The Awakening

[songbird9]

My high school men's choir sang this during the concert I performed in, and it was about the most moving piece of music I'd ever heard. Unfortunately on recording seems to do it justice. It was the sounds even more than the words. The whispered "silence" and the slow crescendo as the "awake, awake" part starts was perfect, and all with the reverberating echo of the auditorium.

I can't find any version on youtube that really sounds the way I like it. I'll have to upload the one from my school, though I don't know if the quality of the file's very good.

EDIT: THERE. After much fussing with the internet (Putfile's not working for me) and with my mac's lousy moviemaker, I managed to set that up. Couldn't even get a still frame on there... but it doesn't really matter. Listen to the singing.


I dreamed a dream
a silent dream
of a land not far away
where no bird sang,
no steeples rang,
and teardrops fell like rain.

I dreamed a dream
a silent dream
I dreamed a dream of a land so filled with pride
that every song, both weak and strong,
withered and died.

I dreamed a dream...

No hallelujah, not one hosanna!
No song of love, no lullaby,
And no choir sang to change the world,
I dreamed a dream
No pipers played, no dancers twirled,
I dreamed a dream
a silent dream

Silence
Silence...

Awake, awake!
Awake, awake!
Soli deo gloria!
Awake! Awake!

Awake my soul and sing,
the time for praise has come,
The silence of the night has passed,
a new day has begun!
Let music never die in me,
forever let my spirit sing,
Wherever emptiness is found
let there be joy and glorious sound.
Let music never die in me,
forever let my spirit sing,
Let all our voices join as one
to praise the giver of the sun!
Awake, awake!
Let music live!