| | So, Inclusive Concert, a production of Calvary Youth has officially taken place last night, 24 July, 2004 at the hour of 1830. Man..the crowd this year was...just awesome...not as in the number, but the enthusiasm. We, as the participants of the Concert was deeply overwhelmed by the responses of the crowd.
The concert, was opened by a short clip of a girl being rejected by his boyfriend. Feeling lost and unwanted she thought she could at least seek comfort from her friends, but only to find that no one cared!! The clip was done in quite an abstract form, wherby it allowed people to think and relate on their own. The soundtrack of the clip, Crystal Clear by Jaci Valesque was well chosen to compliment the conclusion of the story, the lines went:
When I'm a sparrow in winter, You are a seed I find
When I'm a heart with a splinter, Your blood keeps me alive
If I could call you a color, You'd be the deepest of blues
If I had my pleasure of anything, You'd be the one that I'd choose
Chorus:
Now it's crystal clear I'm falling for You
Now that I can see the mystery's revealed
Now I'm coming clean
I can feel my fears released
Now it's crystal clear I'm falling for You
I'm soft like clay
Your hands they mold
For You, I would run away
Just to hear You calling out my name
Repeat chorus
Bridge:
I'm broken and empty
Without You, I'm blinded
I need You,
I need You near me, I need You near me
Repeat chorus
Please catch me, I'm falling for You...
So you see, even the choosing of the song played such an importance. Man, when I heard the song, I just knew it was a good one. Good one people.
Ok, lets move on, up next was another opening song entitled, I Will Always Have You written and dueted by our own youths Sheryl and Jeremy, and it was simply captivating! Sheryl probably blew the minds of the crowds when she repeated the lines
...and I will never say no to You Lord, and I will never say no to You Lord...and I WILL NEVER SAY NO TO YOU LORD...and I will NEVER SAY NOooooooooo...
Whoolamak!! She's the DIVA man. While Jeremy the Kwai Lou, probably would hav been releasing his charm...since I'd been hearing ppl asking who's the HOT guy up there?...even my guy frens also think that he looks hot.. ..oh well!! Nolar..just kiddin, he has his own unique features and voice..and all glory to God!! Just as they ended the song, they introduced the second part of the opening with a dance featuring a brief ballet at the beginning and then continued with an attitude-checked hip-hop cum jazzy dance moves. I must say..the guys were just AWESOME!! Man..their moves are simple yet expressive..hey, I din just say that ok...I was there dancing also..I love the beat-box, [or however it is spelled] though..just one word-COOL!!! Special thanks to the choreographers: Allison, Erin, Betty, Kevin and Becky..
FINALLY, the concert BEGANNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn........ with the trio-guitarists-knock-out..man, whoever tht came out with the arangement was just awesome!! The man, SPikeEe...*applause* great arrangement!! The opening song, NOW THAT YOU'RE NEAR...Whoo-hoo...sent the people at the altar pumping for more adrenaline..man, it was a wave of people jumping all with their hands raised and neck stretched!! Man I dunno how else to explain,...even the percussionist, Khai-Boy..was like..."Man the people was RAWKING the place dudes!!!"
Serious..we featured a lot of our songs, written and composed by our very own people, and I reali must thank God for all those talents that He has given to Calvary youth! And of course for those who'd availed themselves for the Glory of GOd, in serving Him thru this concert, I salute you!! Bein part of this team, I know we went thru a lot before finalizing all the decisions and the arrangements, evn deciding wat to wear was an issue....but hey, look at us, we all look great that nite. Doesn't that ring a bell? It will eventually be ok, God will take care of us...worry not my dears!!!
OK..wher was I? Oh yea...Now That YOu're Near sent the crowd takin off the ground, then the second hit, DEEP END, by Calvary Youth Music was another SHAKER!! The song was so easy, with little words but strong and impressive ones...in art, the concept is called...Less IS More!! See the link!!?
More of You, Less of me, More of You, Less of me in my life Jesus please,...
and the notable bridge..
I'm ready for this now...I'm ready for this now...I;m ready for this now..
These lines alone already blast the crowd rawkin the sanctuary!! Praise you JESUS, for such an inspired, well written song! Sheryl...keep it up!!
Then when Everything To Me finally filled the speakers, the singers and the choirs were so co-operative...man we did the SWAYING of the hips...it was just hillarious and....all I can say is that...all of us was having fun!!! It was just a very spontaneous thing Jeremy and I thought about..and man, WE did it...it came to pass...whoo-hoo..!!! MuahahahhaHahahhahaaaaa....Then another number written and performed by Jeremy was Praise..this song, also fetched compliments from how many people I dunno..but the last time I checked, someone came up and said, "Man, this song was written by CYM?!?!?!? I thought it was by Hillsong or wat?!?!?"... ..man, I dunno if any Hillsongs' heard of this, how would they respond!?!?!  ...Anyway, wat i wanted to say is that, again, God has blessed the youths of Calvary richly...reali..and you guys that has worked so hard, God is reali blessing people with what you've done...so keep it up, and maintain the standard that you have for God..it will not come back in vain ...
WE finally toned it down with Aileen, the one with a soft and sort of child like voice, leadin the next song, All I Want Is You, by Planet Shakers. Dude, it was beautiful...she was a natural...then slowly..the worship songs filled in one by one. I was leadin the following song, Friend of God, another CYM song. Thank you Sheryl for givin me this song to sing...I like it..and yea...I finally got the last line...You came down to rescue me..it wasn that hard anymore.. ... Our next soloist, Raymond, aka the Vibrato finally took his rightful place, leadin both songs King of Love, Hillsongs and Friend of Sinners, CYM. With God in his heart, and a voice like Groban, he definately has vibrated hearts of many  ...well done!! And of course I'm not done yet!! Friend of Sinners, is a special number, wherby it featured the CHOIR..and all the CHOIR people say.......WHOOOOOOOOOOhOOOOOOOOHOHOHHOHooooooooooo At the bridge of the song, we broke into the old hymms, When I Survey. Oh my! Oh my! The parts we broke into was just aesthetically pleasing..not sight, but the voice of the people...special thanks to the Choir directors, who work extra hard to write down the scores and helpin them to remember their parts. Good job Sheryl, Kevin and Aileen!!
Then..this part...aiyo...it's a miscomm la...wat a misapprehension!! D'OH!!! Man...i dunno what i was thinkin...seriously Joel, I reali thought u lipped "Lead Me On" to me ok...I'm serious...and then, when i saw the screen, showed Lead Me On..I thought I got u correctly...Aiyo...Aileen...I'm so sorry...I reali am...aiyo...now i feel like so dumb... ..man, I can so imagine what the guys told me, what Sheryl was sayin when we'r up ther performing this beautiful mistake...
Sheryl: Aiyo..this Serene ar....it's Deeply in Love...look here...look here...it's deeply in love!!
...somewher up the second tier of the stage...
Jeremy: Deeply In love...Deeply In Love
Joel: It;s Deeply In Love...Deeply In Love...
Serene and Aileen...blurred at the moment...screen still say Lead Me On....
aiyo....the rest was just history la....Man,....I am laughin now...as i thought bac wat happened that faithful nite!!! URHG!!!!!! Neway...it was okay after that la...I sang the song...aiyo...I feel so bad la...Aileen...I'm sorry...reali I am...I buy u subway cookies ok...??? 
Then worship ended with LEad Me On..that is also another CYM song, written by Mich, the piano genius. A song that has touched and moved many hearts....check out the lyrics....
You lead me on, event hough I always stumble, You lead me on, when all things around me crumble, You lead me on, You're the strength of my heart, I love You Lord, I need You Lord, I trust You Lord, To lead me on.
What do you say people..short and sincere and all I can say is that...a heartfelt song....bravo Mich..brovo...
Then, we took a break. Ps Richard came up and spoke. He shared of the issues of youths nowadays, takin the scriptures from Romans...the famous line
Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And as he elaborated, that sometimes we feel like we're in bondage..like things we know we shouldn't be doin, we;re doin it..and finally gave the call of salvation....many responded...!!! This year, I dunno, tho in numbers, we had some 800 ppl in the house, but the amount of youths attending were a lot more, and that's not it...the thing was that, the response to salvation was more compared to last year's. And that is good!! Praise the LORD!!!! Some 20 over souls were SAVED!! And many others..of which i dun hav the number yet came out for prayers and rededicated their lives back to God. And ppl, youth..common, this is not the end of concert yet....we all need to follow up on these ppl who responded. Concert was just a tool for us to reach out..so now that we've reached out, it's now time for us to flex those muscles around our mouths and shoulders to extend more than warm hand shakes and talk to them with God's love.
Anyway, soon the concert was comin to an end. All singers and choir members were called back onto the rightful positions..and there with us were the people out there on the altar who had rededicated their lives to God or came out to receive Christ as their personal Savior, and of course not forgetting the altar workers cum ushers who had corked their *ahem out the whole evenign just to ensure they get their seats and that the respondents got their reponse slips...hey brothers and sisters...you will be rewarded....keep up the good work!!!
The music hit it, bringin the song Slain written by Joel, another CYM prouduction and led by Emilia. I dunno bout u guys, but when I heard er song, I was impress at how she carry the tune..it's not that all of us are professionals...no, no...we're still far...but it's the attitude and the heart that projected to God that was what captured my heart...Emy dear...you sang well..reali...thumbs UP!!! Then finally, BIG kicked in with the amps screaming its bassy wave, and Jeremy, Julie, and myself took our positions in YEAHING the song in PARTS!!! Can you believe it?!?!?! ...Man I had a good time up there!!! Thanks to the musicians who stayed at the back of the stage silent yet makin beautiful noise which bring up the music to where we went on that faithful night. Michelle, as lead keyboardist [da'Piano Genius], Jen 2nd keyboard, Chew on electric, Siew on acoustic, Baryy on bass, Ken on drums and finally, percussion boy..Khai. Fellow musicians..what can I say...THANK YOU for availing yourself to make music for God and using what God has imparted in your lives to bless His people!!!! Don't ever lose it, continue to climb higher heights which God will bring in people to support and encourage you!!
Neway, back to where I'm about to end..probably another paragraph or two..lalala...it's my blog..so i dun care...I'm just gonna blog in as much details as i can remember...WHOO-HOO!!! So..after Big, One Way was the last number, Joel forwarded as Julie made way and Ken just came in with the steady beat of the drums, building the tempo of the song. And I dun need to explain, the crowd was there jumpin and goin bizarred as we slowly lead them to the peak!! Everyone at the altar was just jumpin and praisin in liberation!! As tho nuthing could stop them from doin it. Then, there came the time when the 3 of us, Joel, Jeremy and myself did the Triple JUMP!! I can't remember whether was it this song, or Now That You're Near..reali..can't remember. It was spontaneous ok..reali!! WE tot Jeremy wanna make his jump, so Joel and I made way..but no, Jeremy signalled let's do it together, so alright...I joined in and there we go....ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!!...and JUMP...ONE WAY!! JESUS!! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT I COULD LIVE FOR!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Obviously, like I was saying, that wasn't the WRAP-UP of the evening!! WE did another song, or two..can't remember also by now..was a little confused by it..but I knew we did Everything To Me, and i think Now That You're Near and finally that was the end...the end of the months of practising, and perfecting your pitch..and u know wat...DAvid told me that we stillsing off-pitch!!! Give it up already....hahahha.....but it was all good...it was all good.  Good enough to do what God has intended it to be...the people that came to worship Him with us, the people that responded to the altar, the people that make themselves right before goin up on stage, the bonds that has build themselves among friends, a faith that has deepened due to so many unforeseen circumstances...it's good, it's good!!
Mind me if this blog mite sound glorifyin music more than God, but to me, it has spoken to more people than I ever could, changed the hearts of many who need a specific touch than I could imagine..why?...simply because it didn't come from us...
Music isn't everything...it's just a tool God has provided us, given to each and everyone of us with a specific measure and purpose. |
