Saturday, 20 June 2009

June session:SYCO Annual Concert 2009 and SCO:Jazz you up!

This month was really great ever thought we have now have some problems with H1F1 vires and Haze days(if any by chance).
The concert by youth orchestra and main Chinese orchestra was really happen the most ever for young kids should have spend some times of listen to the old Chinese music.The only thing was that I end up went to the Conference Hall with my whole family for the Jazz music last Saturday right after the youth's concert last week.
The Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra(SYCO) was formed back then in 2003 and was first played in 2004 (after year later).This year SYCO's concert, Young Voice was really good but only at the end of the concert was quite messing somewhere at the end of the concert.The list of item music for the SYCO concert:
Water of the Yellow River
Suite for Chinese String Instruments
Sights and Sounds of China
-Little Cabbage
-Green Willows
-Going to West Gate
-Gracing the Horse
Singapore Overture
Fishermen's song of the East Seas
The list of the item music by Singapore Chinese Orchestra0(SCO):
*The New Millennium of the Dragon Year
-1st movement:The Sun
*The Phoenix
The White-Haired Girl Suite
-1st movement:Smouldering Anger
-2nd movement:The Blowing North Wind and Rred Ribbon
-3rd movement:Dachun Joining the Army
-4th movement:Escaping from Hell
-5th movement:Celebrating the Victory
(combine music with SYCO)
*Note:Performated by soloists
'Water of the Yellow River' is usually played on few insturments to make the waves of the Yellow Rivers while the 'Suite for Chinese String Instruments' is divided into three parts: rubato,largo and presto.The 'Sights and Sounds of China' was originally based on the folk songs: 'Little Cabbage' was a song about a boy who was mistreated by his step-mother and was longing for his mother as he missed her so much.'Green Willow' was based from the animation and folk song known as Yangzhou though it's lyric was meaningless.'Going to West Gate' is one of the folk song that featuring people from their homeland in povertised huangtu plateau were forced to leave from their town and traveling to west of the country in order to make for their living. There are three diffenent version for this song, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. One of them, Shanxi piece, was story about the couple who were unwilling to let go from each others as one of them was forced to go to the West. And the 'Gracing the Horse' is a Yunan folk song and one of the famous music in China.It was about the ridder who rids on his horse with his wipper in Yunan country side.The 'Fishermen's song of the Eastern Seas' was not only poupler folk music but also has been played this piece since 1959. This composed piece was divided into four parts: First section-Dawn, Second section-The Fishing Fleets, Third section-Wining a Battle Against the Strong Sea and Fourth section-A Happy Return with Great Harvest. These were part of the 'Fishermen's song of the Eastern Seas' and ever my dad liked this music very much.'The Phoenix' was based influence of the Chinese traditional music and was combined together with the Western music.'The New Millennium of the Dragon Year-The Sun' was comporsed for the New Millennium known as 21st Century as it was Year of the Dragon on the Chinese calender. This music was played along the traditional drums and western drums. The last piece,'The White-Haired Girl Suite' was adapted from the symphonic work of the same title, 'White-Haired Girl'. It was composed for the ballet story about a poor farmer Yang Bailao who was pressed for the payment of debts landlord Huang Shiren and could not rescue her daughter Xi'er from being taken away. This was composed of Huabei, Hebei and Shaanxi folk music. This was composed in 1974 which was during period of China's culture revolution.It was played in five movements: Smouldering Anger, The Blowing North Wind and Red Ribbon, Dachun Joining the Army, Escaping from Hell and Celebrating the Victory.Although the last piece was kind of messing somewhere but the Singapore Overturn was so far the best from the rest from the list. Beside that, the 'Sights and Sounds of China' was also very good music. At least the youths were did very well in their performation. And what else everyone should know is that the Ministy of Education(MOE) has joined in the collaboration with SCO as the part for the National Project of Excellence(NPOE) with the SYCO. Hopefully students will be identify for their talent in music so that they will able to perform in their near future.
Following the week, on last Saturday(13th June, 2009) was the Jazz You Up performated by SCO and the Jazz group from USA known as Chris Brubeck's Triple Play. This was their second time for Triple Play to play on stage together with the Chinese Orchestra. Their first performation in Singapore was really great so this time they came here to play with them again along with their poupler music such as 'Take Five' and 'Unsquare Dance'. Anyway, I was keen excited about listen to the Jazz music with orchestra so that was my first time to be there at Conference Hall.
Here were the list of the items for that day:
1)Strike Up the Band
2)The Mighty Mrs. Hippy*
3)Brother Can You Spare a Dime?*
4)Grassland Fastasy*
5)Koto Song*
6)Unsquare Dance*
7)Blue Suite For Harmonica and Orchestra*
8)Trombone Concerto Movement 1-Paradise Utopia

9)Summer Palace*
10)Prelude in D minor
11)Take Five*
12)Blue Rondo ala Turk*
*Preformation with Chirs Brubeck's Triple Play
NOTE:
Performation by soloists following:
Take Five by Han Lei(Guazi),Wong Sun-Tat(Erhu),Yu Jia(Pipa)
Koto Song by Xu Hui(Zheng) and Tan Chye Tiong(Dizi)
Most of the songs were composed and/or arranged by Christ Brubeck, himself expect for the first song,"Strike Up the Band" which was originated by George Gershwin.(Eric Watson was then latter adapted to this song) "The Grasslands Rhapsody" or known as "Grassland Fantasy" was originated the Mongolia folk song Pastoral which was why they placed in with the blues and the Chinese folk song as the main music piece because of the melodious Bossa Nova theme."Blues Suite for Harmonica and Orchestra" was the played with the harmonica instulmer which plays through the mouth(by placing between the lips onto the harmonica) together with the orchestra."Trombone Concerto Movement 1-Paradise Utopia" which is played by solo trombone with aggressive, lyrical, witty and flamboyant qualities."Summer Palace" which was originated played by Hong Kong pianist, Kong Hong Wei, later adapted by local composer, Law Wai Lun for the orchestra. So far, the "Unsquare Dance" which composed by Chirs' father, Dave Brubeck, was most likely very interesting but quite rare to hear that because its unusual note sacle, 7/4 and gave alot of confuess for most audiences and dancers during the earlier days. That was why Chirs wrote the lyries for the piece as it was mix the western music with the sumbarn rhythme. "Take Five" was played by Dave's band, Dave Brubeck Quartet which was known well fro groundbreaking composition since in the 70s. With Triple Play's version, takes a completely unique featuring jaw harp as well as guitar, trombone, electric bass and harmonica. This was written by Chris' uncle, Paul Desmond, the musical.(Note sacle for the piece is 5/4). Looks like I had enjoyed myself throughout the concert till the end. I do really wish to look forware for the Chris Brubeck's Triple Play concert with the orchestra soon! ^__^

Final Fantesy:Distant Worlds(Singapore Festival Art)

For those who went to the Singapore Esplanade Concert Hall last month(22nd and 23rd of May, 2009) for the concert, should read this post this time after the Singapore Festival Arts was over and I haven't post for quite some times so this time I would like to make a REAL comman about one of the progammes of this year festival.I'm talking Final Fantesy:Distant Worlds. YES, I mean for this concert event held by Singapore Festival Art progamme.....>@<
What's the best thing about the concert night on that day was really great! Well, too bad my sister didn't book on the second day for the concert as it was already fully book so we end up bought the tickets for the first day's concert which was on Friday, 22nd of May.
That day, I went together with my sisters, Esther(older sister) and Judy(the younger sister) to the Esplanade by MRT station from Hougang(from Northeast line) to City Hall interchange(North-South line) then walked through the underpass turrnal(which is known as City Link) before reaching the Esplanade. The programme was started at 7:30 PM and my sisters wanted to buy the CD of the Final Fantesy seriers so I just went up to the second floor and waited for them for awhile.By the time they gone to the booth, there were running out of CDs so one of them had to go up to the third floor to try her luck.Before concert started, just nice she bought it in nick of time otherwise....well, some super 'kasuie' people would have gotten the CDs before her.
Never mind about that, when we went into the Concert Hall, we seated at the second top corrner just right facing the main screen and the stage.Not the one of the first floor where seats were cause this might not see clearly if you seat on the middle roll.
What really best thing about the music concert most of the music item were all based from the well known game, Final Fantesy seriers. Especially from FF7 seriers,FF8 and FF1,2 and 3.Although some music I haven't heard them before like 'Maria and Draco' from FF6 and 'Memoro de la Stono - Distant Worlds' from FF11(online ver.), I liked one of music which was really interesting.....the Chocobo item song which runs under the series of Final Fantesy. The most cool item that players would not forget was the recomposed of the same song by added into a bit of Jazz was from FF10, 'Swing de Chocobo'. OK.....most of this piece is the same old thing that's all I know about.(NOTE: don't flamed on me about this...)00;
What really surprised most of audience was that a composer from Japan was here for the concert! And that was Mr.Nobuo Uematsu
. Mr Nobua or some fans called as Nobua sasen(means in greeting theme as Mr/Miss/Mrs) was not only that he could speak abit of English(which we had already forgiven him), he also down-earth person too just like us in normal life.He was just simply gentleman who happened likes to eat our locate Chicken rice after all.^^'
At the end of the show, there was on called going on and the Singapore Festival Orchestra once more played the last two items before closing end of the concert and one of them was 'One-Winged Angel' from FF7, everyone's most favour song.Just happened, Nobua sasen went up on stage to join in with rest of the choirs from Victoria Chorale and The Vocal Consort. He was not bad in singing through out the part of the song which seem to be pleause surprised.
Right after the programme, there was long quene of people at the autograph section waited for the conductor and Mr. Nobua, himself. Wow..... looked at them it seem like three of us had never see such quene before as many people were rushing out from exit door just before end the show.^_^;

See for more inform about the concert tour:http://na.square-enix.com/music/dw_ff/