The last time I had a recital in Singapore was about 6 years ago! By the way, I am already back about 8 years from the US. That is more than the years I am away thus I can say I have already adjusted back to the Singapore way of living!

Anyway, imagine not being very involved in the performing arts scene, not attending concerts regularly then now I am going to perform in front of a public at the Esplanade again. Hmm. Yah. Eh. Kind of weird right. Well, it is a given opportunity and not everyone has such opportunity. I always thought that involving in recital was something my pastor dislike me doing until recently where I found out that maybe I have misunderstood him. So all these years I was not active at all in the performing arts scene. Hai. Actually, you have to meet the right people and right contacts and have right opportunities to have all these exposure to perform, etc.

Anyway, time is running out and I only have about 2 months to go!!! I am quite anxious about it. In fact, talking about the recital to anyone now just makes me nervous. Somehow, this is quite a different recital! It is a chamber recital. I am not playing solo. I will be playing with 3 other people in a group together. I don’t know if you know the history of piano is closely knitted with the development of the arts, architecture and culture. Anyone who wants to learn the piano has to learn classical music as that is how the instrument developed till today. In simple words, the technique of playing the piano can only be learnt from learning classical music as the masters of classical music are all classical musicians. If you are wondering why I say all these… my point to make here is I am going to perform some classical music by the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, well, to be exact, one of his piano quartet – an instrumental work that involves 4 instruments – the piano, violin, viola and the cello. And this is the first time I play with such a group, in such a group.

Imagine a singer singing with the piano accompanying. Now, you have 3 instruments going along with the piano. Oh no! First of all, I have no experience in this. Second of all, I have only 2 more months. Well, the good thing is I don’t have to play from memory (for your information, there is this famous pianist/composer called Liszt who started playing from memory and people followed him thereafter). I wonder if I can get someone to help me turn pages (a page turner – someone who turns the pages for the player… my hands will be busy playing the piano). Eeeks. Maybe there is… I need an advanced piano player who can follow scores well and not just any person who can read music roughly.

Well, have this flyer here just for publicity.

Sonic streams flyer

Supporters are welcome. Ha!

Click here to listen or right click to download the mp3.

This is a piano arrangement of the hymn “Room at the Cross for You 十架有地方”  arranged byRebecca Bonam, taken from the book “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning – Piano Solos for Intermediate Level Pianists by Rebecca Bonam”, published by SoundForth.

Lyrics as follows:

Room at the Cross for You

The cross upon which Jesus died

Is a shelter in which we can hide

And its grace so free is sufficient for me

And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea

Chorus:

There’s room at the cross for you

There’s room at the cross for you

Tho million have come There’s still room for one

Yes, there’s room at the cross for you

Tho millions have found Him a friend

And have turned from the sins they have sinned

The Savior still waits to open the gates

And welcome a sinner before it’s too late

The hand of my Savior is strong

And the love of my Savior is long

Through sunshine or rain Through loss or in gain

The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse ev’ry stain

十架有地方

耶稣舍命十字架上

成为我避难所可躲藏

又赐给我这丰富恩典

深深最过的泉 阔过大海洋

副歌:

十架有地方为你

十架有地方为你

虽万人已来 仍有位给你

在十架有地方为你

千万人已认主为友

他们已离弃一切罪尤

救主恩门仍然是大开

欢迎罪人悔改 不要再等待

我救主的膀臂坚强

我救主的爱高深宽长

无论得失无论阴或晴

加略山的宝血 能将罪洗净

Here’s a sung version of this hymn:

By God’s grace, God showed me a few things. Though I did not sleep early and did not prepare well for Sunday service, I was the one who open the door at church. I was not very early but I was the one who opened the door! I guessed this is the first time I opened the door on a Sunday. I thought I would be dead tired during Sunday service. By God’s grace, I was very attentive. In fact, by God’s help, I refrained from playing with my phone during service. I just wanted to have my heart and attention 100%.

In fact, today’s Sunday message is very important. After listening to the Immanuel message for so long, I realized that there are some important truths I have to come back to. It is not that I need to continue to fill my mind with different and fresh doctrines. It is the never-changing truths that I always need to come back to. I remembered it was like the first 3 years when I was back in Singapore from US being the most significant. At last, I was able to attend church meetings regularly in quantities each week and it was my goal more than to do well in music. However, I sort of became “lose”. Have I lost my passion somehow? What kind of passion have I lost? Maybe the only thing I have to hold on to, I have not been holding on to it tightly. It might be that I am looking upon the promises of God, the covenant with God with less and less importance. I have allowed colorful things that pass by my life take my attention away.

Want to pen down my thoughts on a recent event:

Recently, something “big” happened at my M school where I teach. It is a Christian school. A senior administer officer resigned from the school. I sensed that there are some complicated things involved. It was not just a simple resignation. She left and her responsibilities were passed on to another staff with immediate effect. Thus, that night, knowing that she left, I prayed for her that God would comfort her no matter what happened. Surely, she may be hurt. I know that in the past, she has done many mistakes and some very major ones. Somehow, she was able to get away with all those. I guessed there was some grace in a Christian school. I am not in a place to judge whether the resignation is the best solution.

The principal sent an email to all teachers to inform us of the officer’s resignation. What surprised me the day after was that the officer wrote an email back to everyone, including pastors and church leaders, to say in details of her forced resignation. I sensed that she was trying to backfire at the principal and some teachers at the school. The vice-principal has to send another email to calm down all teachers. I guessed some people replied that email and shared their thoughts and opinions about what she said.

The principal tried her best to lead the school. I believed when she said she prayed to want to find out what is the best for the school that was the result. I was quite disturbed by what the officer said in the email. I remembered that I have prayed for her. Yet, there were unpleasant things being mentioned. I have no idea who is in the right or wrong. I think in a Christian school, picking out the one in the wrong really hurts. Hmm. Or maybe a Christian school is not like a church. Somehow, after all these years in my church, I know that I myself have been given lots of grace by God through my brethren.

At the close of this event, I wonder what is going to happen next. I believe the parties involve themselves have to face God uprightly. How I wish I have the answers and have things to share to either parties. But maybe in my role, my prayers for the school, is the best thing I can do. That being said, it weighs down to whether I am standing upon God’s covenant to look at this event.

In the past, I used to pray and believe in my heart the places where God place me in at the 2 music schools where I go are the places God will teach my all I need to learn. I pray to meet and bless people there. Somehow, I don’t know if that heart is still there. I guess it is but maybe it is not that important to me. But I also wonder what is important to me.

I have to drag my feet to L school. I just go teach at M school and don’t think that much about other things. Hmm. The dream of having my own music school? Hmm. Not moving an inch closer to that at all.

Eeks. Need to come back to build my life upon the promises of God.

Click here to listen or right click to download the mp3.

This is a piano arrangement of the hymn “Come, Ye Disconsolate 给愁烦人”  arranged by Clarence Kohlmann, taken from the book “Concert Transcriptions of Favorite Hymns for Piano by Clarence Kohlmann”, published by Theodore Presser Company.

Lyrics as follows:

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,

Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.

Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,

Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!

Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,

“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot cure.”

Here see the Bread of Life, see waters flowing

Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.

Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing

Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.

给愁烦人

忧愁烦闷的人，吞声而饮泣，快到施恩座前，虔诚屈膝；

呈示创伤的心，细诉你悲哀；世上的忧愁，天上都能解。

南针指示迷路，欢欣慰无告，痛悔者获盼望，圣洁辉耀，

请听保惠恩师，温柔的说道：「世上的忧愁，天上能治疗。」

请看生命的饼，看生命活泉，圣父宝座流下，甘美纯全；

快赴主爱盛筵，你应当深知，世上的忧愁，天上能消失。

Click here to listen or right click to download the mp3.

This is a piano arrangement of the hymn “Be Thou My Vision 成为我异象”  arranged by Rebecca Bonam, taken from the book “Be Thou My Vision – Early Advanced Piano Solos by Rebecca Bonam”, published by SoundForth.

Lyrics as follows:

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

成为我异象

求我心中王，成为我异象，我别无爱慕，唯主我景仰；

充满我思想，我心响往，睡著或睡醒，慈容是我光。

成为我智慧，成为我箴言，我愿常跟随，你在我身边；

你是我圣父，我是你子，你常居我心，我与你合一。

我不求虚名，也不求富有，你是我基业，从今到永久；

惟你在我心，永远居首，天上大君王，你是我万有。

天上大君王，光明的太阳，容我享天乐，我已打胜仗；

我心属你心，永无变更，万有的主宰，成为我异象。

Hymn Presentation at the Singapore Life Church and Missions on January 1, 2012.

This hymn was chosen to suit the occasion as to start a new year and also to bless our 2 brethren who went through their glorious baptism today.

Sorry that the video recording failed as the batteries died halfway through the recording (I assumed that the batteries were working. I forgot to put batteries at home and just took any 2 at church, who knows they do not last the length of even the short recording). And I agree with my brother who happened to send me an sms now telling me that unexpected things happened because it is important today and so we can learn better tomorrow.

Blessed year 2012 to everyone!

I think I am an extreme case in keeping things from the past. You will be shocked to realize that I have once kept things like bus tickets, concert tickets, movie tickets, every bits and pieces of notes or letters written for me, candy wrappers, pencil lead cases, concert programs, music lessons receipts, receipts of everything I spent, match boxes from the past that are colorful with different company names written on them, country stamps, Singapore stamps, Sunday service bulletin, past church camps booklet (even from more than 10 years ago), diary from primary school days, all kinds o f music scores, primary/secondary school T-shirts with special names printed, cassette tapes from the old days (even recordings of my childhood years), CDs of bulk of documents, etc. etc. I cannot finish the list. Whatever you can think of that records things and makes you remember about your past, you name it, I had them, or I have kept them.

This spring cleaning is a different one. In the past, I was not willing to part with many of the things listed above. This time, somehow, I was in the mood to throw things away. I realized that many of the things don’t have anymore meaning. So what if I keep and keep? I end up one day to have to part with them. Indeed, memories are not kept by keeping things. I think the main purpose of memories is to link them to how God has used my past to make me become the person I am today.

You will not be surprised that I have kept all the printed stuff for all prayer meetings, discipleship training, small shepherding group notes, Sunday service bulletin, Sunday service transcripts, etc. from the time I came back to Singapore, year 2004 till date. I started to want to scan them and keep a soft copy of them (just for keeping purpose) but the more I scan, the more I see no purpose in doing so also. My spiritual growth is not related to how much spiritual documents I have kept or spiritual notes/transcripts I have written. Even if I scanned and keep all of them, it does not mean at all that those important lessons and essence will stay close to my heart. I know that I have not done the important thing of practically confirming God’s Word in my life and formatting my life. Instead, I have just written and writing notes… just notes. They will only become useful when I truly just hold on to one or two words close to heart (like a sister shared) then to truly experience God’s genuine promises then.

In the end, I have ended up throwing away both many documents, both from my school life and from my church life. Somehow, I feel that I have 2 separate lives. I want to start new in year 2012. I don’t want to keep any more things that have no purpose in truly building up my life. Yesterday, I took some of my stuff and gave away to my brethren in church. Somehow, I felt happy that people are taking my stuff. I hope they will take them and put them to good use as I have not put them to good use in the past. I have been given so much in the past (many people give me things and I just end up keeping them).

I “blamed” my mother that she did not teach me how to throw away things when I was young. Her habit was to keep the good things. So I kept my primary school notes, text books and stuff. They were only thrown away about 5 years ago when I moved house. Again, don’t be surprised about that. Yes, I think I don’t like to depart with my past. I want them all fresh and always remembered but I guess it is not in line with what the Bible says about forgetting the past and striving forward:

<Philippians 3:12-14>

12 Not that I have already obtained all this (righteousness through faith in Christ), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

In 1998, when I went to the USA for studies, I went with just 2 luggage. When I return home to Singapore in 2004, I have to ship back over 20 boxes of stuff. You will always meet many new things you like to keep in your life. In the end, one day, I have to part with them. Only then, can I go into a new timetable and stop savoring over the past.

I guess I have to start a simple life from year 2012 onwards. If I want to keep things, they all have to be electronic form – put in the computer in terms of documents of photos and not physical. Hopefully, one day I will see no purpose totally in keeping many things and even stop and restrict what I keep in electronic form also. I do need healing in this area.

Let’s go into the new year, putting the past aside and anticipate the greater works of God in 2012. Wishing every a blessed time reflecting your past year, counting the blessings of God and a closer walk with God in 2012.

唯有耶稣／祢是配得

唯有耶稣

Verse:

耶稣祢能使瞎眼看见，耶稣祢能医治伤心人;

耶稣祢有权柄释放，叫不可能变为可能。

Chorus：

唯有耶稣掌管天地万有，唯有耶稣能使水变成酒。

叫狂风巨浪平息，大能赦罪行神迹，耶稣无人与祢相比。

Verse, Chorus, Chorus

Bridge:

唯有耶稣掌管天地，无人与祢相比。

Chorus

祢是配得

Chorus 1:

祢是配得，配得，配得尊崇和赞美。

祢是配得，配得，万物敬拜祢。

Chorus 2:

祢是圣洁，圣洁，圣洁荣光在全地，

祢是圣洁，圣洁，以圣洁装饰敬拜祢。

Bridge:

愿尊贵、荣耀、权柄和能力，都归全能神；

愿各族、各方、万国和万邦，敬拜神羔羊。

Chorus 1

Verse:

圣哉圣哉全地唱，昔在今在以后永在，

圣哉圣哉全能神，永远在宝座上，

永远在宝座上，永远在宝座上。

This is video of Sunday School Christmas Presentation that I took with my Zoom Q3HD gadget.

This is the first time the children put up a short play of the nativity scene. I think the teachers have worked hard to practice with the children. I still remember one of the Sunday School presentation vividly when I was in Sunday School myself when I was young. I am sure these kids will remember this presentation as they grow up. Hope the contents and glory of Christ birth will always remain as an impression upon their hearts.

Click here to listen or right click to download the mp3.

This is a piano arrangement of the hymn “Three Carols 三首圣诞诗歌” that consists of 3 hymns combined, “Joy to the World 普世欢腾”, “Good Christian Men, Rejoice 信徒欢唱” and “We Three Kings 朝拜新生王” arranged by Carol Tornquist, taken from the book “The Best of Carol Tornquist – A Collection of Favorties”, published by Benson Music.

Lyrics as follows:

Three Carols

Joy to the World

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice

Good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul, and voice;

Give ye heed to what we say: News! News! Jesus Christ is born today;

Ox and ass before Him bow; and He is in the manger now;

Christ is born today! Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;

Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this!

He has opened the heavenly door, and man is blest forevermore;

Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;

Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save!

Calls you one and calls you all, to gain His everlasting hall;

Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!

We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are; Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star. 

Refrain

O star of wonder, star of light, Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain Gold I bring to crown Him again,

King forever, ceasing never, Over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I; Incense owns a Deity nigh;

Prayer and praising, voices raising, Worshipping God on high.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Glorious now behold Him arise; King and God and sacrifice;

Alleluia, Alleluia, Sounds through the earth and skies.

三首圣诞诗歌

普世欢腾

普世欢腾，救主降临！全地接祂为王；

万心为主预备地方，宇宙万物歌唱，

宇宙万物歌唱，宇宙，宇宙万物歌唱。

大地欢腾，主治万方！万民高声颂扬；

田野，江河，平原，山岗，响应歌声嘹亮，

响应歌声嘹亮，响应，响应歌声嘹亮。

世上一切罪恶忧伤，从此不再生长；

普世咒诅变为恩典，主爱泽及四方，

主爱泽及四方，主爱，主爱泽及四方。

主以真理，恩治万方，要在万国民中，

彰显上主公义荣光，主爱奇妙丰盛，

主爱奇妙丰盛，主爱，主爱奇妙丰盛。

信徒欢唱

宗主信徒欢唱，以心以灵以声，请聆听我们信息：救主基督今降生。

人畜皆同来敬拜，欢迎马槽中小圣婴，基督今降生，基督今降生。

宗主信徒欢唱，以心以灵以声，真神广赐无穷爱，基督正为此降生。

祂将天上恩门开，世人蒙福神爱丰宠。主为此而生，主为此而生。

宗主信徒欢唱，以心以灵以声，不复怕阴间权势，主甘为救世而生。

听祂慈声召万民，来享永福同进天城，为救世而生，为救世而生。

朝拜新生王

博士三人来自东方，携带礼物献新生王，

跟随景星在前引领，跋涉河流山岗。

副歌：

啊！奇妙明星放光芒，闪烁灿烂真煇煌，

一直照亮，引向西方，领我们就主真光。

新王诞生伯利恒城，我携黄金恭敬献呈，

祂掌王权统治万邦，直至永世无疆。

谨将乳香欢然献陈，临格君王配受此香，

但愿万民祷告颂讚，崇拜至高君王。

献上没药苦味至浓，表示我主将受伤痛，

忧愁叹息流泪死亡，被葬孤寂墓中。

基督复活荣耀辉煌，被杀羔羊救主我王，

哈利路亚，哈利路亚，声震天地四方。