March 11, 2007

• The Still-Shadow Chapel

  I had a CD with the title Celebrated Love Songs of Prewar Vietnam, volume 2, or T́nh Ca Tiền Chiến Việt Nam.  There are many beautiful songs I have heard many times.  However, there is a song I just listen to for the first time.  The music is similar to Opera Music.  Most of you probably do not like this type of music because it sounds sad.  Simply it was like the way Vietphi10 often commented, “this kind of music makes me fall asleep.”

   

  Perhaps, because I am old or outdated, I listen to it again and again, and I just feel drawn into the music, the singer voice, and the lyrics.  Who is the singer?  Nga Mi.  Her voice is ample, and well trained in voice projection.  She could reach high notes and low notes in three octaves just like Thái Thanh in the younger days.  Most Vietnamese singers did not go through the voice training.  Who is the song author?  Nguyễn Thiện Tơ.  A quick search I realized that my knowledge of music is very shallow and that was why I did not know this song.  Nguyễn Thiện Tơ is a famous songwriter with many songs.

   

  In 1938, when he was 17 year old, he liked a young Catholic woman whose name was Hà Tiên.  He did not share her religion and because of that their relationship was not approved by both families.  On the same year, he wrote the song Giáo Đường Im Bóng – The still-shadowed chapel.  Although I had the CD for awhile, I did not realize that inside the cover, there was a booklet.  All the songs were translated into English by Bach Trinh. 

   

  Nhớ tới đêm đầy ánh sáng Hương trong gió tràn mênh mang Giây phút như ngừng thôi rơi Tiếng kinh muôn lời Dáng xinh xinh bao tiên kiều quỳ ngân Thánh kinh ban chiều Trong giáo đường đêm Noel ấy ngàn đời tôi mến yêu

  Remember that glorious night Fragrance of the wind prevailed Year, month seemed to tarry Praying sounds of eternity How lovely, those fairy forms Knelt in late-day’s devotion In the chapel that Noel night For a thousand year I admire

  
  

  • 5:20 pm
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