Sunday, November 22, 2015

Fauré's Requiem

I went to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra tonight.


The VSO website described tonight's offering as follows:


Maestro Bramwell Tovey presents a performance of  Fauré’s luminous and profoundly beautiful Requiem. Stravinsky’s deeply moving Symphony of Psalms and Haydn’s rich and aristocratic Military Symphony set the stage for Fauré’s choral masterpiece.
  • Conductor / Performers

    Bramwell Tovey conductor
    Nathalie Paulin soprano*
    David John Pike baritone*
    Phoenix Chamber Choir *
    UBC University Singers *
    Graeme Langager chorus director

  • Repertoire

    Stravinsky
    Symphony of Psalms*
    Haydn
    Symphony No. 100 in G Major, Military
    Fauré
    Requiem*




    Just before the choral masterpiece the Maestro gave a few touching words about the loss of innocent lives in Paris and other parts of the world earlier in the week. He also encouraged concert goers to give a few moments of silence after the choral requiem. 




    I apologize for the quality of the photos which were taken with my cell phone. I was fumbling and inadvertently had the flash on. I wasn't quick enough to adjust things before all the final bows were finished.


     Afterwards I walked to my bus stop to make my way home. I passed by this building which is obviously light up in honour of France like many buildings around the world.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Sky Over Vancouver, November 19, 2015

Beautiful Day November 19, 2015

This was the day and sky today after heavy duty rain and wind storms earlier in the week.

The sky was nice and bright blue.

How is the day where you are?

Joining in with Skywatch Friday

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Ni Wewe Bwana (It is You Lord)




This is a lovely gospel song sung in Swahili and has special meaning for me.

It is special because on my first trip to Kenya a group of orphans encircled me and sang this lovely song. It really touched me.

No one translated the song for me at that time.  Though I could not speak Swahili I knew it was a worship song unto God.

I tried to track the song down for a long time.  Every time I would ask a Kenyan friend, no one would know which song I was trying to recollect.

I only knew the words "Ni wewe bwana" and decided to search on YouTube when I couldn't get any of my friends to help me find the song.  Guess what,  I found it! (Update: It has already been some years since I found it and had a Tanzanian friend translate it for  me.)

The version I'm sharing is the same song but this one on the video is sung to a slightly faster beat.  It is sung by well known (now deceased) Tanzanian Gospel singer, Fanuel Sedekia.

This song gives me joy and lifts me up. At a time when the world is mourning for Paris, for Syria, for Beirut, for Japan, for Kenya, for the Ukraine and many other places, some of us need a lift.

God bless and keep you and your loved ones safe.


~~~~

Update: Since a few people have tried to help me find the song and translation I'm posting the translation here as provided by my friend from Tanzania.

(Sedekia) ee ni wewee ni wewe bwana ni wewee ni wewe bwaana.( trans) ee is you, is you lord ,is you, is you lord
(Vocals) ni wewe ni wewe bwana ni wewe ni wewe bwana.(trans) is you, is you lord , is you , is you lord
( Sedekia) ee ni wewe-- as above.
( vocals) as above.
(Sedekia) ee ni wewee unayetujali  ni wewe bwaana ni wewe bwaana ( trans) ee is  you who care for us, is you lord, is you lord
( vocals) is you, is you lord, is you, is you lord
(Sedekia) ee ni wewee unayetupenda ni wewe bwaana ni wewe bwaana( trans) ee is you who loves us, is you lord, is you lord.
Vocals: is you, is  you lord, is you, is you lord.
(Sedekia)ee  Ni wewe uweza  ni wako ni wewe bwana ni wewe bwaana.(trans) ee you're almighty, is you lord , is you lord.
(Vocals) is you, is you lord, is you is you lord.
(Sedekia) again as above (almighty.)
(Vocals.) as above.
(Sedekia) ni wewe mamlaka ni yako ni wewe bwaana ni wewe bwaana ( trans) you have the authority,is you lord is you lord.
(Vocals) ni wewee wewe bwana ni wewe ni wewe bwaana( trans) is you, is you lord , is you , is you lord.
(Sedekia) ni wewe uweza ni wako ni wewe bwana ni wewe bwaana(trans) you're almighty, is you lord is you lord.
(Vocals) is you, is you lord , is you is you lord.
(Sedekia) ni wewe mamlaka ni yako ni wewe bwaana ni wewe bwaana.(trans) you have the authority, is you lord, is you lord.
(Vocals) is you, is you lord, is you, is you lord.
(Sedekia)  ni wewe uweza ni wako ni wewe bwaana ni wewe bwaana( trans) you're almighty, is you lord, is you lord.
(Vocals ) is you, is you lord, is you, is you lord.Sedekia and vocals ) is you is you x 15.
( the lady) ni wewe ndiwe ngome yetuuu ( trans) our fortress or castle
(Lady) ni wewe msaada wetu naa( trans ) our support and
(Lady) ni wewe ndiwe baba yetu Jehova(trans) our father Yah
(Lady) ni wewe ndiwe jemedari mkuuuu( trans) you are the great centurion .
( all ) is you  x 25.
(Sedekia) ni wewe glory( trans) ni mwenye utukufu.
(Sedekia) x7  - twakutazama wewe, kwa Kuwa ufalme ni wako  na nguvu na utukuuufu na hata milele, milele x 8 mh oo Yesu.( trans) we are looking you for yours is the kingdom and power/ strength and glory forever  forever x8.
Mh oh Yesu.(trans) mh ooh  Jesus.
.The end.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Movember & El Nino Calling

Hi friends,

I decided to post once again about Movember and the Movember campaign by the Kenyan Boys Choir.  Movember is a campaign to raise money for it in support of the fight against several men's diseases.  Am not asking for your help in this post. If you do want to find out more you can click here.

How many of you have heard of Movember?

It is a global charitable cause set up to raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's mental health. The idea is that men grow mustaches in the month of November and try to raise funds for the fight against these diseases.

If you have ever had prostate cancer, testicular cancer or mental issues or, you have a loved one who has, you may be touched by the efforts to fund raise.

My friends in the Kenyan Boys Choir  have been moved to grow mustaches and do their part to  raise funds for the cause.  In Kenya where they live the treatment options and care available for anyone with cancer is very minimal and there is a lot of suffering involved if you have cancer and no treatment options at all.


The photo I've used is not mine but a professional photo of the Kenyan Boys Choir.

 Those members of the Kenyan Boys Choir who are touring in 2015 are in this photo.  Other choir members are back in Kenya.

In Kenya the country is facing the ravages of El Nino.

The following photos are taken by Kenya news agencies over the past several days.

Near Lake Baringo.
 
The mom (along with her baby and the missionary escort) helped with surgery recently has had to delay getting home.  The highway to her home looks like this.

The highway from Kapenguria to Turkana.

Men, women and children have been stranded in an unsafe area for 3 days without help.  Even if you have funds there is no where to buy anything.

At least the Pokot mom made it back to her relatives in Kapenguria where she should be safe.

People stranded in West Pokot area of the Northern Rift Valley.


My friend Jonah and a pastor friend of his have also been caught up and stranded away from home in the rain.
They have been stranded at Lake Baringo for 2 days. All the budget hotels were quickly taken due to a huge conference happening in the area and all the other stranded travellers. they are staying at Soi Lodge which you might remember from some of my earlier posts.

This is his photo showing the impassable roads near Lake Baringo.


Meanwhile, here at home we are having a coastal storm today.
  The ferries to the island have been cancelled and 3000 homes are currently without power.
There is a snowfall in the mountains so I will have to monitor the situation to see whether travel plans this weekend have to be adjusted.

This is a photo of BC place.  It holds 50,000 people & was renovated a few years ago.  It has a retractable roof that turns different colours at night.
My cloudy sky picture was taken a week ago.


Joining in with Skywatch Friday
&
Friday Foto Friends

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