Written & funded by the Alzheimer's Society in Taiwan.  

Sometimes we don't know whether we're awake or dreaming.

Composer - citynoah (Chien-Tai Chen)
Vocalist -     Kenton Chen
Pianist   -     Jeremy Siskind

Awake In A Dream

In Foreign Lands was inspired by "Lotus Cup," a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Wai Zhuang (836-910).  The poem eloquently evokes the tangled emotions of lovers who, after pledging their love, journey to different countries.  Feeling powerless, and resigned to the fact that they must go on living in separate worlds, they wistfully reflect upon their past love.  

Written for my father's birthday.  He left to Taiwan from China in 1948.  He was never able to return to his homeland.   

This version of interpretation appeared 2001 in a CD entitled In Foreign Lands by Kandinsky Trio, with Benedict Goodfriend on violin, Alan Weinstein on cello, and Elizabeth Bachelder on piano.


Composer - citynoah

In Foreign Lands

Hawthorn Tune（唐 Tang Dynasty 618-907）
By Niu Xiji 牛希濟(870-930)詞 
sung and piano played by Yun-Yi Huang 黃韻怡


Mist is slowly unwrapping from a spring mountain 
Sky has turned vague and stars are becoming dim
Only one side of your face is lit under the waning moon
Farewell tears before dawn

Many words said to no avail 
Our affection has no end 
Turning my head around as we depart 
Remember my green skirt, 
See me in the grass

Composer - citynoah (Chien-Tai Chen)

生查子 
【唐】牛希濟 詞 

春山煙欲收， 
天澹星稀小。 
殘月臉邊明， 
別淚臨清曉。 

語已多， 
情未了。 
回首猶重道： 
記得綠羅裙， 
處處憐芳草。 


Green Skirt 綠羅裙

This is new song "Where Is My Comfort" from Oct. 3-19, 2020. The lyrics: "Where Is My Comfort, uh ga na coolie, uh sha ta, uh gaga yo......" etc, which are based on Revelation 21:4 and Colossians 3:2 from the Bible.  Its words contain baby languages sound like speaking in tongues.
The version here is an instrumental performed by composer citynoah (陳建台Chien-Tai Chen)on the violin, and Ryan Whyman on the piano. 
Producer: DJ SLEEPER, KenMore Studio, Los Angeles

Where Is My Comfort for Violin & Piano

music by citynoah (Chien-Tai Chen),
lyrics are based on Song of Songs 5:7-14),
sung by Jasica Sims, sop.

Under the apple tree蘋果樹下

Famous for his original music compositions in America, Taiwan-born composer Chien-Tai Chen, aka citynoah, is a celebrity composer living in the States. His major works include Journey to the West (1987 opera, by NSO in Taipei's National Theater; Far Horizon (2004 piano concerto, played 2006 in Kennedy Center Concert Hall by Brian Ganz and maestro Yoel Levi);  and Hakka-Wanderer (2005 violin concerto by Cho-Liang Lin and the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra). He often let his music interweave with ancient, aboriginal, traditional, contemporary, and popular elements.  His intriguing angelic innovations are universally accessible, capturing the essence of internally meaningful and externally passionate music, shown in his symphony entitled City of Wind (2011 premiered by NSO at Taipei for its centennial celebration of ROC).

citynoah

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