Natalie Clein

Natalie Clein? Who is she? I like the photogenic shot above of her modeling with her cello.
She is one of my newest music discovery and cool, she is a cellist, hailed from England…I always wanted to learn to play the cello, a larger version of the violin and it produces a deep, mellow and rich sound. The clip below features Clein’s beautiful rendition of Elgar’s Sospiri and it is amazingly beautiful, deeply nostalgic and sad.

Sospiri was “like a breath of peace on a perturbed world.” The title is Italian for “sighs” or “sighing.” You can see a lot of vibrato is used here to indicate this expression accurately.

Christmas isn’t Christmas?

An essence of Christmas, a scent of joy and lots of merry-making Try sniffing around and you will discover Christmas is already hitting the town. Hurrah! Tomorrow is Christmas! I didn’t get enough of the Christmas-feel-good feeling this year, perhaps the carols are being sang less or maybe my youth is already spent since of late probably I’m getting old, rusty and occasionally forgetful But nevertheless, Christmas will be here tomorrow..Unless someone has a plot in mind to steal away Christmas. Hark! Do you hear the bells ringing? I did my last-minute-rush hour shopping in the midst of a maddening crowd. Busy shoppers and crowd-packed! A sigh of relief when I’m managed to hunt and secure some cards and gifts. A smile of satisfaction when I got home and settle down to embark on my Christmas project. It’s hard to pen down what I feel about Christmas, it is beyond what words can describe. But I would like to wish my family and friends:

may this time of season brings you

and lots of

Simon Trpčeski

Simon Trpčeski, though still in his mid-twenties, has established himself as one of the most remarkable young musicians to have emerged in recent years, playing with many of the world’s great orchestras and delighting audiences world-wide.

“Trpceski is the real deal. A pianistic talent in a thousand.”
The Times, June 2005

A performance to herald the new year. I remembered going to his previous performance at MPO somewhere last two years. It was indeed brilliant and memorable, bought a nice seat to have a clear view of seeing the legendary figure performing. This time he is coming again, and moreover Trpceski is performing Rachmaninov, a Russian heavyweight piece which is difficult to play. His swiftness and supple wrist movements in his playing make it as though it sounds easy and again impossible! I can never play Rachmaninov in my life Very bad at Rachmaninov..Maybe I will just stick to Chopin or easier stuffs…I guess I’m gonna book my tickets now because then it will be a performance highly not to be missed! I’m gonna get my CD signed too..At least now there is a point to look forward for 2008

Go to: http://www.malaysianphilharmonic.com/index.php to check it out!

The programmes:

1. ELGAR Wand of Youth Suite No. 2

2. RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.1 in F Sharp minor (Op.1)

3. DVOŘÁK Symphony No.5 in F (Op. 76)

Sat 12 Jan 08 • 8.30pm
Ticket Prices
P: RM95 | A: RM75 | B: RM55 | C: RM25

Although it is not Trpceski playing, I have attached the video for Piano Concerto No. 1 in case you want to preview what the song sounds like:

A Marriage of Two Worlds

Left photo=Germany

Right photo=Japan

In C.S.Lewis most acclaimed “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, four children mysteriously being transported into Narnia from their homeland, England through a magical wardrobe. A robotic cat “Doraemon” can pull out a magical door from its pocket and moreover in Harry Potter, wizards use the portkey as a portal to go to anywhere in the world that they wishes to travel. Cool! I wish I’d really have gadgets like those, – just imagine in a nick of time I can travel to Leipzig to have my Frühstück (German breakfast) and at a lightning speed make in time for lunch at Tokyo, finally settling down for a candle-light dinner at Paris, city of romance and love *wink Bypass security checks, the need of having passports, tedious waiting times for our luggage bags, getting caught in a traffic jams, etc..But, sadly such things do not exist we have to make do with the existing congested road systems, flight delays, and many more variants of other problems of a more “human” way to travel.

I have always love Germany, in terms of their language, culture, food and music. Hoping in the near future that I can plan enough savings to go and visit those places there. I would like to visit Berlin (if have a chance, would like to drop by Berlin Philharmonic since I have heard the orchestra is pretty good), Hamburg’s port,the palaces and gardens of Potsdam, brandenburg gate, bavaria countryside, and * the Romantic Road wanders from Würzburg to Füssen.

I don’t really know much about Japan, but nowdays J-Pop, jdorama, animes are telling the world that they need to understand the Japanese language. Busy streets, impressive skyscrapers, neon lights decorating over the cities, hectic lifestyle but on the other hand, fast technology developments coupled with rich heritage of culture and music too.

Perhaps one day, my kids will learn both of these languages: a life discovery for them to learn culture and music from both worlds. At times I felt that it is a great thing that mankind failed to build the Tower of Babel, what a huge relief in the biblical history. Just imagine now if our ancestors succeeded, we will be talking the same language and be wearing the same kind of clothes, that would be indeed boring! God has spread us all around the globe, speaking different tongues but eventually He will unite us again in one language through Christ in a new world. A new world, a new city, multitudes of nations coming together through a narrow door…God is so amazing and Jesus said I have already completed in preparing the place for you. The question now is that whether are we ready for Him in this world?

Things to ponder:

1. What is the narrow door? How can we go through that door?

2. Why God divide mankind at first place into different nations and languages but in the end we have to come together as one body in one language?

Finally Free – Nicole Nordeman

No chain is strong enough, no choice is wrong enough
No mountain high enough that He can’t climb

No shadow dark enough, no night is black enough
No road is lost enough that He can’t find

And if the Son has set us free, then we must be free indeed
Let the chains fall away, starting today
Everything has changed…I’m finally free

No pain is deep enough, no heart could bleed enough
Nothing but Jesus’ love can make a way

My thread of thoughts:

I have just chanced upon this song and I find it to be meaningful, – bringing out the message of freedom in Christ. I longed for a long time since I was young to run wild and care-free out in the meadows, basking under the sun, roam about for an adventure, go for a balloon ride, bathe in a river, travel around the world(like the book in 80 days, haha). By the way I just want to be free..I have always asked God why I’m still stuck in the mundane routines and not living in abundance..Now, I realized how entangled we are of these days: we carried a heavy luggage(we always have the thought that everything is important that we want to cram everything inside our bag) in our journey of faith: our career, other life commitments seem to take a lot of fun out of our lives..I enjoyed reading the book “Travelling Light ” by Max Lucado. This is a portion of what he says in his book:

“Weary travelers..Staggering through terminals and hotel lobbies with overstuffed suitcases, trunks, duffels and backpacks. We all carry loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent. No wonder we get so weary. We’re worn out from carrying that excess baggage. Wouldn’t it be nice to lose some of those bags?”

This song by Nicole Nordeman reminded me that nothing, absolutely nothing can hold us back from enjoying the freedom given by God. I’m touched by the chorus line saying that if the Son has set us free, then we must be free indeed

Sacred Pathways

I have heard of this book just recently during my church convention. Although I have yet to find the book but definitely it’s gonna be on my buy list Even though some have heard of the Tim Lahaye’s spiritual temperaments, Gary Thomas shares in his book about nine different spiritual temperaments (pathways) that one could have of approaching God for worship and discipleship.

No one will have all of them (in fact some pathways can irritate some and excite others) but we could have a number of them. I discovered that three of these pathways really are strong in my life and below are the description of these pathways:

• the Naturalist who is most inspired to love God out-of-doors by being in a natural setting.
• the Sensate who loves God with the senses — through awareness of taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound.
• the Traditionalist who loves God through ritual and symbol.
• the Ascetic who prefers to love God in solitude and simplicity.
• the Activist who loves God through contributing toward justice and the enhancement of life in the world.
• the Caregiver who loves God by loving others.
• the Enthusiast who loves God with mystery and celebration.
• the Contemplative who loves God through contemplation.
• the Intellectual who loves God with the mind.

My three strongest pathways: Contemplative, Caregiver, and Sensate
To take the test, go to this link:
http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html

Indescribable – Chris Tomlin

 

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God

All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Indescribable from Chris Tomlin’s “Arriving”album is simply indescribable! You have to hear for yourself..watch the youtube video and read the lyrics and you will see how God is awesome

Discovering Your Personality Shape

What is your shape?
Take a pick between: a Triangle, a Circle, a Square or a Curvy Line

Have you made your choice?
Ok, here goes..(highlight to reveal answer ^^)

Triangle: An ambitious person
Circle: A people-oriented person
Square: A detailed person
Curvy Line: Secretly obsessive about something

Points for you to ponder further:

1. Discovering your shape

• Access and knowing what you are good at

2. Accept and understand your shape

• Knowing your boundaries and capabilities

• Be content who you are

• Don’t try to be someone else

• God made you to be special

3. Develop your shape

• Any plans to realize your true potential to the fullest?

and how?