SONG 1: YOU NEVER REMIND ME:
Frank Murphy, Jack Wildhorn. Linda Eder’s Album It’s No Secret Anymore
Since the first time I heard this song 7 years ago, I’ve dreamed of singing it for my husband James…and now I got to kick off my Alabaster Jar set with it. The eclectic mix of music you’re going to hear from me are all songs I’ve come to know and love since moving to Singapore. It’s my ipod’s playlist of Kimberly’s Singapore. Songs I’d love to sing for someone…anyone… if I ever got the chance. Thanks to Donna Ong and TAGS for their invitation to sing tonight. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to them as much as I’ve enjoyed picking them and rehearsing them with my friends who are with me here, Deniece Foo on keyboard, Lee Meng Cham on guitar and Charles Wong on bass.
When Jim, Tyler, Cameron and I first moved to Singapore, we were settling into life in a Tampines HDB, going to local schools, and learning the wonders of Singlish, and to love all our local foods. I first learned of this song and the next one through radio on the internet. Do you remember getting broadband for the first time? Singapore was so sophisticated, especially so after living in a dorm in China for 2 years.
But those first few years here were lonely ones. It’s kind of unusual for an expat family to move here with the intention of staying long term, and our heartlander neighbors weren’t quite sure what to do with us. In some strange way, this next song ROMANCIN THE BLUES appealed to me in my spiritual life. My soul felt a bit like singing it to God as I mopped floors, hung out the washing and walked back and forth from Fair Price with my little grocery cart. I was wondering for a long time if I’d just come to Singapore to have the blues and get old. Thank God he led me out of that wilderness, and now it’s just a fun song to sing.
SONG 2: ROMANCIN THE BLUES
Frank Murphy, Jack Wildhorn. Linda Eder’s Album It’s No Secret Anymore
We’d been living here more than 3 years when I was asked to record a demo of this next song,
IT FEELS LIKE HOME, by Randy Newman as a pitch for a commercial (that I don’t think ever got made).
Before the recording session, I remember driving into town, listening to and learning the words to this song, coming around the highway on the ECP, the part that looks over our skyline and beautiful harbor, and crying. Bawling.
I realized singing these lyrics that for the first time I was finally at home here and could truly sing this song from my heart. IT FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME.
It’s a good feeling.
Many of you who’ve had to make home in a new place, when you went away from Singapore or in coming here. I hope that you can get to this place where it feels like home for you too.
So, as you hear this song, I hope that you can relate to it in some way. Whether it’s about Singapore or about being in a great relationship, or it could even be about the contented sense of belonging you get from God who loves and protects you. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
SONG 3: FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME, Randy Newman Originally sung by Bonnie Raitt
If we’re honest ---- even those of us fortunate enough to find lasting love and great friends ---- if we’re honest, we still feel that there’s something missing. No one can REALLY know us, even a practically perfect husband or an uber best friend.
Even if, even if you’ve had parents who told you everyday that they are proud of you and love you. No person can really meet our needs or make us feel whole.
Wow. That’s a downer.
But it’s really not.
On our dark days of feeling unloved or misunderstood or alone in the world that’s where faith becomes way more than just a religious practice.
We’re usually more aware of the presence of God when we’re needy, and it’s comforting and frightening at the same time.
This song NO ONE KNOWS MY HEART by Susan Ashton is about just that.
SONG 4: NO ONE KNOWS MY HEART, Susan Ashton, Wakened by the Wind
I hope this isn’t getting too preachy some of you. It’s just my story. I can’t be myself and not say stuff like this.
I added that last song and the next two to my playden playlist because they are songs that keep my artists’ heart spiritually centred when the world gets too confusing or pain filled.
I’ve been a Christian since I was 5 years old, but it’s only in these last few years has my faith begun to move from my head to my heart. I’ve finally come to a place where I need Jesus. I’m starting to get it that I don’t have to earn his love, and that he LOVES the way he made me, or, I’m not just hearing about this deep abiding peace that transcends our day to day hassles, but I’ve begun experiencing it. Experiencing it even when I’m so frustrated with the mess the world is in. Frustrated trying to reconcile the mess of problems in this world with an ALMIGHTY & LOVING GOD who STUPIDLY -- I mean -- Sovereignly gave humankind the free will to make such a mess on this planet. And why am I so blessed when so many others are suffering? And what can I do about it to make a difference? And why does it take so much work to build and keep healthy relationships?
Ah. ARTISTS! We think about these things all the time! We feel things so deeply! The lyrics of Nichole Nordeman and Steven Curtis Chapman sing about such things. Some of you have listened with me to their music in the past couple of years. Here’s GRATITUDE by Nichole Nordeman.
SONG 5: GRATITUDE, Woven and Spun
For a few years I met regularly with a small group of artist friends. I used to tell them “I am going to hurt you. It’s inevitable. It’s human. You are going to hurt each other. We will have misunderstandings. Promise me, if we’re going to build strong frienships based on trust, promise me that you will keep short accounts with one another. Promise me that you will let me know if I’ve hurt you so that we can patch things up.”
….It’s really tough in our Asian culture to do that. Speak the truth when it’s hard. It’s so much easier to hold grudges and move on rather than confront problems. We’re all so very lame at doing relationships right. I still have such a LONG way to go.
I think you’ll identify with this next song by Steven Curtis Chapman MIRACLE OF MERCY. Thank God he does’nt give up on us. Thank God he’s always forgiving no matter how badly we mess up.
SONG 6: MIRACLE OF MERCY, Steven Curtis Chapman Heaven in the Real World
Tonight, you get to witness another miracle. You get to hear me make good on a new year’s resolution: to publically sing a song in Chinese! Humour me. It’s a good old song for saying “goodbye.” With the Creasmans getting geared up to go back to USA for a year, I wanted to learn it and sing it for friends in the audience who’ve cheered me on in my singing. And those who’ve told me my Chinese is great even though I know it’s NOT. So it might be a little corny, and I’m cheating to sing only PART of it in Chinese, but those of you who’ve done much Karaoke will be a little surprised that there’s a new English version of a tune you’ll recognize.
SONG 7: THE BLESSING, orig Jacky Cheung, as recorded on Steven Curtis Chapman album Musical Blessings, released in China
You know, until late last year when Dawn started talking about doing this thing, I never dreamed I’d sing a concert.
We’ll maybe I did in my heart of hearts…but I never really SAID it.
Is there something that you dream of doing?
Recently I’ve talked to a bunch of people who have some pretty big dreams that they’re only just sharing with someone.
What is your dream? What do you want? In theatre, in acting, we call it THE SUPER OBJECTIVE. What is it the character, what is it that you want?
One last song from me tonight.
And it’s for you…because ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
SONG 8: ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, Frank Murphy, Jack Wildhorn. Linda Eder’s Album It’s No Secret Anymore
FYI: Wanting to be on the up and up for this gig, we got a PERMIT from COMPASS to sing these copywrited songs. Permit no: 0704552. Did you know that technically evertime a song is played or sung publically it needs to have a permit to do it? Drag. The minimum fee for a ticketed event – no matter how small is $150! (for us that is about 10% of gross ticket sales!) Differing venues have different rates. This year there are only 2 venues in Singapore with annual permits that cover any performance going on there (Victoria Concert Hall and DBS Auditorium). Yikes. Did you know that the fines can be up to $10,000 per song? Ouch. More of the hard news at their website: www.compass.org.sg
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