Babel

Tag: Blogs

  • Pie Jesu – Sissel Kyrkjebø

    Pie Jesu performed by Sissel Kyrkjebø

    Exquisite! Perfect, clear, heart song. Incredible voice and presentation… wow! Brings tears. A beautiful, compassionate plea to Jesus to end suffering in the world.

    Sissel Kyrkjebø, Song: Pie Jesu, Album: My Heart (2004),  Label: Decca. The video is from her PBS concert ‘All Good Things’ available on DVD. Official website: www.sissel.net.

    Pie Jesu as written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Latin):

    °Pie Jesu
    °Qui tollis peccata mundi   
    °Dona eis requiem

    Agnus dei
    Qui tollis peccata mundi
    Dona eis requiem
    Sempiternam

    English translation:

    Kind Jesus
    You, who takes away the sins of the world,
    Grant them rest.

    Lamb of God
    You, who takes away the sins of the world,
    Grant them rest.
    Eternal.

    Sissel Kyrkjebø (known as Sissel) born June 24, 1969 in Bergen, Norway is a soprano. She is best known for singing the Olympic Hymn at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Norway. Sissel is one of the world’s top crossover sopranos who sings pop, folk, classical and operatic arias. Sissel on Facebook.

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Længe Siden – Sorten Muld

    “Længe Siden’ by Sorten Muld

    Beautiful, body moving, earthy, sexy. Deep in the woods, dancing with the fey… enchanted. Thanks Sorten Muld for the journey… melding past and present. Wonderful!

    Sorten Muld, Song: Længe Siden, Album: III (2000), Label: NorthSide, Website: www.sortenmuld.dk

    ‘Længe Siden’ ‘Long Ago’  lyrics:

    Mild mild sommervind
    lærker i dit hår
    hvor er det længe længe siden
    Men snart er rejsen endebragt
    snart vender du hjem
    til mild mild sommervind alle dage

    English translation…

    Soft soft summer breeze
    Larks hiding in your hair
    Its such a long long time ago now
    But soon the journey is brought to its end
    Soon you will return
    to soft soft summer breeze all days to come

    Sorten Muld ‘Black Earth’ a Danish electro-folk band, formed in 1995. Band members are: singer Ulla Bendixsen, musician-architect Martin Ottesen and technician Henrik Munch. Their first major release in Denmark was Mark II which went gold and won 2 Danish Grammy awards.

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Kala – Yann Tiersen

    Kala performed by Yann Tiersen, vocals by Liz Fraser

    Lovely, light filled and sweet. Takes you on a journey without end, to places and places and places. Flowing, moving. Feels like the journey of the Soul through lifetimes… ever growing, ever experiencing. Just beautiful, thanks Yann and Liz for the moving journey.

    Yann Tiersen, Song Kala, Album: Les Retrouvailles (2005), Label: Virgin. Les Retrouvailles includes a DVD with a short film: “La Traversée” directed by Aurélie du Boys. Website: www.yanntiersen.com. I was unable to find the lyrics to Kala.

    Yann Tiersen (Guillaume Yann Tiersen) born June 23, 1970 in Brittany, France is an internationally known musician and composer. He is best known for composing the score to Amélie a movie directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He most often creatively performs utilizing the piano, violin and accordion but also plays the guitar, melodica, xylophone, toy piano, ondes martenot, harpsichord, typewriter and more.

    Elizabeth Fraser (Elizabeth Davidson Fraser) born August 29, 1963 in Grangemouth, Scotland is best known as the lead singer for Cocteau Twins’. She has also collaborated with numerous artists including Felt, Dif Juz, Orbital, Ian McCulloch and others. Her website is www.elizabethfraser.com is currently under construction.

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Alien World?

    Ice Halo in Sweden ©2009 Ivar Marthinusen

    ‘Alien World?’ photo by Ivar Marthinusen

    ‘Alien World?’ is my name for this magnificent photograph . This strangely beautiful flat alien landscape looks like a lake of steaming gas which tumbles into a misty void with rainbow columns and a second sun. Is this a planet near Betelgeuse? Maybe it’s in a 2 dimensional universe somewhere other? Or perhaps this is Tolkien’s Middle Earth floating, hovering in between? What to you see?

    It’s actually on Earth. The photo was taken at a ski resort in Åre, Sweden by Ivar Marthinusen on Jan. 27, 2009. A view of the world from above atop a mountain… with sun, clouds, mist, snow, ice halo and a subsun. Thank you, thank you, thank you beloved Creator for this otherworldly, amazing, magnificent creation. WOW, I’m in awe!

    Space Weather featured one of Ivar’s photos on their home page February 1. The photo above was on a page with others taken on the same day. They say of the photos…

    “Skiing photographer Ivar Matheson did everything right on Jan. 27th when he took the picture above. “I was at the Ãre ski resort in Sweden. It was a sunny day and the air was filled with ice crystals. This gave rise to an impressive display of luminous sun halos, sundogs, sub-sundogs, subsuns, upper and lower sun pillars and tangent arcs.” The complete collection is a must-see.”

    ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

  • Simple Soul – Eddi Reader

    ‘Simple Soul’ sung by Eddi Reader

    Just lovely!  A song that talks about simplicity, living and loving simply and seeing the best in all. I really like the verse, ‘But it only takes a child to see, The diamonds in the coal.’ Seeing the beauty, wonder and value in everything… in each other. There is a Sanskrit word ‘Namaste‘ which in essence means ‘I recognize, honor and bow to you as Master/Soul’. At our core we are all Masters or diamonds… clear, beautiful and sparkling. We simply are, know, are connected to everything and are in the present moment. Imagine if everyone lived this… life from Soul or enlightenment. Sweet easy uncomplicated life, living fully with precious love, incredible awe, prosperity and peace.  Thanks for the reminder Eddi!

    Eddi Reader, Song: Simple Soul, Album:  Simple Soul (2001), Label: Compass Records. Website: www.eddireader.co.uk

    Lyrics to ‘Simple Soul’

    I’d lift my head with each sunrise
    If I had a simple soul
    When I was weary I’d close my eyes
    If I had a simple soul
    Not too complicated to shiver when I’m cold
    I’d make my home where I am bound
    If I had a simple soul, simple soul
    I say my prayers and hope to God
    And I know he will know
    I will break my daily bread
    When hunger starts to grow
    It doesn’t have to be that hard
    If it hurts you let it go
    What you see is what you are
    If you’ve got a simple soul, simple soul
    It might take an alchemist
    To turn your dust to gold
    But it only takes a child to see
    The diamonds in the coal
    It’s not so easy when a habit takes a hold
    I never knew it would be so hard
    To keep my simple soul, simple soul

    Eddi Reader was born Sadenia Edna Reader in Glasgow, Scotland August 28, 1959. Eddi is a singer/songwriter who worked with the band Fairground Attraction and now has a successful solo career.

    ~Bonnee