordings, and im guessing it was done by a Sony Ericsson Handphone or somthing to that extent, so pardon the quality and the bzzbzzzz sounds.
Oh, and for the J1's who are going to Penang's Voyage of Songs this year and are unsure of the notes for the new asian piece, here's the NUSChoir version for your reference.
Tsubasa (Wings):
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ytn2do3yukq/Tsubasa.mp3
Alright, thats about it.
Tmr's the SYFshowcase to the J2's, so JIAYOU (:
♥, Jem
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Jem here. Since i think im the only person who had a camera all the way, HERE ARE (some of) MY SHARE OF THE PHOTOS (:
Sops plus some sop wannabes HAHAHAH.
Sop photo
Alto photo
Tenor photo
MJC CHOIR 2009. ♥
MJCHOIR@MJC.
And since there doesnt seem to be any official announcement on this blog yet,
We made history (:
Monday, May 04, 2009
All the best!
Lots of Love,
Alumni
Sunday, May 03, 2009
The time has come. Finally, after months of hard work, time, sacrifice, and effort.
We're gonna have 10 minutes to show everyone what we're made of.
12960 minutes of practice. And 10 minutes to give a perfect performance. No pressure, people. Lol.
We've worked so hard, grown to love the songs and one another. Even to love Sounds of Joy. In QUARTET. We've come a long way man =)
So this last 10 minutes, give it all you've got. Don't be afraid to sing. Don't be afraid to go sharp/flat. Don't be afraid to screw up the songs that we've been practising so hard for. Don't be afraid to enjoy the moment.
We've practised enough. Now it's time to show everyone what we've got. Don't be afraid to shine. This is our moment; take hold of it and make it yours to keep.
Whatever the result is, we're still MJChoir. We've grown so much and we will continue to grow :) I'm really really proud of you guys and whatever happens, we'll still make the music!
This is the last chance to make our mark
History will know who we are
This is the last time so make it count
It's now or never
hahahahahahaha corny HSM song, but I think the lyrics are apt here. :)
Love you MJChoir, it's time to shine =)
Marianne
Origins
- The Latvian composer Peteris Vasks (born in Latvia in 1946)
- One of the outstanding composers of the Baltic region.
- Vasks’s great love of nature is articulated in most of his compositions in the interplay of man and nature.
Geography of Latvia
- Latvia is the portion of that map that is coloured dark green.- The Latvian climate is humid, continental and temperate
- Summers are warm, and the weather in spring and autumn fairly mild
- During severe spells of winter weather, Latvia is dominated by cold winds from the interior of Russia, and severe snowfalls are very common.
Interpretation of song
• In Mate Saule Vasks describes the rising of the sun.
• Light is the goal and culmination of the composition.
• At the beginning he designs the expected sunrise by implying interwoven sound strands
• The idea of worship
• Meditation on the attributes of Nature
• Which stretches beyond the fever and the fret of his own fast-changing world
Imagine...
- Yourself in another country, having just woken up.
And as you are embracing the beauty of nature, the fragrance of bread drifts into your room and you see your mother baking bread in the kitchen. (Note: You are not in Singapore, so the kitchen looks like this) 
You embrace all these beauties that surround you, the fragrance from the bread, your mother being hard at work preparing the breakfast, the beautiful sunrise, the beautiful sounds of morning, the peaceful rest that you had and everything that came together to make your morning beautiful.
Song Translation
Rugst rits ka mikla maizes abra
Morning is rising like kneaded bread dough
Pret klo-nu mates soli klaudz
Mother’s footsteps clatter on the clay floor
Un klaipi klavu lapam klati
Loaves covered with little leaves
Uz lizes krasnij mute brauc
Travel on the pel into the mouth of the oven
Vel jeri gul ar zvaigznem acis
Lambs still sleep with stars in their eyes
Velde lu sapnos arkli gul
The still clouds lie idle in man’s dreams
Bet mate saule baltu sviestu
But mother sun churns white butter
Kamu zibu uz slieksna kul
Like eternity on the threshold
Laiks rite japa saltu rasu
Time rolled like through cold dew
Tris gadsimtus vai stundas
Centuries or hours
Kad modamies jau saule gaja
When we awoke the sun was already stepping up
Pa osu gatvi debesis
the ash trees into the sky
Saturday, May 02, 2009
•A text in French by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394-1465)
•Written into a piece of music by Claude Achille Debussy (1862-1918)
-Period of unrest.
-Wars + Plagues
-National identity challenged by other countries such as (E.g. England and Scotland)
-Remember Joan of Arc?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnvqsWVluCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URpsgQStbjo&feature=related
PICTURES OF BEOOOTIFOL SUMMER
IMAGINE...
•You are trapped in a house with a snow storm outside, the condition has been harsh for days.
•You look forward to the day that will come where the skies clear.
•And you think of the times you had fun in the sun.
•But the storm continues to rage on...
POET'S PURPOSE
•He is trapped by the chaos, just like how he is trapped by winter.
•His freedom and past happiness and joy are taken from him by this chaos.
•And he looks to it everyday.
•But the reality creeps in, he is still trapped.
•There is nothing he can do but to hate this chaos and hate this winter.
TRANSLATION
Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain
Winter you cold and cruel fiend!
Esté est plaisant et gentil
Yet summer is so pleasant and gay,
En tesmoing de May et d'Avril
As witnessed by April and May
Qui l'acompaignent soir et main
When morning’s fair and evening fine.
Esté revest champs, bois et fleurs
Summer gilds the fields, woods and flowers
De sa livrée de verdure
With fine and verdant apparel
Et de maintes autres couleurs
And myriad delicate colours,
Par l'ordonnance de Nature
Such is the theme of nature’s colour
Mais vous,
But you…
Yver, trop estes plain
Winter you always
De nege, vent pluye et grezil;
bring the snow, wind, rain ice and hail!
On vous deust banie en essil.
We will banish you. Never fail.
Sans point flater, je parle plain,
Hear me, I want to speak my mind:
Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain !
Winter you cold and cruel fiend!
