Vessel No 11 "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"

Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, 525, more commonly known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik. "A small serenade" -- often mistranslated as "a little night music", is one of the most popular compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in 1787 in Vienna while working on Don Giovanni. It is not known why or for whom he wrote this piece. The work was written for a chamber ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello with optional double bass.

This is the song Nicki learnt during her music lesson last week. She could almost immediately identify the song which she and Noi noi nicknamed as the "Rocket Song", the theme song of their favourite Cartoon "Little Einsteins"

Their favourite characters are June and Annie. They like Leo and Quincy for their smartness and talent


Little Einsteins is an educational preschool series which was designed to teach the target demographic art and music appreciation by integrating famous or culturally significant art works (usually, but not always, paintings) and classical music into the scenery, plot, and soundtrack of each episode. The show is also designed to encourage viewer interaction (such as patting their legs, gesturing, or singing along to help the characters succeed on their "mission").

Little Einsteins features four children (which include two boys and two girls) — Leo, June, Quincy, and Annie — along with their intelligent and transformable space/air/water-craft, "Rocket". In each episode they embark on an adventure (or "mission") to solve some problem or help a new friend. These missions take them to far-flung locations including foreign countries and "extreme" environments such as Antarctica, underwater, or outer space. In some episodes, Rocket's nemesis "Big Jet" tries to steal something from them or beat them to a goal. The characters' respective talents and participation of the audience are required to surmount various obstacles to completing the mission. Each episode concludes with a "curtain call" crediting the team members, ancillary characters, and reviewing the featured art and music selections. The curtain call became a song in Season 2.

Leo is a six-year-old boy, the Little Einsteins leader, and the one who pilots Rocket. His main talent is conducting and his most precious object is his baton; he never leaves home without it. His skills with the baton include the ability to conduct cows (seen in the Our Big Huge Adventure). He is voiced by Jesse Schwartz.

June is a six-year-old girl who loves to dance. She also loves to look at the stars at night with her telescope, and is friends with one of Saturn's rings (as seen in the episode Ring Around The Planet). She loves art. She also demonstrates on a normal basis to be the most eloquent member of the team. She is voiced by Erica Huang.

Quincy is a five-year-old boy who loves to play every type of musical instrument, the violin, the guitar and the trumpet being his favorites. He is the only member of the team who is afraid of the dark (as seen in the episode The Northern Night Light and in Our Big Huge Adventure). He is voiced by Aiden Pompey.

Annie is a four-year-old girl who loves to sing. She is Leo's little sister and also the only character who has piloted Rocket solo. She loves animals, but she's afraid of spiders, just like the rest of the team (as seen in Our Big Huge Adventure). Her favorite sea animal is the dolphin as proven in Pirates Treasure. She owns a silver microphone with orange music notes that she won in a song contest after Big Jet ripped her music. The color of her clothing is also changed for season 2, but the style remains the same. She is voiced by Natalia Wojcik.
Rocket is the Little Einsteins' main transportation, but it is also their friend. Rocket has a bunch of tools and accessories (stored in Hammerspace) that help the team complete their missions.

Vessel No 10 "Amazing Grace"

Amazing Grace - Dedication in memory of a friend.

Though after her funeral today, she has left but not forever. The fact that she accepted Christ on her last day, she now dwells forever in the Lord's mansion. That's God's promise to all His children.



"Amazing Grace" is a well-known Christian hymn originally written in C-major by William Boyajian and Elizabeth Mars of Ithaca College. The words were written late in 1772 by Englishman John Newton. They first appeared in print in Newton's Olney Hymns (1779), which he worked on with William Cowper.

John Newton, the author of the lyrics to Amazing Grace, was born in 1725 in Wapping, England. Despite the powerful message of "Amazing Grace," Newton's religious beliefs initially lacked conviction; his youth was marked by religious confusion and a lack of moral self-control and discipline.

After a brief time in the Royal Navy, Newton began his career in slave trading. The turning point in Newton's spiritual life was a violent storm that occurred on this ship one night. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ, Newton took the first--albeit small--step toward accepting faith.

These incidents and his 1750 marriage to Mary Cartlett changed Newton significantly.On his slave voyages, he encouraged the sailors under his charge to prayer rather than taunt them for their beliefs. He also began to ensure that every member of his crew treated their human cargo with gentleness and concern. However, it would be another 40 years until Newton openly challenged the trafficking of slaves.

Some three years after his marriage, Newton suffered a stroke that prevented him from returning to sea; in time, he interpreted this as another step in his spiritual voyage. He assumed a post in the Customs Office in the port of Liverpool and began to explore Christianity more fully. As Newton attempted to experience all the various expressions of Christianity, it became clear that he was being called to the ministry. Since Newton lacked a university degree, he could not be ordained through normal channels. However, the landlord of the parish at Olney was so impressed with the letters Newton had written about his conversion that he offered the church to Newton; he was ordained in June 1764.

In Olney, the new curate met the poet William Cowper, also a newly-born Christian. Their friendship led to a spiritual collaboration that completed the inspiration for "Amazing Grace," the poem Newton most likely penned around Christmas of 1772. The lyrics are based on his reflections on an Old Testament text he was preparing to preach on, adding his perspective about his own conversion while on his slave ship, the Greyhound, in 1748.

Newton's lyrics have become a favorite for Christians, largely because the hymn vividly and briefly sums up the doctrine of divine grace. The lyrics are based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, a prayer of King David in which he marvels at God's choosing him and his house. Newton apparently wrote this for use in a sermon he preached on this passage on New Year's Day 1773, and for which he left his sermon notes, which correspond to the flow of the lyrics. (He entitled the piece "Faith's review and expectation.")

The song has also become known as a favorite with supporters of freedom and human rights, both Christian and non-Christian, in part because many assume it to be Newton's testimony about his slave trading past.

The hymn was quite popular on both sides in the American Civil War.

Lyrics

"Amazing Grace"


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)