Nine years ago Today...

Postby dreadnaught3200 » Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:58 am

Hey Guys. If there's anybody here who wants to listen, I have a few things to say:

I find it hard to believe that nine years have passed since the Nine Eleven attacks. I was only in grade six at the time, but I can still vividly recall huddling around a small TV in my classroom with my schoolmates, watching in both shock and utter bewilderment as the towers collapsed. At the time it didn't seem real, and to some extent sometimes it still feels like a bad dream.

Be that as it may, it seems fitting on this the anniversary of that terrible tragedy to say a few words in memory of it and those effected by it. And for my own part, I thought I'd mention an aspect of the story that is rarely mentioned, the response from the world of music:

Music has been known throughout history to provide comfort even during the most the horrible and chaotic of times. Often repeated is the story of the string quartet on the RMS Titanic, who selflessly chose to stay on deck and continue to play right until the ship finally plunged beneath the waves, all losing their lives in the process. And following this example, groups of Musicians, many from the New York Philharmonic orchestra flocked to ground zero and played music to the army of firefighters, rescue workers and volunteers who labored their day and night. During the rescue effort in the days following the attack, there was no point at which music was not being played in the area.

Nine days after the attack on September twentieth, the New York Philharmonic gave a concert to honor those who had died and more importantly to give comfort to those who were still grieving. The piece they chose was the German Requiem by Johannes Brahms. This at first glance might seem like an odd choice, a German requiem for a grieving American nation. And while partly to blame is the relatively short Musical tradition of the United States, which hadn't yet given rise to a piece of music totemic enough to encapsulate the feelings of a grieving country. But the Brahms Requiem turned out to be more fitting than anyone expected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaGWHsbwlDQ&hd=1 (This is a link to my favorite movement if anyone cares to listen to it)

For those who don't know, a Requiem is a type of classical piece written to honor someone who's died, most of the great composers wrote one at some point. And while we can never be sure why the Brahms requiem met with the response it did, I suspect that it is because it is an overwhelmingly hopeful piece of music. Brahms wrote it in 1865 after his mother died, and wanted to write a piece not only to mourn her loss, but to celebrate her life. Perhaps it took a genius like Brahms to encode those feelings into a piece of music that could resonate so well with people almost a hundred and fifty years later. Moreover, while many requiems are very religious, Brahms' is very human. His first name for it was "A Human Requiem". Which perhaps allowed it to reach an audience so ethnically and religiously diverse as the one in New York.

Whatever the reason, at the concert there was an incredible outpouring of grief. The show was free and open to everyone, and was attended by many who didn't usually listen to, or even like classical music. Most of them were moved to tears. Proving the universal power of great works of music to touch the soul even in a time of crisis.

A few days earlier on the fifteenth in London, the annual BBC Proms concert, an event usually reserved for patriotic British music, saw the BBC Orchestra play Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings in mourning of the attacks. The adagio for strings is often cited as the most mournful piece of music ever written, and many tears were also shed by those in attendance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV3SHBFyDZM (This is the recording of that concert)


Why do I say all this? What does music have to do with anything? Well... As Jack Russell once put it, "Music is the definition of where the World's at, at that moment. It's a snapshot of our society." And the music that was made in the aftermath of 9/11 showed a great solidarity between people. While Brahms steadfastly hopeful Requiem provided comfort to those in New York who had been directly effected by the attacks, the BBC orchestra symbolized the solidarity of the entire world with the grieving people of New York. A funny by-product of the attacks was an outpouring of support for the United States all over the world, even in some countries traditionally hostile to it. While over the years this has vanished, for a brief moment, people all over the world were united in mourning of a great human tragedy, almost regardless of where it had taken place.

In the last several years 9/11 has become muddled in controversy, politics, paranoia and conspiracy theory. And I think to remember it as such is a tragedy in and of itself. What we should be remembering is what brought the whole world together in its aftermath, human tragedy. So, I offer my condolences to those still grieving over lost loved ones and my salute to the selfless heroism of those who sifted through rubble day after to day to rescue people they didn't even know. On a day that brought out the worst, and best in people.

Thanks for listening. If anyone would like to add anything, please do so.
There's a permanent tension in music isn't there? On one hand you have three chords, you know, four four and three chords. Then there's the people like me, who say "Well, why don't we add a fourth chord and put it in five four?" - Bill Bruford

Re: Nine years ago Today...

Postby KittyReaper » Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:11 am

Even though 9/11 was a tragedy, I dont agree with what you said on how it and I quote
'What we should be remembering is what brought the whole world together in its aftermath, human tragedy.'
honestly it was a trigger that drove the countries to war, and forced others to pick a side.

but yeah any death is tragic is this is no exception.

btw anyone else who cares that yesterday was Eid, the muslim holiday after the 30 days of ramadan so i wish all of you an Eid Mubarak and hope you all had a good day :)

Re: Nine years ago Today...

Postby Boundgal08 » Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:26 am

Yes I do remember, of course who is not going to remember, they showed us documentaries on our TV last Saturday and I believe there is also one on tonight, even though I was a tender young age back then... still the memory of it, even if I myself was not there, I remember watching it unfold on the news.. it was a dreadful attack done by terrorists.... and still to this day, it has brought good and bad to the world, with the war happening in Iraq... hope our boys return home soon.... but also it has also brought the world together and developed our understanding that the world is not a safe place and within a blink of an eye something like this can happen, something similar happened in London a few years back, of course not to the same scale no doubt, but the public safety was thrown out, as masses of people were injured, and many more killed.... we have bomb scares every now and then... but the 9/11 was by far the worst terrorist attack I have seen done to such a country... and shocked the world... R.I.P to all those who lost their lives in the attack on the twin towers.... and to all those that have lost loved ones through the sheer capacity of this terrorist attack my thoughts and prayers are with you today, and to of course those who were also affected by the attacks on 9/11.
BOUNDGIRL!
Probably the kinkiest woman you will ever meet!
I am a switch, I like to put a man in ropes and also have a man put me in ropes!
I am the 'Queen of bondage'

Re: Nine years ago Today...

Postby bondagefan » Sat Sep 11, 2010 2:44 am

I live in NYC(the Bronx)and I had that beautiful day off and as I was getting
ready to go walking in Manhattan as I do on good days the news broke on
TV.I was shocked and distraught at what I was seeing,I was also worried
because some cousins of mine work in that area.Thankfully my cousins
were not harmed and got to safety but hundreds of others were not that
lucky.One such person was then Lt. Orio J. Palmer FDNY the brother of
some friends I on occasion would drink with at a local bar.I ask you my new
friends to please light a candle & say a prayer for those lost 9/11/01 and
for the familie they left behind.

God Bless Ammerica & Our Allies in the war on terror.

Re: Nine years ago Today...

Postby haloguy » Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:24 am

I did not go to school that day, I was at home, watching the TV in horror, because I knew one of my close friends had been flying that day, and she turned out to be flying on United 93, but as I said, we must move on

Re: Nine years ago Today...

Postby Chase Ricks » Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:14 am

I posted this message right two days after 9/11 happened. While it is not the best of times, neither is it the worst of times so I have updated it accordingly.

Tuesday's attacks in Washington D.C. and New York City were a giant wakeup call to the United
States and Canada that terrorists are real in the world today. I watched the attacks yesterday on tv while in
school. They still are the topic of Global News right now "in the background as i type this". Too many times we seem to forget that from the sorrow and pain of millions asking why bad things happen to good people so does the process of recovery begin. That process has given rise to a religious awakening around the world. More people are trying to get back in contact with God. However we still need to search for him in the world too. Stop trying to think that the needs of the few will outweigh the wants of the many. It won't. We need to help our fellow men to find their way back into the light again. It is time we stop asking the Lord why these things happen and instead begin asking how can we save the lives of those who hate us. By now I am certain a lot of you have heard about how the leadership of North Korea has been threatening to launch missles again at US Navy vessels. At this time I have an aunt and uncle living temporarily in Seoul, South Korea. They were called there to be senior missionaries and already they have succeeded in converting a few members of China to Christianity.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

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