Today's DailyOM Offerings...
November 7, 2011
Libera
Libera
1999
Originally a boy's church choir at London's Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Libera have changed their names a few times changed and their members even more in the decades since they began touring and recording their contributions to the world of chorale nouveau. This is natural since the ages of the boys in the band range from six to 16-they can't really stay on once they get mired in the depths of puberty. The fixture for the group is Robert Prizeman, who fills the group's self-titled album with many of his own compositions and utilizes English translations of Latin mass lyrics (he also adapts the canons of Pachelbel and Tallis). The man knows his way around a synthesizer and sonically tweaks his lads' vocals until they shine through the mix with white light. Clearly, the man has few equals in summoning an almost preternatural beauty from prepubescent male vocal chords; these children seem lit from within by a cleansing, cold white fire.
"Salva Me" kicks things off with a whirling rushing bang. Latin litanies spiral up like coils of cold incense smoke from a swirling golden bowl. Trying to distinguish any one voice or note is nearly impossible as everything flows with the seamlessness of water over synthesizer rocks. "Sanctus"-one of Prizeman's most successful Pachalbel canon adaptations-introduces an adult-male accompaniment that acts as a grounding bass, and a haunting high note solo that can haunt unwary listeners for days afterward.
Prizeman is always careful not to dip too far in anyone direction, avoiding the stringency of straight-up mass but not abandoning the comforting cool of the monastery walls altogether. Latin is spoken here, or rather sung, and sung well, but not so well it makes you feel guilty for not understanding it. Its air of mystery is left intact. We follow the angels as far as the inner sanctum, and that's it, which is maybe for the best (unless you're ready to have your mortal foibles burnt away like moth wing's dust in the lantern). The albums' closer, Prizeman's version of "Lux Aeterna," seems to emanate from this position of relative safety in the dark and foreclosing night. Swirling oases of clarity within the mist are created for heartbreaking and melodic solo sections, which speak clearly to the heart of an eternal loneliness but are then subsumed within the group in the same way a warm and loving fountain pool reclaims its errant plume of water. The light is made all the more! gorgeous by its contrast with shadow. This Prizeman understands, this is Libera.
November 7, 2011
An Exercise in Fun
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A humorous outlook could put you in the mood for amusement today. You might feel inspired to spend quality time laughing and playing with friends, or you could feel a desire to improve your social life by meeting new people. If you allow this lighthearted mood to carry over into all of your activities, you can encourage a greater sense of meaning in even boring or mundane experiences. One good way to do this is by setting an intention to enjoy yourself as much as possible when you enter into a new setting today. Whether you are focusing on your work responsibilities, spending time with loved ones, or meeting new people, simply choose to make your activities fun and enjoyable, and watch your surroundings transform, as if by magic.
Consciously focusing on fun and enjoyment can intensify our pleasant experiences, while minimizing the negative or difficult. We often express lighthearted humor only while we engage in fun activities, but we can also learn to use humor to enhance any experience. By doing so, we take greater control over our mood at any given moment. Not only can this ease the discomfort of unpleasant experiences, it can also help us to create more enjoyment in our daily lives. Simply by applying the creative power of our thoughts and emotions moment to moment, we are able to make every day an exercise in creating more joy, fun, and laughter. Your humorous outlook can transform any experience in which you choose to apply it today.
November 7, 2011
The Time You Find
Simplifying Your Schedule
Simplifying your schedule and busyness of the day may be crucial to avoid burnout.
For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much. You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren’t doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities.
Determining where your priorities lie can be as easy as making two lists: one that outlines all those obligations that are vital to your wellbeing, such as work, meditation, and exercise, and another that describes everything you do that is not directly related to your wellbeing. Although there will likely be items in the latter list that excite your passion or bring you joy, you may discover that you devote a large portion of your time to unnecessary activities. To simplify your schedule, consider which of these unnecessary activities add little value to your life and edit them from your agenda. Remember that you may need to ask for help, say no firmly, or delegate responsibility in order to distance yourself from such encumbrances. However, as you divest yourself of non-vital obligations that cause you stress, serve no purpose, or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself, you will feel more energetic and enthusiastic about life in general.
If simplifying your schedule seems prohibitively difficult and you still feel pressed to take on more, try imagining how each new commitment will impact your life before saying yes. When you consider the hassle associated with superfluous obligations, you may be surprised to see that your schedule is impeding your attempts to grow as an individual. Your willingness to pare down your agenda, no matter how gradual your progress, will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.
Libera
Libera
1999
Originally a boy's church choir at London's Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Libera have changed their names a few times changed and their members even more in the decades since they began touring and recording their contributions to the world of chorale nouveau. This is natural since the ages of the boys in the band range from six to 16-they can't really stay on once they get mired in the depths of puberty. The fixture for the group is Robert Prizeman, who fills the group's self-titled album with many of his own compositions and utilizes English translations of Latin mass lyrics (he also adapts the canons of Pachelbel and Tallis). The man knows his way around a synthesizer and sonically tweaks his lads' vocals until they shine through the mix with white light. Clearly, the man has few equals in summoning an almost preternatural beauty from prepubescent male vocal chords; these children seem lit from within by a cleansing, cold white fire.
"Salva Me" kicks things off with a whirling rushing bang. Latin litanies spiral up like coils of cold incense smoke from a swirling golden bowl. Trying to distinguish any one voice or note is nearly impossible as everything flows with the seamlessness of water over synthesizer rocks. "Sanctus"-one of Prizeman's most successful Pachalbel canon adaptations-introduces an adult-male accompaniment that acts as a grounding bass, and a haunting high note solo that can haunt unwary listeners for days afterward.
Prizeman is always careful not to dip too far in anyone direction, avoiding the stringency of straight-up mass but not abandoning the comforting cool of the monastery walls altogether. Latin is spoken here, or rather sung, and sung well, but not so well it makes you feel guilty for not understanding it. Its air of mystery is left intact. We follow the angels as far as the inner sanctum, and that's it, which is maybe for the best (unless you're ready to have your mortal foibles burnt away like moth wing's dust in the lantern). The albums' closer, Prizeman's version of "Lux Aeterna," seems to emanate from this position of relative safety in the dark and foreclosing night. Swirling oases of clarity within the mist are created for heartbreaking and melodic solo sections, which speak clearly to the heart of an eternal loneliness but are then subsumed within the group in the same way a warm and loving fountain pool reclaims its errant plume of water. The light is made all the more! gorgeous by its contrast with shadow. This Prizeman understands, this is Libera.
November 7, 2011
An Exercise in Fun
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A humorous outlook could put you in the mood for amusement today. You might feel inspired to spend quality time laughing and playing with friends, or you could feel a desire to improve your social life by meeting new people. If you allow this lighthearted mood to carry over into all of your activities, you can encourage a greater sense of meaning in even boring or mundane experiences. One good way to do this is by setting an intention to enjoy yourself as much as possible when you enter into a new setting today. Whether you are focusing on your work responsibilities, spending time with loved ones, or meeting new people, simply choose to make your activities fun and enjoyable, and watch your surroundings transform, as if by magic.
Consciously focusing on fun and enjoyment can intensify our pleasant experiences, while minimizing the negative or difficult. We often express lighthearted humor only while we engage in fun activities, but we can also learn to use humor to enhance any experience. By doing so, we take greater control over our mood at any given moment. Not only can this ease the discomfort of unpleasant experiences, it can also help us to create more enjoyment in our daily lives. Simply by applying the creative power of our thoughts and emotions moment to moment, we are able to make every day an exercise in creating more joy, fun, and laughter. Your humorous outlook can transform any experience in which you choose to apply it today.
November 7, 2011
The Time You Find
Simplifying Your Schedule
Simplifying your schedule and busyness of the day may be crucial to avoid burnout.
For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much. You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren’t doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities.
Determining where your priorities lie can be as easy as making two lists: one that outlines all those obligations that are vital to your wellbeing, such as work, meditation, and exercise, and another that describes everything you do that is not directly related to your wellbeing. Although there will likely be items in the latter list that excite your passion or bring you joy, you may discover that you devote a large portion of your time to unnecessary activities. To simplify your schedule, consider which of these unnecessary activities add little value to your life and edit them from your agenda. Remember that you may need to ask for help, say no firmly, or delegate responsibility in order to distance yourself from such encumbrances. However, as you divest yourself of non-vital obligations that cause you stress, serve no purpose, or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself, you will feel more energetic and enthusiastic about life in general.
If simplifying your schedule seems prohibitively difficult and you still feel pressed to take on more, try imagining how each new commitment will impact your life before saying yes. When you consider the hassle associated with superfluous obligations, you may be surprised to see that your schedule is impeding your attempts to grow as an individual. Your willingness to pare down your agenda, no matter how gradual your progress, will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.