I'm So Lucky

I’m So Lucky

They took me as a choir conductor of their little church though an amateur, while I’ve no authority in conducting.

I searched for the most beautiful songs, music. I’ve not just heard it, them, not only once, twice, but enjoyed, hundred times exercizing and singing it, though very difficult, with old untrained, not educated singers. We just have an electronic organ to accompany us.  But I’ve no fear, am not scared were it not perfect and NB I don’t care, am not ashamed to have our concerts in our little church, that I recorded it just with a pocket digital camera, an i Pad, ... and uploaded it in You Tube.

Otherwise, how could I ever know, enjoy such difficult pieces as the “Requiem” of Mozart, “Bess, you is my woman now” of Gershwin, “Ruht Wohl” of Bach, “Sei Nun Gnadig” of Haydn,...

Imagine, I enjoy Diana Krall, “When I Look in your eyes”, love songs of Schumann, “Mein Schoner Stern”, songs of Schubert, ... with deeper, intenser feelings than my son. I think,  I’m younger than he is though I’m over 80 by now.

Could I have a gamelan and its music score, would I also eagerly learn and play it. Why don’t they invent the electronic gamelan, then could I, anyone play it without having a gamelan set and musicians. I would learn to compose when I stop conducting my choir.

I’m so lucky. Were I just a frequent, dedicated concert visitor, could I never have enjoyed, known, developed my knowledge about music and come this far, know this much.

How rich, grateful am I, though, for so short a time as life. A thousand years wouldn’t be enough to learn, to know, enjoy all that, what I desired, wished.

So mused the Choir Conductor.

 

Note

Here are some recordings. Don’t listen - if you’re a professional or an educated singer -, except you’re also an amateur choir singer:

Listen to just one in order not to be satiate. Remember, we are old agers, amateurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRP-E_qiP50 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eljQve4I2HM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYiHzCbBEI

June 2013 

 

 

Good News

Good News

“The defeater of Federer in the Wimbledon, is now punished by being defeated also. Ha. Ha. How happy am I.” So told Opa Johan’s wife her husband.

June 2013 

Wouldn’t You Believe It?

Wouldn’t You Believe It?

Writing something nice is a joy. But I‘m very reluctant to write something awful, hateful. Shutting my mouth, hiding my thoughts, it’s torture, I can’t sleep.

There was someone – was it a professor? - who did a scientific research into the intelligence of the human races. He discovered, proclaims that a certain race has the lowest intelligence. Scientifically proved. What, were it the white, the ... race? Wouldn’t you believe it?

What an offence, affront, dishonor, shame, when you are of this race.

“I take it with a grain of salt. Ha. Ha.” Said Pak Arif. “There’s no professor, man with a bit of human feeling, sense, reason ever would make similar researches: the race with the lowest intelligence, the poorest in appearance, most lacking in courage, the most deceitful race, ...”  

Why rank, unless, except, you, we ourselves want to compete as in sports, music festivals, beauty contests, ...? How would you feel were you ranked lowest as the girl with a poor appearance  in your class?

June 2013 

 

Make Myself The Loser

“You’re so clever, you remember many handphone numbers. Now, you teach me.” So I said to my lover. In fact, I didn’t care to remember it. 

And we gladly exercized to remember the words of our many choir songs, though many are in a foreign language. I said singing was brain-, mouth-, breathing-,  voice-  gymnastics that would keep us, though over 80 by now, in shape and young, to inspire her.

And I make myself the loser to assure her of her confidence,  superiority. But that wouldn’t make her proud or happy.

“You tried to fool me, you scoundrel, Ha. Ha.” She is very smart.

So said Opa Johan.

June 2013  

This is my book. You can read it.

• http://blookup.com/en/blookshop/blook/leisurely-reading-14566/

 

Don't Lie

Don’t Lie

“Don’t lie, you’re a pastor. Your sin would count, weigh a hundred times before God. Ha. Ha.”  So said the wife of Opa Johan. I don’t know what it’s all about. She’s so smart.

June 2013  

This is my book. You can read it.

• http://blookup.com/en/blookshop/blook/leisurely-reading-14566/

 

And Behold, It Was Good

And Behold, It Was Good

God was happy, proud, having created the world and behold, it was good.

As I’m writing, am I happy creating my own world and I also feel that it is good.

I believe an artist, - it could be anyone - is a God creating his own wonderful world.

June 2013  

This is my book. You can read it.

• http://blookup.com/en/blookshop/blook/leisurely-reading-14566/

 

Like Fresh- Rather Than Preserved Can-Food

Like Fresh- Rather Than Preserved Can-Food

Today, music performance in a large concert hall is almost always furnished with a splendid sound system, microphones, loudspeakers, not natural anymore.

So, is it then very different when I hear a copy and enjoy it in You Tube? Unless I’m a fad and must necessary visit the concert hall to be able to enjoy the original which is not original, natural anymore with the use of loudspeakers.

Without loudspeakers, I enjoy my choir exercising in my workshop, singing in my concerts in our little church and during the church services, which is even more beautiful, as natural as fresh-, rather than preserved can-food.

When I was a child sleeping in a village I could hear far away the gamelan (Javanese Orchestra) softly at night, in my bed. In the concert hall then, I heard the “Wilhelmus”, national anthem of the Netherlands like heavenly music. But that was when the loudspeaker, sound system – thank God, Ha. Ha. - wasn’t invented yet.

Only f..ls would turn the loudspeaker so loud, so awful, so hateful like hell, killing the most beautiful music. Did that ever occur, happen to you?

Yet, I believe that one day we could have loudspeakers, recordings of exactly the same quality sound.

So said my Choir Conductor.

June 2013

This is my book. You can read it.

• http://blookup.com/en/blookshop/blook/leisurely-reading-14566/

 

Fate Created As We Are

Fate Created As We Are

I don’t want rights for me only, for men only, for humans only.

That’s why I think equal prize money for women as men’s in all sports is right, their right, that’s why I want Volley Ball classified according to players height, to give the same right to the majority of relatively short players in the world who would never have a chance to compete with tall players. While we have the Olympic Games for a minority of disabled athletes today. Why???

The same rights, not human rights only, but universal rights for men and women, young and old, black and white, believers and non-believers, the good and the bad,  for all living, male and female, including plants.

I don’t want heaven, were it excluding my dog, snakes, sharks, lions, weeds, non-believers, the bad, ...

We’re fundamentally the same. Fate created them, us, different as we, they are. Can they, we, help it?

That’s my philosophy said my retired Volley Ball coach.

June 2013 

This is my book. You can read it.

• http://blookup.com/en/blookshop/blook/leisurely-reading-14566/