click here
to see "the twins effect".. hahahs.. mark tan and yingmin. (:
mark nicodemus at 10:59 pm
Good news: SFX (or in small letters, sfx, i think they intentionally write it in non-caps because it can look rather offensive otherwise. Look at it from far and it might well appear "Welcome to the Church of SEX" but never mind.) Youth Choir CD is out. Bad news: I don't have a copy of it yet. Even worse news, tiffy's hands on the CD cover are green making her look like she suffers from gangrene or something. But anyway, its a really good compilation to own, features all kinds of choral music and its really nice. Heard the unedited version some time ago so i suppose the edited one should sound loads better.
I don't think the Archbishop appreciates choral music a lot, certainly didn't look like he was in the best of moods on sunday morning anyway. Maybe because he heard me sing. Hurhur. Didn't sing my part too well but well, we all have our off days, thank heavens DJ's recording doesn't hear me semi-crack on that note. Of course, my dear friend was so nice he only recorded that part. Hmmm.
Actually, although sometimes we may not be the most popular choir in the world, i think sometimes its the only thing that keeps me sane. I hope one day more people will be touched by our music as i was when i first joined. Things can only get better, i pray.
So that now leaves a rather monotonous year ahead. Promos? Don't know why, i don't really care at all, besides it can't compare to making music for the glory of God. With nothing to get my adrenalin going for the rest of 2004 i'll have to find some way to stay happy then. Which reminds me to remind Geraldine to smile always, think happy thoughts! Not usually used to say nice things about people on my blog but you're a really nice persen after getting to know you better. Not that i didn't think you were nice. I did think you were pure of thought though. Haha, no offence mate.
Meantime, like Mak the rabbit, i wish you all peace! Hakuna matata!
Salve Regina
Mater misere cordiae
Vita dulce do et spes nostra salve.
Ad te clamamus exules fili i evae.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes
In hac lacrimarum vale.
Eja ergo advocata nostra
Ilos tuos miseri cordae oculus adnos converte.
Et Jesum benedictum fructus ventris tui
Nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clement, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail holy Queen
Mother of mercy.
Hail our life our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning, and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then most gracious advocate
Your eyes of mercy towards us,
And after this our exile
Show unto us the blessed fruit of Your Womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
mark nicodemus at 7:26 pm
Thrusday night. Almost friday morning. Why am i not sleeping? Argh! Project work! On a day where Singapore's 3rd PM sweared in, its not difficult to imagine JC students swearing at the government for setting this incredibly time-consuming, and ultimately redundant subject. I mean, first the blokes at the ministry want to try and foster some inkling of creativity. Then come our teachers telling us there are specific guidelines to follow. There is as much room for creativity as there is enough room for a claustrophobic in a lift. Or a protestant in the same lift as Mikey Feng. (No hard feelings, mate! Waiting for your return!)
1st of 2 consecutive days of choir practice. One with AJ, one with SFX. Isn't that the life? After all, its the only thing that keeps me sane, looking forward to weekend choir practices. I think most outsiders will never realise how great it is to be able to sing in SFX, certainly its very humbling. (Especially if you cannot hit an Ab at 9 in the morning.) Speaking of which, i cannot seem to conduct a proper warm-up exercise there without people getting the urge to laugh uncontrollably. Oh well, at least we're having fun, anyhow i do take that as a compliment.
Hope to see many of you there this sunday for our cd launch. You might have to endure a few other performances first but believe me, its worth the wait. And if indeed you do go, just shout encore cause then we get to sing some of our favourite songs which might then become some of your favourite songs. So see you there this sunday!
(P.S Mabuhay to everyone from Novo, especially Cholo, who seems to frequent here quite a lot, hope to be able to get you a score soon.)
Shepherd of my soul,
I give You full control;
Wherever You may lead,
I will follow.
I have made the choice,
To listen to Your voice;
Wherever You may lead,
I will go.
Be it in a quiet pasture,
Or by a gentle stream,
The Shepherd of my soul
Is by my side.
Should I face the mighty mountain,
Or a valley dark and deep.
The Shepherd of my soul
Will be my guide.
Gaudent in Christos; Pax Vobiscum!
mark nicodemus at 11:40 pm
Whew, lucky there's a long weekend ahead or i might just drop dead and die. (Hmmm, what in the world does drop dead and die mean, oh never mind.) 15th august is coming and i hope its fun but it can't be as fun as going back to sing Circle of Life with the EBC on teachers' day, if daniel tells me true.
Well, Choral Fest this year was a mere shadow of 2 years ago if you were talking about the music part. Got to know a lot more people than 2 years ago though so i guess its a personal triumph for such a shy person like me. Stop shaking your head there, i AM a very shy person inside you know. The man though, is bloody cool. Fred Schoeberg simply oozes class, plus the little fact that he can sing a high C# adds to it i suppose.
And i finally got to know my twin. For the 1st few weeks of my AJChoir life, they kept calling me Yingmin; for the 1st time i actually talked to her. Quite a nice girl you know, would have put up the picture we took together to let you judge our similarity but unfortunately it was too much of a hassle. You can still see it if you're lucky enough to catch me online as i've installed it as my display pic. In the meantime, go wait for Halley's comet.
SFXYC's launching our cd and singing a few songs at the Gardens on the 15th so hope to see you there!
For my dear ding jie, who complained that i didn't post the "correct" version of the song last time, here it is, as we, that is , SFX, EBC and NCM sing it.
Circle of Life
Ma tsin ben ya baba wit si baba
Ma tsin ben ya baba ga git si babo
Hay baba siya mo u wa
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
Leads great and small on the endless round
In the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Til we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life
mark nicodemus at 10:31 pm