The links to the various tunes found throughout this script are to provide appropriate and fitting analogies to what is envisioned, unless tunes are mentioned directly by their titles and composers. The latter are called directly into the script. I would encourage you to take the time to listen to the music that I have provided links to as you encounter them so as to really get a sense of what I envisioned while writing this script.
*The scene takes place in the center of Toronto Hill located in the heart of Chitimon the Chipmunk Kingdom's bustling Capital. A large congregation of 100,000 from throughout the kingdom and some from around the world along with dozens of news media outlets to record the occasion are gathered at the foot of the newly completed Juniper Memorial Megalith towering majestically over the city. Those attending the historic event also included her Majesty Queen Lewisa, the reigning monarch of the Chipmunk Kingdom, priests, dignitaries, and other world leaders. The event is also being telecasted around the world and streamed all over Globalnet. The High Priest, the Chipmunk Cheifian Tamias Orenberg, leads the historic occasion about to take place. That would be the consecration of the largest and most powerful megalith ever built, a signature landmark, a singing tower to fill the kingdom's capital city with the joy of music.
*Heralded by a fanfare played by a marching band, Tamias steps up onto a stage to begin the proceedings.
Tamias: ``Fellow Chipmunks, Your majesty Queen Lewisa, Elders, Dignitaries, my brothers and sisters in the order of the priesthood, and World Leaders, Earth's good people, good day and many blessings to you all! To those from across the world, and those watching these proceedings via Television and Globalnet I welcome you to the Chipmunk Kingdom and I welcome you all to Toronto Hill, the seat of our great nation?s central government and home to the Divine See. What a blessed day for these historical proceedings to take place!
``The Congregation applause.
Tamias: The Megalith is perhaps the most recognizable landmark in any Chipmunk Kingdom village, town, and city. This great singing tower rising high into the heavens fills the surrounding area with the glorious joy of music. The many voices of its mighty pipe organ calls upon chipmunks from far and wide to come together to celebrate the triumph of life over death, proclaim the Divine Destiny, our covenant with our beloved Sun deity Tawa, and fill his court with hymns of praise. The megalith with it's thousands of pipes and majestic trumpets is the collective voice of chipmunk kind calling upon the world to join with us in boldly casting our votes for day.
To those watching this event but are not familiar with the culture and customs of Chipmunk Kind and of our Kingdom, allow me to provide a brief explanation of what a megalith is and how it assumed it's role as the collective voice of Chipmunk Kind. Long ago, in ancient times before we chipmunks began our steps to becoming a civilization, chipmunks would find high places from which we would call out and sing to communicate to others and lay claim to all the land within earshot of our voices as our territories. As time progressed, chipmunks found ways to turn large rocks on end making them into megaliths. The very meaning of the word ``megalith'' is a rock turned on end. This created higher vantage points so we may project our voices farther and increase our territorial holdings.
Further through the march of time and as individual chipmunks came together in villages and towns, rocks turned on end became wooden towers and primitive musical instruments in a bid to expand territory to sizes sufficient to support farming and resource gathering for the villages and towns. As villages and towns grew into cities, wooden towers were replaced with higher stone towers while primitive musical instruments were superseded by the much louder pipe organ. During the many wars between chipmunk territories that raged before Hakooji unified our species as one culture, the megaliths grew larger and taller to accommodate larger, louder pipe organs as a means to ward off would-be invaders. Spine tingling, batallas or battle music would be played on the megaliths. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP1D-l3ngwQ"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP1D-l3ngwQ The trumpet en chamade or horizontal trumpet stops of one city's megalith and those of the neighboring cities's megalith would blast their fanfares and battle cries against one another as if the organs themselves were fighting alongside their respective cities' armies vying to win battles and wars.
*Tamias paused and smiled as the Battallas, that were still played though more for their musicality than war nowadays, were his favorite music played on megalith organs. One came to mind, a Battalla that was played on megaliths in the Chipmunk Territories of Striatus during the wars with its former arch adversary The Chipmunk Tribes of Minnimus. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DurPFDn-ZXE"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DurPFDn-ZXE Maybe it was the fact that he is an Eastern Chipmunk, the type of Chipmunk that ruled the Territories of Striatus before the Chipmunk Kingdom came to be. After all, there was still a friendly rivalry between Minnimus and Striatus, two of the three major chipmunk nations that, under the leadership of Hakooji's disciples, combined together to form the Chipmunk Kingdom.
*Tamias resumes his speech.
Tamias: But as Hakooji's teachings brought peace to chipmunk kind and his death and revival unified we chipmunks into one Kingdom, one culture, his one body, megaliths grew larger and taller and the organs becoming larger and more complex evolving into massive towers and equally massive, more versatile, symphonic instruments such as what stands behind me to accommodate their new role as the collective voice of all chipmunk kind calling chipmunks to worship in the Kivas, marking important events and occasions, the telling of time, and above all else, leading we chipmunks in calling to all on earth to join with us in boldly casting our votes for day.
Oh and one more thing....
*Ever witty and as cheeky as a chipmunk can be, Tamias gives a little smirk.
Tamias: For all of you youngin's that like to cram your automobiles full of subwoofers rattling store front windows with earth shaking bass, I'm sure you will enjoy the copious amount of decibels produced by one of these.
*Tamias points to the new Megalith towering over the congregation as some laughter could be heard.
Tamias in a more sheepish voice: My head dress can personally attest to the power of the new megalith's 32 foot bombardon and open 64 foot diaphone-dulzian.
*Tamias points to some of the many feathers ruffled out of place during a private tour of the organ loft and demonstration of the organ earlier the same day as the congregation gives more snickers and light laughter.
Tamias recomposing himself: ``Anyway... When a new megalith has been constructed or an old one restored from dereliction, an inauguration ceremony, led by a priest such as yours truly, is conducted in which the priest awakens the instrument, commands it to fulfil it's musical purpose, and then consecrates it into a Megalith.
That in mind, let us dive into the concrecration that transfigurates a structure and musical instrument built by mortals into a Megalith, the stone turned on end from which the collective voice of all chipmunk kind may be heard. In the case of this historic day, this is the consecration of the new one hundred and seventy five and one half meter, or five hundred and seventy six foot, tall Juniper Memorial Megalith, towering over this beautiful city as the tallest Megalith ever built and contains high up in its loft, the largest and most powerful pipe organ ever built. Rising from the very place of the former Elnar Megalith sadly destroyed by fire, this new structure and organ were lovingly built by the finest builders in the land in dedication to Juniper, the resident organist of the former megalith for his selfless act of hope to all who heard his inspiring musical talents.
*The Congregation Applause
Tamias: Before we begin this ceremony, I would like to thank the architects and builders for their hard work in gracing Toronto Hill with it's beautiful new crown jewel. I would also like to thank the individuals, businesses, and the central government's Ministry of Historic Landmarks and National Parks, and the Ministry of Culture for their generous donations and contributions. All of you involved please stand for a much needed round of applause.
*Tamias motions all parties involved to stand upon which the congregation gives a healthy round of applause.
*As the applause dies down and the recognized parties take their seats once more, Tamias resumes.
Tamias: Most of all on behalf of all chipmunk kind, I would like to give profound thanks to Tonya Song, a pupil of Juniper and now the Resident Organist and Head Curator of this new Megalith, for her tireless work in raising the donations for this new Megalith and overseeing it's design and construction. For the past 5 years, she has poured every waking hour into her efforts to make this new Megalith a reality. Her resolve is nothing short of awe inspiring. She is a fine musician, very much as talented as her teacher. We chipmunks owe this little mouse an insurmountable debt of gratitude. May the light of Tawa shine upon you, Tonya, and may you be forever in his grace.
*Tamias gestures upward to the organ loft high in the upper most reaches of the great singing tower where Tonya is seated at the console as the congregation gives a standing ovation.
*After the long standing ovation Tamias proceeds this time with a more somber tone.
Tamias: 5 years ago, an electrical fire broke out from a faulty junction box deep within the Elnar Megalith. The fire raged destroying the Music Library and then began spreading up the tower, setting fire to the structural trusses and weakening stone work with extremely high temperatures. The few curators that managed to evacuate the tower and retreat to safety said that Juniper refused to leave with them. Instead, he chose to stay behind despite stone arches and buttressing cracking under the fire's intense heat and the danger of the old megalith?s imminent collapse. It is said that Juniper switched on a backup generator in the organ loft to provide the organ with power and then played the organ for as long as he could as a message of hope to bewildered chipmunks witnessing the tragedy unfold before their eyes. The final piece he played was Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2E8qcKcgAU"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2E8qcKcgAU As the musical composition came to its soft reassuring close, the old Megalith came crashing down into a smoldering rubble taking with it the life of it's brave resident Organist.
Let us pray.
*The congregation bows their heads in solemn prayer as Tamias turns towards a prayer book held before him by an assistant priest. He raises his hands to shoulder level and begins to say a series of prayers.
Tamias: Tawa, deity of the Sun, give rest and everlasting love to Juniper for his bravery. May you immortalize his musical talents into the minds and hearts of all aspiring musicians from this point henceforth so his music may be heard by all forever and ever.
Congregation and Tamias together: ``Zazakowee, Zazakowee, Zazakowee.''
Tamias: O Tawa, our beloved light that shines into the darkness, the one inspiration of all music ever written by chipmunks, and all good people you have touched, as our gift of our eternal thanks and admiration to the brave organist for his heroic deeds in his final moments, we chipmunks have constructed this new singing tower in dedication to the one called Juniper. We pray that you allow his spirit to hear the music that shall fill the Great City of Chitimon, the capital of our beloved kingdom, for as long this new edifice shall stand.
Congregation and Tamias together: ``Zazakowee, Zazakowee, Zazakowee.''
``Concluding the prayers Tamias turns back to the congregation and smiles a joyful smile.
Tamias: Join with me fellow chipmunks and together as the body of Hakooji, the chipmunk who cast his vote for day, our head exalted, in consecrating this singing tower as the instrument to give us voice in our musical call to the world to boldly cast our votes for day!''
*Tamias turns to face the new singing tower, glimmering in gold, representing the Sun's blazing fires, it's deep blue accents highlighting it's massive buttresses keeping the tower upright representing the sky, and whites representing Tawa's divine light that gives life to all on Earth. It's many gold statues adorning the tower are depictions of history's greatest classical music composers, chipmunk and non-chipmunk alike. Even the likenesses of human composers such as Wolfgang Amadaus Mozart, Louis Vierne, Widor, and the greatest composer for pipe organ of all time J.S Bach graced the tower.
*The new resident organist and head curator is a small framed brown field mouse named Tonya Song. She is dressed in a simple loin cloth and is adorned with handmade tribal jewelry from her native lands. She spearheaded the new Megalith's fundraising, design, and construction. The little mouse is seated at the enormous seven manual console of the sleeping giant eagerly awaiting to awaken the new Megalith and it's massive ten storey high pipe organ of 449 ranks, 314 voices, and over 33,000 pipes. The loudest of all of it's stops is the spine tingling 16 foot trumpet stop called The Grand Ophicleide. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rfP5bVx-es"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rfP5bVx-es Voiced at 100 inches of wind and many times louder than a train whistle, this powerful reed stop produces what is best described as a pure trumpet note at ear splitting volume that can be heard from up to five miles away and holds the record of being the loudest pipe organ stop in the world.
Tonya was a pupil of Juniper who taught her the art of music and playing the pipe organ. Her hard past of living and surviving in the war torn Mouse Nation, forcing the little mouse to seek refuge in the Chipmunk Kingdom, made her feel like a ship without a rutter cast adrift in the endless expanse of the sea. However Juniper, a squirrel who also immigrated to the Chipmunk Kingdom, but in his case, to chase his dream of becoming a megalith organist, was like a father to Tonya giving her a sense of direction and purpose. She, like her teacher, would pursue a life in music. She would play this new magalith with all of her heart and soul in dedication to her late teacher. That moment comes when Tamias raised his chieftain's staff and tapped the cornerstone of the massive tower three times and together with the congregation said.....
Tamias and Congregation together: ``Awaken O' singing tower! Let the thousands of voices of your mighty pipe organ in song be heard across the land! Sing loudly and joyfully! Sing with your many trumpets and many beautiful sounds for you are the collective voice of all Chipmunk Kind!''
*Seated at the console, Tonya, watching the proceedings far below and for Tamias's signals via a small video monitor placed on the console?s music desk, gleefully smiles as the moment comes to awaken the great singing tower for all to hear. Exercising the many ranks of fiery Trumpet En Chamades including The Grand Ophicleide, jutting horizontally from the sides of the tower like the main guns of a battleship, what better choice of music to play for this moment than, Rising Sun by Brian Sawyers which was first performed at an ancient human church once known as the Crystal Cathedral. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV-AdVWhojE"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV-AdVWhojE
*The congregation thrilled by the majestic music and the sheer power and majesty of the organ from which it was played gives a standing ovation. Tamias gives applause as well as he smiles from ear to ear overjoyed by the thrilling opening number.
*Tamias resumes the proceedings
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, in music you will proclaim Tawa as the father and the Earth as the mother of all who live.
Congregation: ``Singing Tower, you will carry our songs of faith in Tawa and benedictions to our Mother Earth, for it is they that conceived of life, Tawa shining the fervency of his life giving light that fertilizes the soil of Mother Earth and from her soil all living things arise and are given sustenance. ''
*A majestic antiphone is exchanged between the congregation and the megalith. The congregation plays the roll of all life on Earth praising Tawa and thanking Mother Earth for the creation of life while the Megalith in bombastic sounds, summoned from it's tens of thousands of pipes, replies as it plays the roll of Tawa proclaiming his dominion over all the planets, and as father to all life on Earth and Mother Earth herself as his bride. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEkXB1-UU4"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEkXB1-UU4
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, you will lead us in psalms of praise to the Glory of Tawa, deity of the Sun, giver of life to all!''
Congregation: ``With your many voices and sounds, singing tower, inspire and encourage we chipmunks to sing with heart felt voice for music is an act of worship and praise and therefore a goodly, sacred act.''
Tonya summons the Megalith organ's articulate touch to accompany the congregation in a song of worship HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVfWMEy5-nw"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVfWMEy5-nw It is a demonstration of the organ's masterful design. It is not just a giant organ made to sound with overwhelming power, though it is more than capable of doing so. The Megalith's organ is purposefully built to be a fine versatile musical instrument to enable every piece of organ literature ever written and transcribed orchestral pieces for organ to be heard as faithfully and beautifully as their respective composers envisioned and to accompany congregations and choirs in fine music making.
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, you will solemnly memorialize the self sacrifice of Hakooji under the claws of Artakash. For it was Hakooji that stood up to the most feared animal in the forest to cast the decisive vote for day.''
Congregation: It was Hakooji who gave his life under the claws of Artakash that taught we chipmunks to let go of selfishness so that through his suffering and death we let our ego die and and be free from its delusions to see the truth in ourselves and truth of the world we live in and to serve the greater needs of the many over our own selfish desires.
In gentle solemn reply Tonya at the console reverently plays a solemn and somber piece reflecting Hakooji's death upon the Bloodstone using mostly the principals and mixtures of the megalith's organ from soft flutes to the more austere diaphones sweeten up by a few voices of string division. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMhowXZuDsw"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMhowXZuDsw
*The Congregation gives gentle applause
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, you will comfort those in sorrow.''
Congregation: ``As said in the Teachings of Hakooji, the soothing sounds of music is a healer of the mind, a relief from pain, and opens our minds and hearts to listen to the soul and to the spirits that gently guide us in the triumphs and tragedies in our life's journey.''
*Applause from the Congregation are heard as they are pleased by the gentle and healing sounds of the Megalith.
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, you will give voice to those in prayer and meditation.''
Congregation: As our collective voice, singing tower, carry in your many sounds our prayers to Tawa so they may be heard. Through your gentle music, lead us into the soothing peace of meditation so we may hear the spirits that guide us.
*Many in the congregation feel very warm and soothed. Loving couples hugs to each other in comfort through the meditative tranquility of the piece made possible by the Swell and Choir divisions and the lush String division all of which are under expression, meaning the pipe work of each of these divisions are inside their own enclosures equipped with louvers called swell shades that can be open and closed at will like vertical blinds to raise and lower the volume of the sound providing expressive dynamics and nuance to the music being played. The congregation applause happily as the tune comes to a close.
Tamias: ``Singing Tower, you will sing the jubilants of the mortal wounds healed and the revival of Hakooji by Tawa through his life giving light.
Congregation: ``With you, singing tower, let we chipmunks continue to sing the song of life's victory over death and day over the night through the ages `till the end of time.''
*Tonya plays a stately, triumphant hymn and the congregation sings with heart and voice of Hakooji's revival by Tawa and the vindication that life is victorious over death as death itself is merely the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next in life eternal. HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXzmjNE-yLA"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXzmjNE-yLA
*Tamias in a series of tribal dances and prayers then calls upon the spirit of Hakooji to enter his body and give him the power to consecrate the tower, an instrument built by mortals, as a new Megalith, the voice of chipmunk kind. The high priest, now as the vessel, an avatar of Hakooji, reverently places his hands upon the tower's corner stone and, with utmost reverence, speaks these words.
Hakooji speaking through Tamias: ``Singing tower, you are now a Megalith, the upturned rock upon which the collective voice of Chipmunk Kind, my body, may be heard. Through the joy of music, lead all chipmunks to be one single heartfelt voice in the call upon all Earth's good people to join with us in boldy casting our votes for day!''
Congregation and Tamias together shout with joy: Zazakowee! Zazakowee! Zazakowee!
bringing to bear the full unbridled power of the new Juniper Memorial Megalith's 33,000 pipes. As the little mouse plays with every last fiber of her being, tears of joy pour from her eyes dropping upon the keys of the second and third manuals. She now has her purpose, that console giving her command of the largest and most powerful pipe organ on Earth inside the tallest megalith ever built by chipmunks. This great tower and its organ is her voice, and thus her purpose is to give voice to all chipmunks in their quest to fulfill the Divine Destiny, the covenant with Tawa. It was the least she could do in thanking the nation that took her away from her rough past. It was also the least she could do for Tawa himself for it was his light of hope, that life-giving light that led her to Juniper who inspired her to find direction in her own life. It was the least she could do as thanks to her teacher to make beautiful music with all of her heart and soul for all to have the pleasure to hear.
*As the newly consecrated megalith erupts with joyful uplifting music filling the surrounding city with majestic sounds, Tamias escorted by fellow priests circumnavigates the mighty tower sprinkling it's granite stone work with Holy water forever sanctifying the structure and it's organ as the rock turned on end from which chipmunk kind as one voice boldly calls out to the world to vote for day.
I recently rebuilt the signature landmark on my Chipmunk Kingdom MInecraft Server. But instead of merely explaining what a Megalith is and its roll in the Chipmunk Kingdom and calling it a day, I decided to be a bit more creative and actually write up an RP style script of the Consecration of a new Megalith done by Tamias the Chipmunk Chieftain and officially put this new singing tower in the Chipmunk Kingdom Lore. Not only will you find a complete explanation of what a megalith is and its roll in the lore. You will find the back story of the particular Megalith in question and how it came to be. As a nice bonus I decided to toss in two characters created by TonyaSong https://www.furaffinity.net/user/tonyasongas a bit of an early Christmas present to that fine musician of a furry.
