"The Board is a dramatic film that explores the inside story of a human soul, represented by a board of directors comprised of six members. One by one the power brokers of the soul, including Mind, Memory, Emotion, Heart, Will, and Conscience, discuss and vote on seemingly mundane events, until a co-worker poses a dilemma with eternal consequences. Facing a powerful indictment, the board's hypocritical self-defense is exposed, as it wrestles with the ultimate decision every person must make."
This has been one of my favourite songs for a long time. Not only because the beauty of the song, but also for the absolutely fantastic voices of Josh Groban and Charlotte Church. Funny thing is, I've never looked up the translation of the Italian lyrics. Shows how often I actually listen/sing songs without knowing what they mean.
Now that I've searched it up. All the more beautiful it is. (:
Love the orchestra in this version too =)
(Translations in parentheses)
I pray you'll be our eyes And watch us where we go And help us to be wise In times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer As we go our way Lead us to a place Guide us with your grace To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che tu dai (The light that you give) I pray we'll find your light Nel cuore resterà (Will stay in our hearts) And hold it in our hearts A ricordarci che (To remind us that) When stars go out each night L'eterna stella sei (You are an everlasting star) Nella mia preghiera (In my prayer) Let this be our prayer Quanta fede c'è (There's so much faith) When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place Guide us with your grace Give us faith so we'll be safe
Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza (We dream of a world with no more violence) Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza (A world of justice and hope) Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino (Grasp your neighbors hand) Simbolo di pace e di fraternità (As a symbol of peace and brotherhood)
La forza che ci dai (The strength that you give us) We ask that life be kind E'il desiderio che (Is the wish that) And watch us from above Ognuno trovi un cuore (Everyone may find love) We hope each soul we'll find Intorno e dentro a sè (In and around himself) Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer Just like every child
Needs to find a place Guide us with your grace Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che (And the faith that) Hai acceso in noi (You've lit inside us) Sento che ci salverà (I feel will save us)
Looking for someone who wants to try this song with me (:
2+ years back, a friend of mine asked for my help in figuring out the chords for this song. To his continuing disappointment, I always put it off saying that I was very busy with this and that. Well, actually I'm quite sure I really was, but I could have always made time. Afterall, it wouldn't take me more than half an hour to 45 minutes to figure out the chords. Ironically, the time I've finally chosen to work this is in the midst of preparation for M3 pros, after a whole day of studying (which is made much more fun with friends around (: ) in the library.
So anyway, the chord progression of this song is that of the typical Chinese ballad. A person once told me this is called the 流水式 progression, i.e. in C major, it's
C -- G/B -- Am -- C/G -- F -- C/E -- Dm --G(7)
70% of Chinese pop ballads probably have this chord progression at some point in the song (don't quote me on this though, perform your own cross-sectional/prevalence study if you want to be sure).
So to my dear friend, you will finally, after 2+ years, see the chords on Sunday. My Chinese New Year/Valentine's Day gift to you, and to the rest of the visitors to this blog, this song's for you. =) (Not like I composed it anyway - It's much easier to share things which you haven't worked for I guess. Haha.)
And we were talking about this on our way back to the library from dinner, how emotionally-charged this song is, and how Ewan McGregor brings out the emotions so well. Love the strings too.
We should watch Moulin Rouge together again some day. (:
Read this interesting quote in ST Life this morning,
"I think everyday should be a day of romance. Then on Valentine's Day, you should get to tell whoever you hate that you cannot stand them. There would be one day of hating and 364 days of love." - Ashton Kutcher
Not that I agree with that one day of hating, but I guess his first proposition might be something we'd all want to consider.
While I was washing the dishes and staring out of the window today, I was reminded of something I was told when I was young.
"You can't see wind, sometimes you may not even feel it, but you know it is windy when you see the laundry on the bamboo-poles flapping vigorously, and so you believe that wind exists."
This is what happens during study breaks. You become so bored/sian that you blog or youtube incessantly.
"An unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction." - Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis
"I can recall clearly some of those moments in my own life, where this poignant sense of longing, falling somewhere between pleasure and grief, caught me by surprise and caused me to wonder from whence came such strong emotion, and how might such an experience be recovered.
As a boy of ten, I recall being transported by the experience of looking through a telescope that an amateur astronomer had placed on a high field at our farm, when I sensed the vastness of the universe and saw the craters on the moon and the magical diphanous light of the Pleiades. At fifteen,I recall a Christmas Eve where the descant on a particularly beautiful Christmas carol, rsising sweet and true above the more familiar tune, left me with a sense of unexpected awe and a longing for something I could not name. ... " - The Language of God, Francis Collins
I can particularly identify with the statement in bold. For the past 5 years, when I carol with Hwa Chong Voices during Christmas, I have had the privilege of standing next to one of the sopranos with the most beautiful voice who sings the descant. (More like we try to have it our way to stand next to each other, sometimes not to the conductor's pleasure. And no, there's nothing between us. She's happily attached (:)But without fail, x out of x times, the song will finish with a wide grin on my face, leaving me wanting and craving for more.
Or when the timpani and trumpets are used together in "Hallelujah" and "Worthy is the lamb that was slain" of Handel's Messiah, you feel for that instant when the chorus ends, you catch a glimpse of God's glory, which is already sufficient to inspire that awe and longing.
Or the orchestral accompaniment of "Our God is God" by Joseph Martin and J. Paul Williams. No matter how many times I listen to it, I see the skies open up and the angels and creatures of all kinds prostrating and bowing in rows before the throne of glory.
"Our God is God; We are the works of His hands God is creator; Angels serve at His command All creation bows before him and we must do the same For God alone is worthy, Worthy of all praise. Our God is God!"
Or when the narrative in "Glory and Honour" by Don Moen is read out, I'm reduced to tears. Until know, I can't rationalise the tears. But I am overwhelmed by emotion.
He is able, yes the Lion of Judah is worthy. I crane my neck, hoping for a glimpse of Him and I'm shocked that what I see is not a lion but a Lamb, a Lamb that had been slain for the sins of the world, for my sin. "Then I heard ten thousand times ten thousand angels. In a loud voice they sang, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing!' Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and they were singing: 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honour and glory and power, forever, and ever AND EVER!
Or when the way to proceed is finally revealed. Although the road ahead is still uncertain, and may be long and winding, but you know to walk on with faith that it will lead to where God wants you to be, whether or not that's where you would want to be.
"Be still my soul, be still my soul Cease from the labour and the toil. Refreshing springs of peace await the troubled minds and hearts that ache.
Be still my soul; God knows your way and He will guide for His name's sake Plunge in the rivers of His grace; Rest in the arms of His embrace.
Between the probable proved there yawns A gap. Afraid to jump, we stand absurd, Then we see behind us sink the ground and, worse, Our very standpoint crumbling. Desperate dawns Our only hope: to leap into the Word That opens up the shuttered universe.
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
