Here today I will be listing out what I believe to be some of the most dramatic/epic/awesome pieces of movie music literature to date. The criterion for it to be ranked is that it must, first off, bring to life the imagination. A piece of movie/television music if played alone (of course we aren't talking about intermittent music here) should bring the imagination to life, it should force us to relive the moments of our favorite characters greatest pains or triumphs. It should stand alone. A great piece of movie music should stand alone in our minds as not only being a great companion to the movie, but something we can hear and know its value as a simple work of art.
The music below is taken from not only movies, but also television shows that have simply fantastic music put to them. Each is written by an astoundingly talented composer who deserves our gratitude for giving us such a piece of art.
Here we go, the 10 most dramatic and awesome works of movie/television music are:
(Rank. Title - Composer, Movie/Show.)
1. Vale Decem - Murray Gold, Doctor Who Series 4 Finale
2. Time - Hans Zimmer, Inception
3. The Epilogue/Leaving Hogwarts - John Williams/Alexandre Desplat, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
4. The Road Goes Ever On - Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
5. Leia's Theme - John Williams, Star Wars IV A New Hope
6. Dumbledore's Farewell - Nicholas Hooper, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. This is Gallifrey, Our Home, Our Childhood - Murray Gold, Doctor Who
8. Labor of Love - Michael Giacchino, Star Trek
9. Peace - Jeremy Zuckerman, Avatar: The Last Airbender Series Finale
10. Let 'er Buck - James Newton, Hidalgo
Links
1. Vale Decem
2. Time
3. The Epilogue/Leaving Hogwarts
4. The Road Goes Ever On
5. Leia's Theme
6. Dumbledore's Farewell
7. This is Gallifrey, Our Home, Our Childhood
8. Labor of Love
9. Peace
10. Let 'er Buck
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Church as the Body of Christ.
Traditionally in western, protestant Christian society we usually think of the church as the body of Christ, am I correct? Saying this, what happens when the church, the body of Christ, fulfill the calling? What happens when the church, the body of Christ, bickers among themselves for power? What happens when trivial issues move people from the purpose of the church, the body of Christ?
Anatomically, when part of our body no longer serves the purpose it is intended to serve, we can consider ourselves disabled, even if it is only slightly so. If not, for the purpose of this argument we can. When a part of our literal, physical bodies do not work, we suffer (if only slightly) in our daily life from it. If we lose a toe, our balance suffers, if we lose a sense, any number of things can happen, if we lose a finger, we struggle to find new ways to hold things we thought easy. We couldn't even comprehend the loss of an entire limb....You understand my point however, that if a working part of our body suddenly stops working or disappears, it throws off the entire body.
Now, I want you to apply everything you've just read about our physical bodies to the church, the working body of Christ. Let's start small first: a single church, say an Evangelical church who prides themselves on putting the congregation as the head of leadership, having a board only to organize everything for the congregation. If the board loses touch with why they are there and want power, then the congregation becomes frustrated because their rights are being violated. Soon a war has begun. It has become disabled because the leadership does things behind the back of the congregation, and won't give the power back to the congregation. The church now suffers and cannot function as a part of the body because it's purpose is clouded by the trivial arguments.
The sign of a flourishing body is its growth and learning capabilities, grouped into this category is the churches youth group if there is one, so this is what I will speak on. The ultimate purpose of a youth group is to nurture children of Christ so that they may go out into the world and fulfill their God given purpose in the world with His grace and will. An eventual effect of this is that the kids, while attending the church feed back into the church, spreading Gods energy and youth throughout the church. A flourishing youth group is a sign of a flourishing church. A flourishing youth group can breathe life into even the most stagnating church. If the children of Christ are ready to go out and do his work, they can energize the body and help the church group. Our youth are our future and our present. They will grow up to do great things, but only if we focus on them now and build them into humble servants of Christ.
Thank you to those of you who made it through this post for listening to my rant. I just really wish to emphasize the importance of building our generations youth and helping them to become healthy servants of Christ.
Anatomically, when part of our body no longer serves the purpose it is intended to serve, we can consider ourselves disabled, even if it is only slightly so. If not, for the purpose of this argument we can. When a part of our literal, physical bodies do not work, we suffer (if only slightly) in our daily life from it. If we lose a toe, our balance suffers, if we lose a sense, any number of things can happen, if we lose a finger, we struggle to find new ways to hold things we thought easy. We couldn't even comprehend the loss of an entire limb....You understand my point however, that if a working part of our body suddenly stops working or disappears, it throws off the entire body.
Now, I want you to apply everything you've just read about our physical bodies to the church, the working body of Christ. Let's start small first: a single church, say an Evangelical church who prides themselves on putting the congregation as the head of leadership, having a board only to organize everything for the congregation. If the board loses touch with why they are there and want power, then the congregation becomes frustrated because their rights are being violated. Soon a war has begun. It has become disabled because the leadership does things behind the back of the congregation, and won't give the power back to the congregation. The church now suffers and cannot function as a part of the body because it's purpose is clouded by the trivial arguments.
The sign of a flourishing body is its growth and learning capabilities, grouped into this category is the churches youth group if there is one, so this is what I will speak on. The ultimate purpose of a youth group is to nurture children of Christ so that they may go out into the world and fulfill their God given purpose in the world with His grace and will. An eventual effect of this is that the kids, while attending the church feed back into the church, spreading Gods energy and youth throughout the church. A flourishing youth group is a sign of a flourishing church. A flourishing youth group can breathe life into even the most stagnating church. If the children of Christ are ready to go out and do his work, they can energize the body and help the church group. Our youth are our future and our present. They will grow up to do great things, but only if we focus on them now and build them into humble servants of Christ.
Thank you to those of you who made it through this post for listening to my rant. I just really wish to emphasize the importance of building our generations youth and helping them to become healthy servants of Christ.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Story Within The Music...
I have always loved the themes and scores that accompany the adventures our favorite characters act out on screen. Being a lover of all things music, and having humble beginnings in classical music, movie/television show scores are just the next step. They are classical music with a plot. They are some of my favorites not only because some of them are simply fantastically written pieces of musical literature that could hold their own in the classical world as being amazing works of art (even without their visual counterparts), but because they conjure up the images of the stories you've come to love.
Move scores invoke the imagination, taking you along on those journey's that your favorite characters once lived themselves. They have a way of grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and pulling you in, forcing you to relive the worries and whiles again as you once did the very first time you watched that show or movie.
What I hope to show you now is one of the more imagination invoking works of art I have probably ever heard. The pure emotion the music expresses portrays naught but what is intended; that of grief at a characters untimely departure, yet happiness lived in new beginnings. I beg of you to forgive my expressed emotion in this post for only a piece of a tv show score, but trust me, there is a method to my madness. Below you will find the link to Doctor Who at The Proms 2010 where they play "This is Gallifrey, Our Home, Our Childhood" (The Doctors and The Masters themes as they reflect on Gallifrey) and "Vale Decem" (the theme that haunts us as we watch the 10th Doctors final moments on screen). Please watch, I pray you find the same haunting joy as I do.
So, without further adieu,
Alons-y! and GERONIMO!
Doctor Who at The Proms 2010
Move scores invoke the imagination, taking you along on those journey's that your favorite characters once lived themselves. They have a way of grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and pulling you in, forcing you to relive the worries and whiles again as you once did the very first time you watched that show or movie.
What I hope to show you now is one of the more imagination invoking works of art I have probably ever heard. The pure emotion the music expresses portrays naught but what is intended; that of grief at a characters untimely departure, yet happiness lived in new beginnings. I beg of you to forgive my expressed emotion in this post for only a piece of a tv show score, but trust me, there is a method to my madness. Below you will find the link to Doctor Who at The Proms 2010 where they play "This is Gallifrey, Our Home, Our Childhood" (The Doctors and The Masters themes as they reflect on Gallifrey) and "Vale Decem" (the theme that haunts us as we watch the 10th Doctors final moments on screen). Please watch, I pray you find the same haunting joy as I do.
So, without further adieu,
Alons-y! and GERONIMO!
Doctor Who at The Proms 2010
Thursday, April 11, 2013
I'm Worn...
"Let me see redemption win,
let me know the struggle ends.
That You can mend a heart
that's frail and torn.
I wanna know a song can rise
from the ashes of a broken life,
and all that's dead inside
can be reborn.
'Cause I'm worn..."
I open with the chorus from Tenth Avenue North's single from The Struggle because it is my plea to God every day I breathe. As a college student now, and an adult, my life has suddenly become much more difficult. Myself, as well as many of my friends around me face now struggles that we've never faced before. In this time of hardship it is very easy to sit back and become frustrated with the cards God has dealt us, relying on Him less and less every day. To be very, very honest, I am worn. I am worn by school. I am worn by relationships and the stress of empathy and sympathy as I worry about my loved ones around me. I am worn physically as I face long days with the outlook for shorter days being a bleak horizon. However, I keep going. Not always by the graces of God though.
Lately I have found myself relying less and less on God. Even though my days fill evermore with the stress of being a student and forward thoughts about how to pay for next semesters schooling, I forget about my Savior. I am worn.
"Let me see redemption win,
let me know the struggle ends..."
Every day the sins build and I feel the weight of the world as it crushes down upon every person, the stress building until we break one-by-one. But God doesn't want this to happen. He died upon the cross to take our sin upon His own shoulders. He loves each and every one of us so deeply that He was willing to lay down His life so that we may live ours.
"...You can mend a heart
that's frail and torn."
God, You can mend my heart. No matter how much I yearn for worldly things. No matter how much heart ache I bare, You heal me. My heart I lay before You, frail and torn, broken and beaten, kicked and trodden upon by those I barely knew and those I loved. Jesus, You lift me when I've fallen.
"I wanna know a song can rise
from the ashes of a broken life."
Reborn in You, my sinful life burns. You pluck me out of the ashes, a whimpering baby, and you grow me and You grow within me. Jesus, let me know a song can rise from my lungs to You. Even though my words are tainted with the sin of this world, even though I am scarred by harsh words, let me know a song can rise from my heart to You, Lord.
"...all that's dead inside
can be reborn."
Without You, Lord, I am dead. Without You I am nothing. With You I am made new in Your creation.
"'Cause I'm worn..."
God, I am worn...We, Your creation, are worn down by this world around us. We are hearts trodden upon by the feet of men. We are lives taken by the hands of people who don't know you. With all I have I raise my hands and my heart to You in humble adoration. I am nothing but a servant. I am worn, but You breathe into me new life. I am worn, but You pick me up. I am worn, but You hold me complete. Jesus, I am worn, but You heal me.
Amen
Thursday, April 4, 2013
An Ode to Gerald Lewis
For those you here who don't know me personally, Gerald Lewis was my uncle. He passed away around 4 years ago, back when I was...a more selfish person and didn't realize how much of an impact my uncle had made upon my life. So, when I was required to write a ceremonial speech for Public Speaking it became an obvious choice. I hope to honor the man who influenced my life so greatly here because I didn't when I had the chance...
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." -- William Shakespeare
This quote resonates with me today as I think about Gerald Lewis, or Gerry, as we called him, for you see, Gerald Lewis was a great man.
Greatness comes in many forms. Some people are just born great, some achieve greatness through hard work and dedication, and still more simply have greatness thrust upon them whether they wish it or not. I think, though, that there are those few people given greatness by God. You see, though Gerry never had high ambitions for his career, being a humble truck driver, this did not stop him. Gerald Lewis did whatever he could to make his family happy. Family being the most important thing to him. When home he would do whatever tasks my single mother couldn't, he would even send us funds when money at home was short. He was a man you could count on, a man of few yet powerful words. His words would later teach me some of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
It takes a good man to remain faithful, but it takes a great man to remain faithful through pain and misery. Gerry was a man not unaccustomed to pain. Not long after he healed from his shoulder injury, he was given yet more bad news. Gerry had been diagnosed with cancer of the trachea.
It was these few months that Gerald Lewis would teach me the most important lessons I have ever learned.
A sign of greatness is not just to teach others to be great, but to persevere even if they do not want to learn. At the time I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. It was a good year in my life. I had it all figured out. No more struggles. I was just gonna coast on, become a famous musician, and...well, happily ever after. But Gerry knew otherwise. At the time I wasn't the easiest person to be around. I was a cocky jerk at school and at home I was an arrogant...(enter derogatory term here)...but he continued to teach me, even if I tried to ignore him. Even if he didn't realize it.
Even if he didn't realize it, Gerry taught me through everything he did. Love your family. Gerry had given everything he had to his family; his whole life. Love your God. Shortly before Gerry's death he began attending a church near our home in Lakebay, Washington: Lakebay Community Church. A couple of his friends around the area had been going there and Gerry decided to join. In these short months I would watch him delve deeper and deeper into a faith I hardly knew existed. At the time I thought it ridiculous. Why have faith and serve a God we cannot see? There are much more pressing things. But now...now I see him as an inspiration. Gerald Lewis grew in his faith through this last and hardest trial. This was possibly the most important lesson he could teach me. No matter the circumstance, no matter how difficult the trial, no matter how hard the world weighs upon your shoulders, always trust in God. I never saw Gerry as happy and at peace as he was in the months leading to his death. It takes a great man to be at peace with death on the horizon.
Gerald Lewis passed away October 20th, 2009. The night before his death he looked at my grandma and said, "I'm leaving tomorrow." Though she thought he meant the hospital, I believe he knew. I know it sounds farfetched, but I believe God told him when he was going to pass and how much time he had left so he might teach those of us close to him these crucial lessons.
A man of many lessons, Gerald Lewis was not always the most talkative person, but his words held special meaning to those around him. A father figure to myself and a friend and family-man to everyone else, he will always and forever be one of the greatest men I have met in my life.
Thank you.
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." -- William Shakespeare
This quote resonates with me today as I think about Gerald Lewis, or Gerry, as we called him, for you see, Gerald Lewis was a great man.
Greatness comes in many forms. Some people are just born great, some achieve greatness through hard work and dedication, and still more simply have greatness thrust upon them whether they wish it or not. I think, though, that there are those few people given greatness by God. You see, though Gerry never had high ambitions for his career, being a humble truck driver, this did not stop him. Gerald Lewis did whatever he could to make his family happy. Family being the most important thing to him. When home he would do whatever tasks my single mother couldn't, he would even send us funds when money at home was short. He was a man you could count on, a man of few yet powerful words. His words would later teach me some of the most important lessons I've ever learned.
It takes a good man to remain faithful, but it takes a great man to remain faithful through pain and misery. Gerry was a man not unaccustomed to pain. Not long after he healed from his shoulder injury, he was given yet more bad news. Gerry had been diagnosed with cancer of the trachea.
It was these few months that Gerald Lewis would teach me the most important lessons I have ever learned.
A sign of greatness is not just to teach others to be great, but to persevere even if they do not want to learn. At the time I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. It was a good year in my life. I had it all figured out. No more struggles. I was just gonna coast on, become a famous musician, and...well, happily ever after. But Gerry knew otherwise. At the time I wasn't the easiest person to be around. I was a cocky jerk at school and at home I was an arrogant...(enter derogatory term here)...but he continued to teach me, even if I tried to ignore him. Even if he didn't realize it.
Even if he didn't realize it, Gerry taught me through everything he did. Love your family. Gerry had given everything he had to his family; his whole life. Love your God. Shortly before Gerry's death he began attending a church near our home in Lakebay, Washington: Lakebay Community Church. A couple of his friends around the area had been going there and Gerry decided to join. In these short months I would watch him delve deeper and deeper into a faith I hardly knew existed. At the time I thought it ridiculous. Why have faith and serve a God we cannot see? There are much more pressing things. But now...now I see him as an inspiration. Gerald Lewis grew in his faith through this last and hardest trial. This was possibly the most important lesson he could teach me. No matter the circumstance, no matter how difficult the trial, no matter how hard the world weighs upon your shoulders, always trust in God. I never saw Gerry as happy and at peace as he was in the months leading to his death. It takes a great man to be at peace with death on the horizon.
Gerald Lewis passed away October 20th, 2009. The night before his death he looked at my grandma and said, "I'm leaving tomorrow." Though she thought he meant the hospital, I believe he knew. I know it sounds farfetched, but I believe God told him when he was going to pass and how much time he had left so he might teach those of us close to him these crucial lessons.
A man of many lessons, Gerald Lewis was not always the most talkative person, but his words held special meaning to those around him. A father figure to myself and a friend and family-man to everyone else, he will always and forever be one of the greatest men I have met in my life.
Thank you.
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