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[flameaurasphere]

Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1304

Do you wonder about me like how I wonder about you?

#dear diary #diary #heartbreak #journal #breakup #break up #love #singapore

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1304

Happy Birthday, Sean. You're turning 25 on the 25th of March.

#dear diary #diary #journal #breakup #break up #heartbreak #love #happy birthday #happy bday #hpb #singapore

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1279

Bad was the blood of the song in the cab On your first trip to LA You ate at my favorite spot for dinner Bold was the waitress on our three year trip Getting lunch down by the lakes She said I looked like an American singer

Time, mystical time Cuttin' me open, then healin' me fine Were there clues I didn't see? And isn't it just so pretty to think All along there was some Invisible string Tying you to me?

A string that pulled me Out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons One single thread of gold tied me to you

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartbreak #breakup #break up #song #music #invisible string #taylor swift #foklore #TS #love

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"Miserere mei, Deus” by Gregorio Allegri

Gregorio Allegri (c. 1582-1652) was a late Renaissance composer, best remembered for his ‘Miserere’ for two choirs. Allegri began singing in San Luigi dei Francesi before joining the Sistine Choir in 1629. Renaissance music was built upon plainchants, and is characterised by polyphony, imitation, motets, superimpositions, and overlapping cadences that convey flow, expressiveness, and devotion. ‘Miserere’ exemplifies Renaissance polyphony—one choir of five voices sings a fauxbourdon of a plainchant for the Tonus peregrinus, while the other choir of four voices supplies with elaborations and cadenzas, forming a 9-part polyphony.

Sistine Codex of 1661

‘Miserere’ is an acapella performed exclusively during Holy Week in the Sistine Chapel for ages. The church forbade it from being transcribed, so while the original 1661 codex might not reflect the true composition, it reveals the secret ornamentation practice of the olden Sistine Chapel Choir.

The Sistine Chapel Choir is a permanent choir in the chapel that never sings with instrument accompaniments. In this historical recording, a group of voices sings the plainchant, and then a second group of voices responds with elaboration. This repeats four times, as Allegri intended. The two choirs are distinct—even without video, one could picture that the second choir is singing far away at another end of a massive room. While I appreciated the contrast as it dynamised the plainchant, the upper voices in the second choir had drowned out the lower voices, resulting in an “airiness”. Nonetheless, the voices were well-blended and captured the essence of Renaissance music—the melodies flowed smoothly with no fixed tempo, and the music was expressive, whereby the soft tenor solos sounded pleading, but the choir in tutti sounded haunting. ‘Miserere’ means "Have mercy on me, O God" in Latin; fittingly, the acoustics of the chapel allowed their voices to echo, amplifying their devotion to God.

King’s College Choir 1963

The world-famous Choir of King’s College, Cambridge sings in the King’s College Chapel. This is one of the first modern recordings, conducted by David Willcocks and featured soloist Roy Goodman. It differs vastly from the original—during the 19th century, ‘Miserere’ was incorrectly transcribed, transposing the solo choir up a fourth.

Although sung in English, this version still preserved the smooth melodies and distribution of rubato in the original 1661 codex. However, it is more textured, dynamic, and exciting. The articulation of words is clearer; the tenors used a higher vocal placement to produce a more lightweight sound; the basses were audibly growing louder and softer, shaping a slow push-and-pull melody; the boy sopranos pierced through with their resonance and agility in the ornamented lines. Nevertheless, the pièce de resistance is boy treble Goodman’s breath-taking high notes during the second half of the four-voice falsobordone. Though his entry was a little shaky, the transition to the “top C” note was slick and precise, with a slight crescendo and close-to-none sliding. It is astonishing how Goodman sustained those notes—four times—without sounding strained; his pure and aethereal voice quality cannot be replicated by a female soprano. The high notes are my favourite part in contemporary ‘Miserere’, and I have yet to hear one as moving as Goodman

Ofra Harnoy

Ofra Harnoy is a widely celebrated classical cellist with over 40 solo albums. This recording is part of her ‘Back to Bach’ album, filled with Baroque favourites. Harnoy’s vision was to design a large cello ensemble by herself. To attain that effect, she harnessed the power of technology to overdub and produce multi-tracks.

I thought Harnoy’s work was innovative—the mixing and mastering were done so well that with eyes closed, her arrangement did seem like a grand cello ensemble. The tempo was a bit slower than the original 1661 codex and King’s College Choir 1963 recording, but that allowed the strings to ring longer, hence extending the crescendos and decrescendos. Additionally, the lower parts are more discernible than in the previous recordings. The rich bass and use of vibrato dramatised the music, creating a hauntingly beautiful and poignant experience. The high notes did not overpower, unlike in the King’s College Choir 1963 version, hence highlighting the polyphony.

One might think that Harnoy made her cello sing, but I felt that she transformed ‘Miserere’ into a cello piece. My only critique is that all the verses should have been recorded, to demonstrate how each verse differs in the embellishments—for example, the appoggiaturas sung by the higher sections.

Montechait

Montechait is a YouTuber who does piano cover videos and arrangements. He played on a Studiologic SL88 Studio keyboard, then produced and edited the audio using Pianoteq and Cubase software. 

The pitches were not the most precise in the original 1661 codex and King’s College 1963 recordings. Hence, the pitch-perfect keyboard demonstrated how the melodies could sit with one another to deliver chords that assert gloom. I enjoyed that the ending verse was in forte, emphasising the volume of a 9-part polyphony. But this performance lacked expressiveness, which is quintessential to Renaissance music. Despite Pianoteq being one of the greatest virtual instruments that simulate the playability of an acoustic instrument, the recording had a largely manufactured sound. Furthermore, the piano is limited in the expressive shaping of notes as it does not offer dynamic nuance or vibrato.

I learnt that every performer has a unique story to tell in ‘Miserere’—whether it is of worship by the Sistine Codex of 1661, of tradition by the King’s College Choir, of beauty by Ofra Harnoy’s soul-stirring cello, or melancholy by Montechait’s solemn keyboard. In my opinion, the key change from G minor to C minor—due to scribal error—echoes the famous saying: “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” ~Bob Ross.

#music appreciation #critique #critic #school assignment #essay #student #Miserere mei deus #Gregorio Allegri #late renaissance #choir #song #church #choral #Sistine Codex of 1661 #King’s College Choir 1963 #Ofra Harnoy #Montechait #classical music #youtube #music #singapore #Youtube #roy goodman

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1154

If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track I'll be the moon that shines on your path The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies above for snow to fall on the Sahara If that's the only place where you can leave your doubts I'll hold you up and be your way out And if we burn away, I'll pray the skies above for snow to fall on the Sahara

#diary #dear diary #heartbreak #journal #breakup #break up #heartache #love #song lyrics #singapore #anggun #snow on the sahara #indonesia #Au nom de la lune #Spotify

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1136

I remember you were so scared of getting Covid and passing it to your grandmother.

I just tested positive for Covid.

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartbreak #breakup #heartache #break up #singapore

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1092

We were always terminal, Denial while we danced in the ebb and flow, Never knew when we would let it go.

The conversation's getting cold, We talk about the future while I feel alone. All we do is compromise, why?

Long months long flights, Just to Hold on, hold tight Meet me at the terminal. We were always terminal, Long months long flights, Just to Hold on, hold tight We were always terminal.

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartbreak #breakup #break up #song lyrics #love #heartache #spotify #terminal #lewloh #julia gartha #lewis loh #singapore #sg #Spotify

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1051

Now if you never shoot, you'll never know And if you never eat, you'll never grow You've got a pretty kind of dirty face And when she's leaving your home She's begging you to stay, stay Stay, stay, stay

I'll give you one more time We'll give you one more fight Said one more line There'll be a riot, cause I know you

Well now that you've got your gun It's much harder now the police have come And I'll shoot him if it's what you ask But if you just take off your mask

You'd find out everything's gone wrong Now everybody's dead And they're driving past my old school And he's got his gun, he's got his suit on She says, babe, you look so cool

#dear diary #diary #breakup #break up #heartbreak #journal #song lyrics #love #heartache #robbers #the 1975 #Spotify

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1043

I got way too much time to be this hurt Somebody help, it's getting worse What do you do with a broken heart? Once the light fades, everything is dark Way too much whiskey in my blood I feel my body giving up Can I hold on for another night? What do I do with all this time? Yeah

I drive circles under street lights Nothing seems to clear my mind I can't forget Get this out my head So I drive, chasing Malibu nights Nothing seems to heal my mind I can't forget (Get this out my head, so) I drive, chasing Malibu nights

#dear diary #diary #journal #breakup #heartbreak #heartache #break up #song lyrics #love #malibu nights #lany #Spotify

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 1007

Woke up to reality And found the future not so bright I dreamt the impossible That maybe things could work out right

I thought it was you Who would do me no wrong

But now you've given me, given me Nothing but shattered dreams, shattered dreams Feel like I could run away, run away From this empty heart

#dear diary #diary #journal #breakup #heartbreak #heartache #break up #love #song lyrics #shattered dreams #johnny hates jazz

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 939

I wished you a happy birthday yesterday. You didn't see because you blocked me everywhere.

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartache #heartbreak #break up #breakup #love

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 928

There was something 'bout you that now I can't remember It's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender And I miss you on a train, I miss you in the morning I never know what to think about

I think about you (so don't let go) About you (so don't let go) Do you think I have forgotten About you? (Don't let go)

#dear diary #diary #journal #breakup #break up #heartbreak #heartache #love #song lyrics #about you #the 1975 #being funny in a foreign language #matty healy #carly holt

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 870

I think of two young lovers running wild and free I close my eyes and sometimes see You in the shadows of this smoke-filled room No telling how many tears I've sat here and cried Or how many lies that I've lied Telling my poor heart she'll come back someday

Oh, but I'll be alright As long as there's light From a neon moon

Oh, if you lose your one and only There's always room here for the lonely To watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams Of a neon moon

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartache #heartbreak #breakup #break up #love #song lyrics #neon moon #brooks and dunn #kacey musgraves #demi lee moore

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Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 850

But I guess I'm still processing My whole world's been turned around Every truth I knew since high school's a lie from your mouth And we made our promises, yeah, we said our vows But none of that really seems to matter to you now

'Cause you were mine always, and now you're gone Look what we've become Just another sad song of a love gone wrong And I hate that I'm taking our pictures off the wall

'Cause you were mine always, and now you're gone Look what we've become Just another sad song of a love gone wrong I hate that I'm even missing you at all

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartache #heartbreak #breakup #break up #song lyrics #pictures #judah and the lion #kacey musgraves #love

[flameaurasphere]

Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 838

It's over now, but I still feel your tongue in mine.

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartache #heartbreak #love

[flameaurasphere]

Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 825

Do you really want to know where I was April 29th? Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes? You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love The slowest way is never loving them enough

High infidelity Put on your records and regret meeting me I bent the truth too far tonight I was dancing around Dancing around it

High infidelity Put on your headphones and burn my city Your picket fence is sharp as knives I was dancing around Dancing around it

Oh, there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love And it's never enough, it's never enough

#dear diary #diary #journal #breakup #break up #heartbreak #heartache #love #song lyrics #high infidelity #midnights #taylor swift

[flameaurasphere]

Post Break-up Diary 2.0: Day 811

Depression days are coming back.

#dear diary #diary #journal #heartache #heartbreak #breakup #break up