This is one of the most beautiful songs I currently know. It is called “Vale Decem” and was written for the final episode of the Doctor Who 2010 season. Vale Decem is Latin for “Farewell Ten” and was written specifically for the regeneration (or death and rebirth) of the 10th Doctor into the 11th Doctor.
Aside from the obviously beautiful music and haunting melody, I find the song particularly interesting because the composer/lyricist wrote it in a dead language for a tv show! This is not something people do every day. Something/someone has to be very special to dig up a dead language for them. And all biases aside, David Tennant as the 10th Doctor is very special.
What amazes me further is that the singer hitting all of the amazing high notes is, in fact, a male singer. This is called a counter tenor. How he is able to hit notes I could not even dream of, astounds me! My voice teacher tells me she hates men like him because they take our (mezzo sopranos’) jobs. Counter tenors are just so novel! Who wants to see a girl sing high, when there’s a man out there who can do it too? I see her point, but I have no room to agree. I have a vast range of lower notes and, for the first few musicals of my life, I was cast as a male. When singing with friends, I will often take the male part because I can. In middle school our chorale group did a Phantom of the Opera medley where one of my friends, Nathan and I sang “All I Ask of You”; except I was Raoul and he was Christine. Perhaps it is ok for men to sing like women and vice versa. If you are gifted with a beautiful voice, no matter the range, you should show it off! This man sings the song beautifully.
Finally, the lyrics to the song are just beautiful. As I stated above, they were written in Latin and are as follows:
Lyric (rough translation)
Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)
Honore Res Quara (In Your Honour)
Emerio (Its Deserved)
Alter Altera (This Other One)
Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)
Emerio (This is deserved)
Alter (This Other One)
Alteri Te (This Other One Of You Begins)
Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)
Vale Stragem (Farewell Carnage)
Valde Temptua (Intense Trials)
De Glorio (In Matters Of Pride)
Vale De Temptua (Bid Farewell To These Trials)
Vale Decet (Bid Farewell Ten)
Honora (With Honour)
Res Quare (This Occurence)
Alter Cerna (This Seperation)
Armis (Is By Force Of Arms)
Grata Tunc (So Leave With Joy)
Usquera (All The Way)
Emani (And Arise)
Vale (Farewell)
Perhaps I am emotionally biased to the song because it is related to a show I am very emotionally invested in. David Tennant was my first Doctor of the series, and though he will not be my last, I will always hold him in the highest honor. He was, indeed, one of the best representations of this majestic creature in a very long time. And the creators of the show know it. He was given all the due respect and applaud with this last episode, and this beautiful farewell song.
I could write many comments about this topic, but I'll start with just one, which doesn't have much to do with the farewell song. Do you really think this moment is the peak of David Tennant's run as the Doctor? I actually was (mostly) unmoved by his regeneration, perhaps because the episode had a couple of false climaxes (as I remember the plot right now). But I found (still find) his goodbye to Rose in Bad Wolf Bay to be the most emotionally powerful scene in Tennant's run. That was a legitimate heart breaker.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of Katherine Jenkins song in the 2010 Christmas special?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the false climaxes were really annoying. Further, the mistakes (the Doctor would not have survived that fall!) and shameless Star Wars references (wonderfully geeky, but shameless) didn't make for a great episode overall. However, David Tennant was my first Doctor and I lamented, not only the loss of a great actor in the role, but the loss of the constant in my life for three years. I would now have to adapt to a new Doctor which isn't the same as going back and watching old episodes somehow. I suppose, what got me was his line "I don't want to go" because that was David Tennant speaking through the Doctor showing that they really were one and the same. So much of Tennant went into that Doctor and he got so much out of it.
ReplyDeleteNow to say that the episode was his peak, probably not. Saddest moment sure, but he had so many better episodes that really showcased his performance as an actor and as the Doctor. Waters of Mars was a great (!) episode where the Doctor's faults were very clearly depicted, and how better to understand a being but through their shortcomings. And how they deal when these shortcomings are brought to their attention.
As for Katherine Jenkins song, I have downloaded the song, bought the sheet music, and blast it everywhere! I truly love that song! She is a talented singer and surprisingly talented actress (no one saw it coming). The song is very interesting and lilting and well written, and I could gush for days.