Monday, 31 March 2008

SCO: Flavours of Scotland-Go Celtic

Last Saturday night(29/3/08) my parents and myself went to the Singapore Conference Hall for the Singapore Chinese Orchestra(SCO). And their main theme was base on the music of the Scotland folksongs.
Although the main sponsor were by offical group people for the event for every concert, there was another group who were sponsred for this event was by British Council. And the main guest proformers were from Scotland; Alistair Anderson and Chris Stout. Both were the only musicals soloists.
There were number of songs to be play for the concert. Here the list of the songs:
1)Amazing Grace
2)Molly on the Shore#
3)Synergy
4)Fiddlers Free+
5)Look East*
6)My Love is Like a Red Red Rose+
7)Four Scottish Dances#
8)Songs of the North+
Note: "Amazing Grace" were preformed by a group of Women Police Pipes & Drums with the orchestra.
*Written by Alistair Anderson
+Written by Eric Watson
#Note: this was taken as adaptation.
The first piece of music was very nice as the pipes' sounds were very gracefully one. "The Molly on the Shore" was kind of an American song to me but the music was a good piece almost the same as the Western orchestra, but quite very difference as this music was played on Chinese verison instead. "Look East" was the solo group played together with Alistair who wrote this compose and the soloist with his concertiana(something like a paper lantern used during moonlight festives but, it is a instrument) and music, well..... was not bad with this piece. Quite suitable for small number of the musical group.What I liked the best was "Fiddlers Free" and "Songs of the North". The Fiddler comes from the tune of the violin version music. And it plays full of freewill with the fiddler as they said goes; 'violin plays music while fiddler dancing' that's what you called the"Fiddlers Free". And it was very good music. The soloist, Chist Stout who was main violin player was very good at this piece.The "Song of the North" was played during the 18th century when a group of Chinese musical went to Europe to proform there together with the other western people. It was wonderfull music as these pieces of music were switching one piece to another then came back to the first piece. Talking about "My Love is Like a Red Red Rose" used to play by the guitar which was taken over by a group of 'ruan' as they sound kind of very beautifull and had almost same sound as guitar too. The solo violin was played melody well. Kind liked singing of stings.
So far, was that I almost fallen asleep during the time of concert and that was the only one of the music that I nearly...... fell asleep and that was before the last music of proforme item. HA HA HA.... don't blame on me though as sometimes music could turn me off into the sleep. That's one reason should know about it. By right, I shouldn't do that during the concert. >0
Next round for coming concert, I try not to sleep just in case. Hee hee....!! @_@
Note: Talking about Eric Watson, he was there at the concert on that day. Too bad, no chance to talk to him in real person as I went home after the concert.

Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Hard time for GEO textbook

Since three weeks ago just started the night classes at the prviate school as I'm doing the N level examtion this year, all the things seem ready including pencilbox and sheets of papers to be prepare but.... I only bought the number of textbooks for some of the subjusts as I wasn't for sure wherther I needed them or to get another books.
On the first week of four-night study couse was Geographt lesson which held every Tuesday night.This GEO lessons were cover basing on two topices, Phy GEO and Human GEO. But the only problem was that one of my textbook didn't had all topices that covered on the Human GEO which were more on human popultion and settingment. I got almost wrong one instead.... ><; But still I had to keep another book(which I just bought two books, Sec 3 and Sec 4 for N-level) because there still had other Human GEO topice that cover for N and O level. OK, never mind about that but I had to find one that contian the base of Human GEO.
So on centre days, I went to the bookstore to look for the Human GEO textbook. But...... not all GEO subject books are selling these days as some of the topices already change for the secondly and JC school. And my older sister had to find one book for me from the Base Pase as there alot of old books for sale. Once on reture, I only recived this textbook that had not covered at all as it was inter version not the pure version.(pure version that contian only first base of Phy and Human GEO.) Almaka!! Now I had to change book. But think again, not easy to find one these days as some the publishtion centres don't produce such old and good books these days. So yeah it's quite sad not much books to buy one only some other bookstores still have selled the old publishition ones. Well, must be though.
Next day or another day before coming for the Human topice(I still now studying the Phy topice one first) I will find the book somewhere before someone else may want to steal away from bookshelts I better get one soon......^^;;

Note: Since I haven't blog in for some times, sorry just to keep you waiting. Thanks!

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

IT Fair at Sunect City

Last week, I went out together with my family to Suncet City for the IT Fair. Well.... not one but two visting days for the IT Fair. Althrough the fair ran on 6th of March to 9th of March(Thursday to Sunday), there were alot of people crowned around like canned fish at the fair!!
There were alot of things to see and try some stuffs. And the reason that I went with my sisters and my mom was to replace the old PC as it was crashed and broken down in the sudden. On the another hand however was that one of my sisters wanted to buy a new laptop as her old one about to full of speace. And older sister, well she wanted to get the Ipod for her MP3 music.
On last Friday, my sisters and myself went there to look for the computer. Since now all PCs are gone together with the LCD screens, so looks like we had to buy one for the table space.^_^ Besides that, we also went around the fair and looked the gadgets from one booth to the another, and then finally we found what we wanted for ourselves. But we had to go back again to buy the items that we needed.
On the next evening(Saturday), my sisters just went there earily and mom and I went to the fair later that to buy the PC for our home use. Just as we went to the fair, the crowned were too many inside and we had to wait at outside for others to come. Just nice, they came in together with a friend of my younger sister who is known well for the computer stuff. First, we went to buy the PC first, while my younger sister went to buy the laptop from another booth. My older sister just went to Apple Com booth for her Ipod after mom just paid the bill with her created card.(sorry I not sure if I spell off corrcetly) But, one problem was that we haven't collcet our PC yet as the screens hadn't came in just then. AND...... the vounder hadn't handled out to us too. Well we had to wait at outside again as there were too many people in there. So it was my older sister's turn to collect them indeed.0_0;;
After the buying stuffs from IT fair, dad came in to pick up us out and then we went to the noodle shop for our dinner together with bubby friend of younger sister's.
After all, now I got my new PC at home, I got some troblem to doing the game istalltions but still they run well after all. Never mind about this computer. What was worst happen however, of couse not at IT fair anyway, but.... I got myself knocked my head against the top of the door van after the night meal........ OUCH!------ That was painful enough!! >^<**

Saturday, 1 March 2008

SCO: Classics Kaleidoscope

Last Saturday night(1/3/2008) was the music concert performed by Singapore Chinese Orchestra(SCO) at the Singapore Conference Hall. The guest performers were Mr Piao Dong Sheng(conductor), Wang Ya Na(singer soloist), Han Ying(soprano lead), Hwa Chong Voice and Hwa Chong Institution(Female choru group) and other musical solo preformers from the SCO. The concert started at 8PM sharp.
Well, I was there with my parents that night. The progamme for that everning on that day:
1)Celebration Overture for Chinese Orchestra
2)Blossoms on a Spring Moonlit Night
3)Aspiration of the Honghu
4)The Legend of Shadi'er
5)Victorous Celebrations
6)Opera Kaleidoscope
7)Unforgettable Water Splashing Festival
The "Blossoms on a Spring Moonlit Night" was usually play on the pipa so that one was very nice peacefull piece. "Aspiration of the Honghu" was composed base on the lyrics of the song about the heroic spirit of the Honghu people. "The Legend of Shadi'er" was one of the earily pieces of China's music. Through Shadi'er was excellent composer and a singer, he used his art as a weapon against the Qing government during time of Qing Dynasty. Thus he was a hero of the Uyhur tribe in Xinjiang Province. Due the popularity in Xinjiang, the Qing government were in very bad fear causing Shadi'er's life to be ended. But the song of Xinjiang folk remainded ever nowadays as the song continued from time to time. The "Opera Kaleidoscope" was some kind of the music for the opera performa which was very different from the other opera music that recreative form for the music piece. It usually played a special insutment called jinghu as it has a soul for the Jing opera, one of the kinds of opera ever for the movie too. Besides that was jing erhu which was also had a same ture as the jinghu but it was longer than another. Through they suited for soulfull of the Jing opera, they were smallest among the Erhu family too. "Victorous Celebrations" was played on the suono due the insiprtion of the Northeastern of China's folks. And lastly, the "Unforgettable Water Splashing Festival" was base on Chinese own water festival after the Qingming Festival in Yunnan region of China. And it usually held once every year.
I liked the "Blossoms on a Spring Moonlit Night", "Opera Kaleidoscope" and "Unforgettable Water Splashing Festival" as a best so far. But what most interesting during the concert was the jinghu and jing erhu instead. Something that I never see kind of them before but my dad told me that they were the only second and smallest of the Erhu family and they do have that high note somehow. Now, if you asking me.... I wonder how the caftsmen did making the small erhu before hand. Funny isn't it?