Song from the Musical "Les Miserables" ("Những người cùng khổ") based on the novel by Victor Hugo.
Genre: Musical Theater—Standard, Ballad.
Performed at a Voice Recital at Hubbard Concert Hall, The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Connecticut, USA—on Tuesday May 10, 2011.
Setting: Recital/Chamber Concert—Solo Voice, Live Recording.
Sung by the character Marius, a French student revolutionist, reflecting on the memories of his lost comrades and friends, at the cafe where they gathered.
Also performed by: Micheal Ball, Gareth Gates, Nick Jonas (of "The Jonas Brothers"), among others.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_from_...pty_Tables

Lyrics:

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (The Cafe Song)

music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer


There's a grief that can't be spoken,
There's a pain goes on and on;
Empty chairs at empty table,
Now my friends are dead, and gone...

Here they talked of revolution
—Here it was they lit the flame;
Here they sang about tomorrow,
And tomorrow never came!

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn,
And they rose with voices ringing,
And I can here them now!
—The very words that they had sung
Became their last communion
... On the lonely barricade, at dawn.

Oh! my friends, my friends, forgive me
—That I live and you are gone.
There's a grief that can't be spoken,
There's a pain goes on, and on...

Phantom faces at the window!
Phantom shadows on the floor!
Empty chairs at empty tables...
Where my friends will meet no more!

Oh my friends! My friends! Don't ask me!
What your sacrifice was for...
Empty chairs at empty tables
—Where my friends will sing no more ...

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (from "Les Miserables") — Bao Q. Phan

American Folk Song, arranged by John Jacob Niles.

Wayfaring Stranger—Bao Q. Phan

Brother Will, Brother John (by John Sacco)—Bao Q. Phan

Se Tu M'ami, Se Sospiri (attr. Pergolesi)—Bao Q. Phan

Jar of Hearts, originally performed by Christina Perri

b.q.p