Sing 4 Harmony

Concert:: The Poetic Journey with Stephen Cleobury

2011-06-14T09:08:00.002+08:00

Date/Time: 23 Jul 11, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$45, S$35, S$25; Concession - S$28, S$20

--- Start of Extract ---

A rare opportunity to see choral music luminary, Stephen Cleobury, conducting Singapore’s most outstanding chamber choir in a programme of rarely performed and heard choral works that will engage, inspire and uplift you.

As Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge and Conductor Laureate of the BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury is associated with two of Britain’s most famous choirs. In his illustrious career, he has also worked with leading symphony orchestras and period instrument ensembles. As the first choir in Singapore to be directed by Cleobury in a full concert, The Philharmonic Chamber Choir is honoured to present an evening of German chorales, and settings of English poetry by 20th century British composers.

[Repertoire]

Johann Sebastian Bach
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden,
BWV230

Johannes Brahms
Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen

Benjamin Britten
Hymn to St Cecilia

James MacMillan
Christus Vincit

Nicholas Maw
One Foot in Eden Still, I Stand

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Richte mich, Gott

Max Reger
O Tod, wie bitter bist Du

Heinrich Schütz
Jauchzet dem Herren alle Welt
(Der 100. Psalm), SWV36

Michael Tippett
Dance, Clarion Air

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Three Shakespeare Songs

--- End of Extract ---

Book your tickets from here today

SYF Actual Results

2011-05-04T17:45:00.004+08:00

SAJ: G
Dunman High: S
RI: GwH
YJC: S
NYJC: G
HCI: GwH
MJC: G
SRJC: B
TJC: S
PJC: B
NJC: G
TPJC: S
RVHS: G
AJC: GwH
CJC: GwH
ACJC: GwH
NUSH: B
VJC: GwH

SYF Pt 3

2011-05-04T17:10:00.006+08:00

PJ: Pre: HB Actual: B

Had split notes and generally airy tone; rushing for certain bits of cantate

NJ: Pre: HG/ GwH Actual: G

Although they had pitch problems and a tendency to go flat (esp for the set piece), there were some magical moments for the second piece. The last piece also showcased their technical abilities - control and subtlety in phrasing.

TPJ: Pre: HS Actual: S

Pitch problems for set piece; was best IMHO for the third piece - basses and tenors had many nice moments - esp with the intervals, however the piece was repetitive and was not technically challenging. [edited]

RVHS: Pre: S Actual: G

Had many pitch problems (split notes) and had a tendency to go sharp

AJ: Pre: HG/ GwH Actual: GwH

General tendency to go sharp though the overall performance was alright

CJ: Pre: HS Actual: GwH

Pitching issues - had voices (esp tenors) sticking out for set piece; second piece was generally well done; some phrasing felt disjointed in the third piece

ACJ: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

Had best interpretation (imho) for set piece; split notes in sops for first two pieces; felt their forte for the first two pieces could have been more (considering their size); tenors could have had a more grounded tone than what was heard

NUS: Pre: CoP/ LB Actual: B

Had many pitch issues for first piece; recovered a little for 2nd and 3rd piece; moments where it was pretty good

VJ: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

Were generally good pitch-wise; liked the tone of the basses, but didn't feel that intensity that makes u feel like u're listening to magic

SYF Pt 2

2011-05-04T13:30:00.005+08:00

NYJC: Pre: HG Actual: G

Some obvious errors in pitching, but overall a strong showing

HCI: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

Interesting pieces; crucifixus was imho a little too heavy/ tenative - but that's a personal pref; had stable and good overall performance

MJ: Pre: HG Actual: G

Good overall performance, but it lacked a certain intensity despite there being increase and decrease in dynamics

SRJ: Pre: B Actual: B

Earnest performance, but had many pitch errors (split notes etc) and pieces were not of a high technical difficulty

TJ: Pre: LS Actual: S

Tenors generally needed to have a rounder, thicker voice; had some pitch errors throughout

SYF Pt 1

2011-05-04T10:55:00.007+08:00

SAJC: Pre: LG (edited) Actual: G

Tendency to go flat, male voices tend to be nasal, entrances could be less sudden

Dunman High: Pre: LS Actual: S

Chamber choir with tendency to go flat; has a muffle sound; lack of balance between male and female voices

RI: Pre: HG Actual: GwH

Cheated with diction in Crucifixus and phrasing a bit heavy; went a little out of tune for set piece

YJ: Pre: LS Actual: S

Problems mainly with diction; generally airy tune; stayed more in tune than dunman

Event: Auditions for ONE - Round Two

2009-08-05T23:12:00.002+08:00

Due to overwhelming response, ONE will be conducting a second round of auditions before practices begin in September. Details are as follows-

Date: 22 August 2009

Time: Timeslots provided on first-come-first-served basis, starting from 10.30am.

To book an audition, contact audition.one@gmail.com.

NDP 2009!

2009-08-02T17:29:00.002+08:00

Thought I should drop a mention on the blog about NDP! Went to watch the preview yesterday and I must say, it's probably the most artistically cohesive and entertaining NDP in recent years!

But how does this relate to the blog? Well, an a cappella group, namely Vocaluptuous will be performing during the parade!

--- Spoiler Alert! ---

They actually sang part of the National Anthem a cappella, and it sounded really good!

Well, that's all, enjoy NDP folks!

Concert: Vienna Boys' Choir

2009-08-02T17:23:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 7-8 Nov 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$98, S$78, S$58, S$48, S$38

---Start of Extract---

The world’s favourite children’s choir, capturing the hearts of audiences around the world for generations, is set for two special concerts at the Esplanade.

The Vienna Boys’ Choir’s 400-year-old tradition is celebrated annually with an Asian tour to capital cities. The choir updates its repertoire regularly, and today’s programmes include everything from medieval motets to Beatles and Celine Dion, from folk songs to film scores.

In recent years, they have performed with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Recent guest conductors include Sir Neville Marriner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti

Due to their tremendous popularity, the Vienna Boys’ Choir’s concerts in Singapore have been fully sold out since 2005. Early booking is advised.

Website: www.wsk.at

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from SISTIC today!

Concert: NAC-ExxonMobil: Concert at the Park

2009-07-29T14:14:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 2 Aug 09, 5 pm

Venue: West Coast Park (carpark 3, behind McDonald's)

Ticket Price: Free Admission!!

---Courtesy of our friends at A Cappella Sounds---

---Start of Extract---

Be spellbound as we bring you many exciting performances by our renowned local music acts – Budak Pantai, The Lion Story and EN-X including Electrico presenting NDP 09
theme song amidst the lush greenery of the West Coast Park! This concert promises something for everyone!

Be spotted in your most stunning red and white outfit to receive ArtReach freebies and be part of this great celebration. Early birds will receive a NDP 09 goody bag! So pack your picnic baskets and come party with us!

Organised by National Arts Council, sponsored by ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and supported by National Parks Board. This event is part of the National Day 2009 celebrations.

---End of Extract---

Concert: The Voices of Lisbon Chamber Choir

2009-07-28T00:02:00.000+08:00

((Update: Discount available!!))

Date/Time: 8 Aug 09, 5 pm

Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Stall: $28, Circle: $35

10% Discount for Students, Senior Citizens & NSmen
15% Discount for PAssion Card Members & STB Staff

Offer from 31 Jul - 2 Aug 09: 2 tickets at $44 (includes booking fee)!

For group booking (min. of 20 tickets), kindly please contact DynamicWorkz at 6255 2019 or email at contact@dynamicworkz.com.sg

**Free Seating, and tickets are excluding booking fee.

---Start of Extract---

The Lisbon Chamber Choir (Coro de Câmara de Lisboa) was founded in 1978 by Prof. Teresita Gutierrez Marques and is formed by twenty young musicians.
The Choir has always been very active, maintaining an artistic level which is unanimously applauded by the public and the critics. They have performed all over Portugal and has participated in the most significant cultural exhibitions like Capuchos and Sintra festivals, The Gulbenkian Festival of Ancient Music, Lisbon ´94 – European Capital of Culture, Expo ´98 – World Exposition of Lisbon, the International Festival of Organ in Lisbon, to name a few.
The Lisbon Chamber Choir has also performed all over the world extensively, including Madrid, Cuenca, León, Seville, Sória, Vitoria (Spain), Paris, Strasbourg, Rouen, Caen, Mont. St. Michel (France), Brussels, Malines (Belgium), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Rome, Bergamo, Biella, Bolzano, Novara, Trento, Turin, Verona (Italy), Bonn (Germany, Vienna (Austria), London (UK), Montréal (Canada), New York, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San José (USA), Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, New Hamburg, Porto Alegre (Brazil), Montevideu (Uruguay), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Puebla (Mexico), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), Macao, and Cape Verde.

This International Choir Competition of Toloso winner has recorded several CD (for the labels EMI, Milan, Movieplay, Numérica and Virgin). They have also participated in recordings, both in Portugal and abroad, for radio, television and cinema.

In this concert, the Choir will perform a variety of program from the Renaissance to the 21st century, and from folksong to some famous musicals like West Side Story and The Phantom of the Opera.

PROGRAM - LISBON CHAMBER CHOIR

Ay mi Dios - D. Pedro de Cristo (+1618)
Tleycantimo choquiliya -Gaspar Fernandes (1570-1629)
A este sol peregrino - Tomás de Torrejon y Velasco (1644-1729)
Convidando esta la noche - Juan Garcia de Zéspedes (1614-1678)

Arioso - J. S. Bach / R. Santos (1685-1750) / (1941)
O Salutaris - Pierre Villete (1926-1998)
Psalm 43 - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Alleluia - Randall Thompson (1899-1984)
___________________

Três Esconjuros - Fernando Lopes Graça (1906-1994)
1)Contra os maus encontros
2)Contra os maridos transviados
3)Contra as trovoadas

Katakataka - Suarez / Laureola (1940)
Ni wa wa - Americ Ting-Wei Goh (1982)
Mamayog akun - Fabian Obispo (1952)
Jacinto Chiclana - Piazolla / Cangiano (1921-1992) / (1951-1997)
Vangelo - Eurico Carrapatoso (1962)
São João

One hand, one heart - L. Bernstein
(from "West Side Story")

Wishing you were somehow here again - Webber / Turner
All I ask of you
(from "The Phantom of the Opera")

Direction: Teresita Gutierrez Marques

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from Tickets.com or their outlets today!

Concert: TPCC Mendelssohn and Beyond

2009-07-27T11:42:00.002+08:00

Date/Time: 4-5 Sep 09, 8 pm

Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

Ticket Price: Standard - S$25
20% discount ($25) for Students, Senior Citizens (age 55 yrs & abv), NSF.
S$18 for TPCC Members

---Start of Extract---

The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Lim Yau conductor

The Philharmonic Chamber Choir presents a programme of a cappella choral music, joining choirs worldwide in celebrating the 200th birth anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

He is the single most influential early 19th-century personality who connects the splendour of the Baroque period with the apocalyptic Romantic era.

Schools will be able to use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise 60% (excluding GST) of ticket price for the concert on 5 September 2009 only.

Programme:
Felix Mendelssohn - Selections from Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten
Tian Hui Ng - Siehe!
Kurt Nysedt - Immortal Bach
Arvo Pärt - Magnificat
Ildebrando Pizzetti - Due Composizioni Corali

* All ticket proceeds for the 4 September 2009 concert will be donated to the SOTA Education Fund.

---End of Extract---

Get your tickets from SISTIC today!

Contest Results: Lisbon Chamber Choir

2009-07-26T10:13:00.002+08:00

Hi guys,

The contest for a pair of tickets to the Lisbon Chamber Choir's concert has ended.

The winner is... Siti Z!

Congratulations, our staff will be mailing you shortly for your contact details!

Listening Recommendation: Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

2009-07-25T10:29:00.006+08:00

Dear all,

We first brought to your attention Eric Whitacre's appeal for a virtual choir a while back. Guess what, it has been brought to fruition! :)

And guess what, they're doing it again! This time with Lux Aurumque More details will be given in due time, but meanwhile, add Eric Whitacre's Official Virtual Choir to your list of friends or subscribe!

Enjoy!

Sing-ing Sunday: Concerts I Wish I Attended

2009-07-19T23:59:00.005+08:00

I'm starving for a good concert. Since the most recent one I had watched left an aftertaste in my mind.

ACJC choir's annual concert, unknown year. Although the recording quality is bad, you can tell the choir is pretty good.

World Youth Choral Festival 2008, held in Singapore. I heard the junior college choirs were very good.

Raffles Chorale (RJC) Vocal Exploits. This makes for a very unconventional and refreshing concert opening number! Clapping Music by Steve Reich (1972), by the way. Very famous minimalist composer.

Vocal Consort, unknown year. Too bad this is another badly taken video. I always liked the way Mr Kwei interprets Asian and especially Chinese songs.

Contest: The Voices of Lisbon Chamber Choir

2009-07-18T01:22:00.001+08:00

((Update2: Contest closes today! For those who haven't already submitted your entry, please do so by tonight!))

((Update1: please note that our e-mail's not sing4harmony@gmail.com. It's singforharmony@gmail.com. Apologies for the inconvenience caused.))

Hi guys!

As part of our 100th post celebrations, the organiser of the concert, Voices of Lisbon Chamber Choir, has kindly agreed to sponsor a pair of tickets for our readers!

Simply answer this question and e-mail us at singforharmony@gmail.com or yeshamiel@gmail.com:

Name one musical from which the Lisbon Chamber Choir will be performing a piece from during their concert on 8 Aug 09.

*Hint: Look at the concert programme ;)*

Hurry! The contest ends on 25 Jul 09, and we'll pick out a winner, at random!

Note: Friends and affiliates of ours (e.g. friends who know us in person) are not eligible for the above-mentioned contest.

Sing4Harmony is now on Twitter!

2009-07-16T16:39:00.002+08:00

The title says it all!

We've synced updates on the blog to that of twitter so busy individuals would be able to just check their twitter feeds instead of hopping around to blogger every couple of days :)

Listening Recommendations: Michael Jackson Tribute

2009-07-13T16:05:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

We thought it'll be unfitting of us to not have a Michael Jackson tribute.

Here are some of his most renown works sung either a cappella or with choir. Enjoy!

Event: Auditions for ONE

2009-07-10T09:14:00.006+08:00

[UPDATE: The deadline has been amended to 24 Jul 09]

Date/Time: 18 & 25 Jul 09

Venue: Not stated.

---Start of Extract---

There is a new choir that is being set up, under the direction of Ms Lim Ai Hooi, one of Singapore's leading choral directors. Auditions are being held on 18th and 25th July.

---End of Extract---

For more info on how to apply, visit their blog here, or e-mail them at audition.one@gmail.com. Please note that only those aged 18 and above may apply, and the deadline for submissions is on 24 Jul 09.

Concert: Love Notes by NJChorale

2009-07-07T20:11:00.000+08:00

Date/Time: 31 Jul 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Young Musician's Society Auditorium, 54 Waterloo Street

Ticket Price: Standard - S$12

---Start of Extract--

---End of Extract---

E-mail NJChorale (basically the alumni) at njchorale@gmail.com. For those with facebook accts, to find out more, you may also visit their facebook event

Sing-ing Sunday

2009-07-05T23:22:00.005+08:00

This is our blog's 100th post!

The following are a few clips of local polytechnic and university choirs. Enjoy...

NTU Choir.

Doesn't everybody love Sisters Act. Fast forward to 3:53 for a Sisters Act medley.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic. This is my first time listening to a polytechnic choir, actually.

And here's NP's LinkaGe.

Concert: A Cappella Championships 09

2009-07-04T09:40:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 31 Jul 09 (Sec Sch), 1 Aug 09 (Choir), 2 Aug 09 (Open/College), 7.30 pm

Venue: Arts House Chamber (31 Jul 09), Esplanade Recital Studio (1-2 Aug 09)

Ticket Price:

Free Admission (31 Jul 09)

S$25, S$20 - Students, TAS members, purchases of 10+ tickets (1-2 Aug 09)

---Start of Extract---

Don't miss your chance to be a part of the biggest A Cappella competition ever held in Singapore! A total of 31 groups has registered for the A Cappella Championships 09, held over 3 days, 31 July at The Arts House Chamber and 1 & 2 August at Esplanade Recital Studio. Tickets for the Finals on 1 August (Choirs) and 2 August (Open/College) at Esplanade Recital Studio are available from The A Cappella Society, find all infos and details on our website www.a-cappella.org.sg Mrs Fields - Prize Sponsor of the A Cappella Championships Thanks to Mrs. Fields, you now have the chance to enjoy the best of both worlds! Present your ticket stubs for the A Cappella Championships and you get a 10% discount for all products at all Mrs Fields outlets. Not only that, coupons will be distributed on the competition days at the door before the start of competition. You will be entitled to a free nibbler with no strings attached when you present the coupon at any Mrs Fields outlet! (Not valid with other promotions) Coupons are limited and they are given out on a first come first serve basis, so do come early and support your favourite A Cappella teams!

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets through The A Cappella Society, by mailing them this booking form, or contacting them at 94559407, Fax at 64459835 or email: contact@a-cappella.org.sg. Do note that cheque payments must be made before 24 Jul 09More info can be found here.

Concert: Agapella's 7th Birthday Concert

2009-07-03T15:28:00.002+08:00

((We sincerely apologise for not plugging this event earlier.))

Date/Time: 10-11 Jul 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Lee Foundation Theatre, NAFA, Campus 3, 151 Bencoolen Street

Ticket Price: Standard - S$7

---Courtesy of A Cappella Sounds---

Agapella's Youtube video of its rendition of Pachelbel's Canon in D has been viewed more than 20,000 times and has attracted rave reviews from around the world for its smooth blend of harmonies. Yet we've never performed the song in public... until now. Be among the first to hear them perform this song and many other contemporary numbers spanning a plethora of genres, all this in a two-night only musical fiesta on 10th & 11th July 2009!

In celebration of our 7th anniversary, Agapella presents our biggest concert yet, Seven @ 8. We'll serve up fan favourites like "I Will Follow Him" (popularised by the movie, Sister Act) and "Testify To Love", on top of brand new arrangements. Among the new numbers, don't miss the re-written lyrics to the tune of the classic "Good 'Ol A Cappella". The concert will be a delight for the entire family with Agapella's unique brand of music and tight harmonies, together with a zany dash of theatre for a toe-tappin' good time!

Agapella's debut album, "Follow That Star" was released in 2007 to much acclaim. The album will be made available for sale at the concert. Don't forget to stick around for the post-concert refreshments (included in the ticket price) and hang out with Singapore's coolest vocal band!

* Every 5 tickets purchased in a single receipt will entitle you to a complimentary copy of the album,“Follow That Star”. Please present receipt at the door on the evening of the performance for redemption.

---End of Extract---

Get your tickets from SISTIC today! Alternatively, contact them at agapella@gmail.com, or for more info do visit their blog.

Review: Moscow State Chamber Choir & Chamber Orchestra Moscow Soloists

2009-07-03T00:06:00.004+08:00

The abovementioned concert, held on 12 June, was only 'alright' to me.

The programme was rather heavy, with Stravinsky's Concerto in D for strings and Brahms' Adagio in B minor from Op 115. The concerto was executed decently, but the motifs and gestures of the phrases were not always articulated well. It was, at least to me, obvious that the instruments were not tuned properly prior to the performance, too. Either that, or the intonation is not always spot-on. I know it's ironic that one would comment that a Stravinsky's piece is played out of tune, but I think it really was.

And I was proven right, when I heard the Adagio. Some notes of the scale were tuned too high or low for the chords to lock totally. Still, the Adagio was performed better than the concerto. Nicely shaped, lyrical and pleasing. Yuri Bashmet, the soloist on the viola, was rather musical. However, he was sometimes not audible against the accompaniment. Perhaps that was because his parts were often in the mid-register, and that he just blended in too well with the rest in timbre. Although I could hear he played his parts denser in quality whenever he crossed downwards into the midst of the accompaniment, I sometimes confuse his part with the other violists or cellists. The work was originally to be for a clarinet soloist, by the way.

Takemitsu's Three Film Scores for strings was more palatable than the previous programmes. Although Music of Training and Rest was played with appropriate lightness, the jazz piece was not played like a jazz piece. Honestly, I don't remember much about the other two pieces, Funeral Music and Waltz from Face of Arthur, now that the concert is long over, but I do know that they were decent, just not spectacular.

I liked the soprano soloist in Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate (K165). A pity that the audience didn't seem to enjoy the piece as much as the rest, judging wholly on the volume of applause given. She was very tasteful in the passages, and the cadenza was, although not mind-blowingly amazing, very florid, in style with the rest of the work, and exhibited her vocal prowess. Lovely.

Schubert's Mass No. 2 in G major for mixed chorus and strings was up to standard, too. The chorus was brilliantly shimmering throughout the work, although in a tad destructive manner as well. Vibrato sounds good, but when 40-odd choristers sing together with soloist voices, harmonies become vague and the soundscape becomes too thick and opaque. Perhaps the intended effect was to imitate a large chorus sound, which worked out perfectly. Thankfully the Mass was entirely homophonic, so the opacity of the sound did not disturb the melody-accompaniment balance. The soloists were all good - I liked the tenor's voice. Very clear and bright. The soprano solo was slightly operatic and off-tune, though.

The encore pieces, performed by the chamber orchestra and Yuri Bashmet, were well-played, I must say. It was just that most of the programme was either dark or executed heavily, such that the encore pieces felt coherent and did not evoke any new sensations.

Overall, the concert was rather disappointing as I had expected top-notch quality from the state's choir and more so, the chamber orchestra. Punctuating the programme with one or two short light works, especially after Stravinsky, would have made the slow, heavy parts of the programme more listenable. Also, the choir could have been featured more and sung a piece which contrasts with Schubert's Mass. That could have possibly made the second half a joy to hear, especially after the fantastic start with Mozart's motet.

Personal score: 6/10

Review: SYF Choral Presentation

2009-07-02T23:42:00.006+08:00

Programme:

SYF Choral Presentation Combined Choir (conducted by Stephen Leek) - White Horses by Stephen Leek

Anglican High Sch - Sleep by Eric Whitacre

Commonwealth Sec Sch - Jaakobin Isot Pojat by Pekka Kostianen

Nanyang Girls' High Sch - Zima (Winter) by Lojze Lebic;
The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson (arr. Ko Matsushita)

Catholic JC - Jauchzet dem Herrn by Felix Mendelssohn

Victoria JC - My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land by Edward Elgar

The Australian Voices Ensemble (conducted by Stephen Leek):
Coonawrin (from Glasshouses) by Stephen Leek
Southern Garden (from My Country) by Stephen Leek
Tides of Ocean by Matthew Orlovich
Wirindji (from Great Southern Spirits) by Stephen Leek
Waltzing Matilda arr. Stephen Leek

---Interval---

Victoria JC - Sounds of Joy by Zechariah Goh;
Hana by Ko Matsushita

Catholic JC - Mayila by Chen Yi;
Pokpok Alimpako by Francisco Feliciano

Nanyang Girls' High Sch - Aitakute (I Want To See Them) by Ko Matsushita

Commonwealth Sec Sch - Meplalian by Budi Susanto Yohanes;
Ashita wa Hare kana, Kumori kana by Toru Takemitsu

Anglican High Sch - Maiden of Miao arr. Nelson Kwei

SYF Choral Presentation Combined Choir - A Singaporean Medley arr. Zechariah Goh

Review:

As with any other concert, it had its highs and its lows. I enjoyed the presentation of pieces put forward by Nanyang Girls', especially so for the full sound they produced. It is truly difficult to obtain a full sound from an all girl's choir, simply due to the lack of TBs. They were, for the most part, brilliant. In addition, despite the errors, I enjoyed CJ's Jauchzet dem Herrn. The tight and warm sound was a nice contrast against Nanyang Girls' fuller, broader sound. Some of the schools disappointed us and didn't perform up to par with the standard in which they had done so during SYF. Some recovered in the 2nd half, some didn't. Perhaps they haven't sung for a long time since the competition, I don't know, but it was indeed a little disappointing to listen to.

The programme put forward by the Australian Voices was interesting. It's always something special to have the composer conducting his own piece. Out of the five pieces which they performed, Wirindji truly evoked an image of death in the wilderness. I was almost conned by the ending when I thought I heard overtones, only to realise someone was actually whistling. Oh well haha.

All in all, it was a decent concert. I liked the idea of separating Asian music and Western music. However, the time in which it took to change from one choir to the next really set back the programme. In doing so, we probably ended abt half an hour later. Perhaps this is something for the organisers to note for future presentations :)

Concert: Leong Yoon Pin - A Choral Odessey

2009-06-27T22:56:00.004+08:00

Date/Time: 25 Aug 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$30, S$25, S$15

---Start of Extract---

Wearing the many hats of composer, educator, and conductor, Leong Yoon Pin is mainly known for his role as composer. His compositional output include two symphonies, the tone poems Blessing the Seas, Temasekian, and Episodes in Journey to the West, the opera Bunga Mawar, the concert overture Dayong Sampan, a piano concerto, choral and other many instrumental works. But perhaps Leong is best known for his choral works, many of which were locally commissioned and performed by both amateur and professional choirs. These include the popular Street Calls, Dragon Dance, Nostalgia, Here Comes the bride and Love Quatrains.

Participating choirs
Amadeus Choral Society, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, Common Voices, Duman High School, Hwa Chong Institution (College), NAFA Alumni, National Junior College, River Valley High School, SYC Ensemble Singers, Tanjong Katong Girls' School, The Vocal Consort and Victoria Chorale.

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from SISTIC today!

Review: "FIRSTS" by Key Elements

2009-06-17T10:07:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

The review below's done by Ching Mei from A Cappella SOUNDS.

---Start of Extract---

Upon stepping in the Esplanade Recital studio, it was pretty much a full house last night, a concert attended by friends and fans alike. I came as a supporter of local a cappella with my friend in delightful expectation of what repertoire jazz-infused a cappella group Key Elements [KE] could come up with.

As expected , KE opened with their signature jazz-tinged arranged of I'm Beginning To See The Light. However, the audience truly warmed up to KE when they mentioned their stint and the song which they could not reach pass the 1st stanza at the Hokkien Huay Kuan with a cutesy choreography. In fact, I was rather impressed with the simplistic jazz take of a familiar Hokkien classic 一人一半 Jit Lang Jit Pua as sang by Jason Ong, the songwriter-arranger of the group. Yes, that song had the audience hooting in laughter.

Not only that, the audience were amusingly prompted by the KE "girls" [ Susanna and Hui Lian] to be screaming fans when the "boys" of KE [ Vaughn, Kim Beng, Jason and Benedict] sang a classic but simple barbershop arrangement of Come Go with Me and the guys proved to be able to sound effortlessly, harmonically tight in this piece. Benedict [KE's baritone] even attempted a familiar Korean ballad I Believe from the Korean movie "My Sassy Girl", after which Jason jokingly said a greeting in Korean. The audience even had the chance to "support" KE by waving their handphone lights along with the disco ball light with the feeling of a travel back in time.

Despite the members having bouts of flu as KE mentioned during the concert, KE did their utmost best.Especially so for tenor lead Kim Beng who gave quite an impressionable lead on a pop song [ title unknown?] where he had to challenge the mezzo-soprano register of Susanna [ KE's mezzo-soprano]. I admit it was a brave feat for KE to attempt pop-rock genre and even imitating the string ensemble as they seem more comfortable and at ease singing the jazz genre. After all, they are more jazz- influenced.

---End of Extract---

Concert: SYF 2009 (Choral Presentation)

2009-06-17T09:56:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 2 Jul 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$4

---Start of Extract---

The SYF 2009 Choral Presentation will showcase performances by The Australian Voices and five outstanding local school choirs who have performed well at the SYF 2009 Central Judging of Choirs in April and May: Anglican High School, Commonwealth Secondary School, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Catholic Junior College and Victoria Junior College.

The choirs will present a wide array of repertoire from different eras and cultures. This year, there will also be a combined choir consisting of representatives from schools which have been awarded the Gold award at the SYF 2009 Central Judging of Choirs. The combined choir will present the SYF 2009 Set Piece, ‘White Horses’ under the baton of the composer, Mr Stephen Leek from Australia, as well as ‘Singaporean Medley’ under the baton of Dr Zechariah Goh from Singapore.

---End of Extract---

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Sing-ing Sunday

2009-06-14T22:23:00.002+08:00

I quite like the piece, for its harmonies.

Listening Recommendations: Britten's War Requiem

2009-06-11T21:23:00.003+08:00

I quite like this work by Benjamin Britten. Personally, I don't listen to much classical music because I have short attention spans (I suppose many of you must feel that way too, haha).

Thing is, a good portion of this massive work - requiring two orchestras, three soloists, a boys choir and an organ - is set to English. Wilson Owen's poems were set to music, which juxtaposes the traditional Latin text, also sung in the work. The musical effects are very dramatic, as well. Church bells, church organ, boys choir singing sacred Latin text, soprano, baritone and tenor solos... You get the idea.

This work was composed relatively recently, from 1961-1962. Within five months of the first recording released over 200,000 copies were sold, a first for an album featuring contemporary classical work. The album won Britten THREE Grammy's in 1963, for Classical Album, Best Classical Performance - Choral (other than Opera) and Best Classical Composition by a Contemporary Composer.

I've embedded in this post, the recordings for the last (sixth) movement. It is (unfortunately) broken into three videos. However, they are broken according to the starts and endings of the sung text. Interestingly, I don't find the music compromised at all. So, take your time to listen to them.

OK, now go listen!

Sing-ing Sunday: Girl groups!

2009-06-07T21:34:00.002+08:00

I just can't stop listening to (and watching) SNSD and Wonder Girls on youtube.

And there are groups who created, guess what, A CAPPELLA versions of their hits!

Gee by SNSD.

I see wonder boy dancing there HAHA.

The world-famous song Nobody by Wonder Girls.

So Hot by Wonder Girls.

Listening Recommendation: Pilgrims' Chorus by Richard Wagner

2009-06-06T12:11:00.002+08:00

The video below is from Wagner's Tannhäuser (opera), Act 3. By the way, Wagner is famously mainly for his operas and orchestral work. He also composed some songs (solo voice with accompaniment) and choral work, although I don't think it'll ever be performed by any school choir.

By the way, the famous "Here Comes the Bride/Bridal Chorus" a song from Wagner's Lohengrin (another opera). Cool. Don't confuse that with Mendelssohn's "Wedding March", the other famous wedding tune, though.

Here's what seems to be the original, opera version with the characters singing. The recording is cut 'halfway' because, well, that would be the part where the music transits to the next song in the opera.

I like the part when the chorus sings 'Hallelujah' and especially the triumphant E-flat major chord at 3:37.

Although it's in German, I also found a translated version of it here (youtube video).

Concert: Limelight 2009: World Harmonies by Nanyang Girls' High School Choir

2009-05-28T22:17:00.001+08:00

Date/Time: 29 May 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$20, S$15 ticket for Student, Senior Citizen & NSF.

---Start of Extract---

Across the Scandinavian fields, over the plains of Eastern Europe, through Japanese villages and into the quirky world of modern America, embark on a musical journey around the world and listen to an eclectic mix of songs from around the world with the Nanyang High Choir.

The repertoire includes The Syncopated Clock, The Waltzing Cat and The Typewriter by Leroy Anderson, Itsuki no Lullaby by Ko Matsushita, Spring by Lojze Lebic, Jaakobin Pojat by Pekka Kostiainen and selections from Disney.

---End of Extract---

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Listening Recommendation: Glagolitic Mass by Leos Janacek

2009-05-27T11:24:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

Here's this week's listening recommendation.

Composer Leoš Janáček (1854 - 1928) was born in Northern Moravia (in modern day Czech Republic). Although known mostly for his operas, Janacek also wrote a number of anthems and choral works. His works in general are highly challenging, in both technical aspects - rhythm, pitch, harmony (dissonance, unorthodox chord spacings) , keys (modal, major/minor) and musically (in corporation of pitch contour, inflections of Czech speech, and feeling that slight sense of minimalism in his works).

Despite being an atheist, he composed one of the most highly-acclaimed choral works in the 20th century - the Glagolitic Mass. The setting was chiefly, non-liturgical, but used an Old Church Slavonic text (the term Glagolitic comes from the Glagolitic alphabet, the earliest alphabet used by the Slavs, and not to the texts used by the mass, as Janacek seems to have believed) to which a 8-movement work was structured around.

It begins and closes with triumphant fanfares dominated by the brass. In between these sections lies particularly vibrant and rhythmic writing for voices (soloists as well as choir). Before the closing Intrada, Janáček introduces a dramatic organ solo of considerable originality -- a perpetuo moto of wild energy.

Janacek attributes its conception to an electrical storm he witnessed. "It grows darker and darker. Already I am looking into the black night; flashes of lightning cut through it. I switch on the flickering electric light on the high ceiling. I sketch nothing more than the quiet motive of a desperate frame of mind to the words ‘Gospodi pomiluj’ [Love have mercy]. Nothing more than the joyous shout ‘Slava, Slava!"

Listen to see whether you can visualise the imagery Janacek had in this masterpiece.

Concert: Video Games Live

2009-05-26T22:08:00.000+08:00

Date/Time: 19 Jun 09, 8 pm

Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium

Ticket Price: Standard - S$115, S$85, S$70, S$55

*Through SISTIC Website, Hotline & Authorised Agents
10% discount for Early Bird.
[Applicable from 13 - 22 Mar 2009]

10% discount for Local Student.
Full Time students with valid student pass.
Please note that random checks on concession tickets will be conducted at the point of entry.
Patrons unable to present proof of eligibility are required to upgrade their concession tickets to full price tickets.

Through SISTIC Authorised Agents only
20% discount for Coupon with the purchase of New ERA products with minimum $100.
[Applicable to price cat 1 & 2 only]
[Available from 8 May 09 onwards]

15% discount for SIS Star Pass.
[Applicable from 19 May 2009 onwards]

15% discount for Post Card (present valid post card).
[Applicable from 22 May 2009 onwards]

---Start of Extract---

Video Games Live (VGL) is the biggest and most sensational game concert featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Performed to countless sold-out audiences in United States, Europe and North Asia, VGL is making its first Southeast Asian appearance in Singapore!

VGL integrates cutting-edge visuals and state-of-the-art technology with music arrangements and unique interactive segments, offering audiences an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

Produced and performed live by world famous video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, with our very own remarkable NUS Symphony Orchestra & Choir, VGL features music from the most popular video games - Pong, Mario, Sonic, Halo, Warcraft, Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and more.

Gamers & music lovers unite! Do not miss this opportunity to watch Video Games Live’s debut performance in Singapore!

---End of Extract---

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Concert: Symphony of Voices by Victoria Junior College Choir

2009-05-25T10:02:00.000+08:00

((Updated with concert programme))

Date/Time: 14 May 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$50 (Box Seat), S$40, S$30, S$20. (Doesn't appear to have concessions for students)

Concert Programme: (many thanks to our reader, who has requested to be anonymous)

The Heavens are Telling
1988 (Hong Kong) - Choral Conductors Workshop Demonstration Choir

The father of symphony, F J Haydn composed The Creation during 1796-1798, the longest time he had ever spent on a single composition. Regarded as one of Haydn's greatest masterpiece, The Heavens are Telling is one of the mightiest choruses of the Creation and remains as popular favourite even till today.

My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land
1990 (Wales) - Cardigan Eisteddfod International Choral Competition

This beautiful yet sad piece of music is a lament for lost love. The piece was published in 1890, composed by renowned English composer Edward Elgar based on a poem by Andrew Lang. Every phrase in the music brings you a deeper insight to the poet's world. At the beginning it may seems to be an idyllic recollection of a summer's love, but only to be revealed at the end that the poet's beloved is dead.

Fyer, Fyer!
1991 (Hong Kong) - Invitation from the HK Education Ministry for Concert

This madrigal is a renaissance piece that was composed by renowned English musician Thomas Morley during the Elizabethan Golden Age. Fyer, Fyer was written as part of the First Book of Ballets in 1595. The song explores the burning emotions that arise when love culminates, as depicted by the forceful singing in most sections of the song.

Ave Verum Corpus (performed by year 1 chorus)
1992 (Europe) - Concert Tour Around Europe

A traditional favourite by the 19th century composer Camille Saint-Saens, this Latin sacred music is strongly influenced by music from Italian Catholicism. It means "Hail the true body", referring to the body of Jesus Christ. A Eucharistic hymn that was used frequently during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the heartfely music is a testament to Christ's death and the final judgement.

Ma Tou Qin Zou Qi Lai Le (performed by Victoria Chorale)
1993 (Australia) - Sydney Opera House, Canberra House of Parliament

Composed by Liu Zhuang, this piece explores the theme of nation building. Also known as the Morin Khur or horse-headed fiddle, the Ma Tou Qin is a Mongolian bowed instrument with two strings and a detailed carving of a horse's head on the peg head. This song is a strong representation of the Mongolian tribal culture, reflecting both the sound of the Ma Tou Qin and traditional Mongolian overtones.

Ave Maria
1995 (Vatican City) - Saint Peter's Basilica

Ave Maria is a prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on a biblical text. Anton Bruckner wrote this seven-part setting in 1861, making it the first major composition that he completed after 5 years of arduous study. It starts with a three-part women's choir followed by a four-part men's choir which eventually unite in the proclamation of Jesus. It concludes with the asking for intervention for us sinners.

Lok Sui Ten (performed by the Victoria Chorale)
1997 (USA) - Concert Tour to USA, performed at Disneyland, LA

Arranged and commissioned by Dr. Zechariah Goh Toh Chai and Victoria Junior College Choir in 1996, this song (based on a Hakka poem) consists of traditional Hakka droning tunes that are full of emotion. Like most Hakka folksongs, this piece is about life in the mountains. It praises the strong spirit of their people, who do not easily succumb to the difficult circumstances. The piece tells the tale of people, who do not have any shelter, being caught in heavy rains, which relentlessly pour on them.

Counting Frogs (performed by year 2 chorus)
1999 (Pohlheim, Germany) - Mendelssohn International Choral Competition

Arranged and commissioned by local composer Dr. Zechariah Goh Toh Chai and Victoria Junior College Choir in 1998, the VJC Choir once again brings to you this famous Chinese folk song, a popular favourite amongst many. Beginning with 1 frog, with 2 eyes and 4 legs, the numbers keep multiplying as the tongue twister unfolds; the speed of the song also escalates when new frogs are added. The croaking of frogs and unique harmonics used in the opening set a mysterious atmosphere, slowly building up towards a grand and impressive finale.

Ave Maris Stella
2000 (Linz, Germany) - 1st Choir Olympics

Composed in 1979 by Vajda James, this energetic yet solemn piece sings praise to the Virgin Mary. It is based on a plainsong hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which origin is uncertain and can be dated as far back as the eighth century.

O Magnum Mysterium (performed by year 2 chorus)
2002 (Prague, Czech Republic) - 12th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music

This sacred piece was composed by French composer Francis Poulenc, it explores the internal struggle that he as a person faces in reality. Poulenc's setting of this piece consists of a very sombre tone, which reflects the immense pain felt by him. Based on a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas, we return to the fateful night when Jesus Christ was born in a lowly manger. The sense of awe felt by those present is captured and relieved in this song, which exalts "The Great Mystery".

Now Every Tree (performed by year 1 chorus)
2003 (Genting Highlands, Malaysia) - Inaugural 21st Century International Choral Festival)

This madrigal was written in 1597, during the renaissance period, by famous English composer Thomas Weelkes. Being the most important from of music of its time, it is a polyphonic secular vocal composition that is unaccompanied. The music well expresses the sentiment of each line of the poetic text, which depicts a love-song of the seasons.

In The Bamboo Forest (performed by Victoria Chorale)
2004 (Bremen, Germany) - 3rd Choir Olympics

Composed by Dr. Zechariah Goh Toh Chai, and commissioned by the Victoria Junior College Choir in 2003, this piece was premiered by the VJC choir in 2004. "Sitting alon, in the hush of the bamboo, I thrum my zither, and whistle lingering note. In the secrecy of the wood, no one can hear, only the clear moon comes to shine on me."
Based on this poem by Tang Dynasty poet (Wang Wei), the song describes how the simple pleasures of music and art are somtimes best enjoyed in solitude.

Confitemini Domino
2006 (Riva del Garda, Italy) - 9th Concorso Corale Internazionale

This spectacular piece of music composed by acclaimed Venezualan composer Alberto Grau, exhibits heavy Latin influences that stem from his own cultural roots. It is an extremely unique choral piece that encompasses a mixture of slow, moving passages and intense, captivating trance-like rhythms and effectively uses and incorporates a wider range of musical effects.

Hana
2007 (Pattaya, Thailand) - 3rd A Voyage of Songs International Choral Festival

This enticing piece composed by Japanese composer Ko Matsushita in 2001 expresses the fragility and tenderness of a flower, bringing as through the course of its delicate life. Does the blooming of a flower indicate its impending and inevitable death? More often than not we only see a flower for its bloom, but not its journey, in which its story unfolds. Let the VJC choir take you through this mesmerizing journey of the story of a flower.

Mate Saule
2008 (Wales) - Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod

Mate Saule, also known as Mother Sun, is a contemporary piece written by Peteris Vasks in 1946. It is an early choral work, featuring voices oscillating like the shimer of a sun slowly rising in the horizon, lit by flares and fragments of chant. The song culminates with a breathtaking chord, consisting of 15 parts (each representing a beam of sunlight) which expresses the idea of an inspiring sunrise by the Mother Sun.

Christus Factus Est
2009 (Linz, Germany) - 2nd International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition and Festival

Composed byt the renowned Romantic era composer Anton Bruckner and completed in 1884, Christus Factus Est was dedicated to a Father from the Benedictine Monastery. It is a symphonic and beautiful piece and a prime example of the way Bruckner develops harmonic tension gradually, building to memorable climaxes and then easing away.

The Phantom Waltz

Based on two poems by Izak van der Merwe, South African composer Hendrik Hofmeys wrote this piece in 1998. It is a contemporary piece that depicts ghosts gathering for a light, yet energetic waltz at a spookey estate on an eerie night. The haunting and creepy atmosphere is further enhanced by the whispers and winds that vocalists create at different sections of the song. Watch out for the hair-raising opening as the VJC Choir welcomes you to the Phantom Waltz.

Magic Songs (Chant to Bring Back the Wolf)

Composed by renowed Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, Magic Songs is compilation of 9 chants, of which we are only performing one. What is unique about Magic Songs is that it reflects the idea of 'Tone Magic', which requires the performers to believe strongly that they will bring out a physical effect from the chants, so as to energise the piece. The chants are to restore aspects of nature which have been destroyed or neglected by humanity. In the words of the composer, "if you sing the right note, you can make anyhing happen".

---Start of Extract---

A choir recognised both locally and internationally for its mastery of choral music, the Victoria Junior College Choir once again presents its annual concert Symphony of Voices. In conjunction with the college’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, this will be an evening that celebrates the choir’s accomplishments over the years. This promises to be an evening of spectacular music, where the choir will showcase its musicality and versatility with a variety of songs ranging from sacred music of the Latin tradition to contemporary Asian and Western compositions.

Under the guidance of esteemed choral director, Mr Nelson Kwei, the Victoria Junior College Choir has grown from strength to strength since its humble beginnings in 1985. The choir has garnered numerous awards, attaining Gold Awards in all categories they competed in during the 2004 Choir Olympics and being awarded the Grand Championship Prize in the Riva del Garda Choir Competition held in Italy in 2006. More recently, the VJC Choir was awarded the Special Jury Prize in the Voyage of Songs International Choral Festival 2007, and clinched first prize in the Youth Choirs section at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2008 held in Wales.

--End of Extract---

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Concert: Distant Worlds music from Final Fantasy

2009-05-24T09:50:00.000+08:00

---Update---

Here's the programme from the night (23 May 09)

FF VIII: Liberli Fatali (with chorus)
FF X: To Zanarkand
FF VIII: Don't be Afraid
FF VII: Aerith's Theme
FF I - III: Medley 2002
FF V: Dear Friends (with guitar solo)
FF IX: Vamo' alla Flamenco (with guitar solo)
FF XI: Ronfaure
FF series: Main Theme

Intermission

FF VII: Opening - Bombing Mission
FF VIII: Fisherman's Horizon (with chorus)
FF XI: Memoro de la Stono - Distant Worlds (with chorus and soloist, Anna Koor)
FF IV: Theme of Love
FF series: Swing de Chocobo (my personal fav)
FF VIII: Love Grows
FF VI: Opera "Maria and Draco" (soloists, Anna Koor, Kee Loi Seng and William Lim)

Encore:

FF VI: Terra's Theme
FF VII: One Winged Angel (with chorus, and Nobuo Uematsu-sensei singing in the chorus)

--Original Post 29 Jan 09 ---

Okay the details are unknown yet, but we can confirm that play symphony is coming to Singapore again this year! 22nd and 23rd May 09, at the Esplanade. This year's concert will comprise of all the Songs from the Final Fantasy Series from square Enix. A must watch for all FF game fans and choir enthusiasts alike!

Will update when more details are available.

Notice: Online Choir Experiment by Eric Whitacre

2009-05-22T22:45:00.004+08:00

Hi all, just thought I would like to bring this to your attention. I was notified of this through an e-mail sent by a friend.

(The above link is to Mr Eric Whitacre's official blog.)

Whitacre is looking for singers to sing parts of his composition "Sleep" and record it on video and post it on youtube, where he can then fix all the parts together and create the world's first virtual choir! If it works out fine, he may even compose a new song to be premiered by the virtual choir. Do check out his blog for the details (read from his May 15th post onwards.)

Hope to see Singaporeans as part of the virtual choir :)

Listening Recommendation: The Philippine Madrigal Singers

2009-05-20T08:42:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

This week's listening recommendation's actually a concert done by The Philippine Madrigal Singers, or more affectionately known to their fans as Madz. A two-time winner of the European Grand Prix, Madz recently performed a number of pieces in South Korea. Lucky for us, we don't have to travel all the way there to listen to them perform live! :)

Below's some of the pieces which they performed during the concert on Apr 29:

Sing-ing Sunday: Most viewed choral videos

2009-05-17T17:40:00.005+08:00

As the title suggests, I did a quick search on youtube for "singapore choir" and found the following to be the most viewed videos of school choirs.

No. 5: Victoria Chorale (2,827 views)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpNvijouPo (embedding was disabled, so you'll have to access the webpage)

I guess alumni choirs count? And I sang that song before (for Christmas carolling, what else).

In Dulci Jubilo.

No. 4: TKSS Bin Nam Ma (3,515 views)

I didn't hear Bin Nam Ma during this year's SYF! Haha.

No. 3: ACJC Winter Wonderland (4,632 views)

Sadly, the recording quality isn't very good for this video. The choir seems to sound pretty good, though.

No. 2: Combined Primary School choir (5,508 views)

Wow, that's a record number of people on stage.

And presenting, the most viewed Singapore school choir video on youtube...

...

No. 1: NJC Ave Verum Corpus (19,545 views!!!)

I suppose the numbers are especially high because many people would search for Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus.

I wanted to post the top 5 least viewed school choir videos too, but found that it's very hard to find the least viewed videos, because of the search engine. After page X showing videos with close to zero views, page X+1 will have videos with tens of hundreds of views again -.-

Oh well. Maybe I will save that for another week, when I figure out how to work around this glitch! Till then.

Concert: Ladysmith Black Mambazo

2009-05-17T13:25:00.001+08:00

Date/Time: 14 Jun 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$80, S$60, S$45, S$30, S$20

*10% discount for ArtsFest Club Members
ArtsFest Club Members to quote or key password upon purchase.

10% discount for General Sales Package I (2-3 shows)
15% discount for General Sales Package J (4 shows & above)

20% discount for Local / International Full Time Students, Senior Citizens (60 yrs old & above) and NSFs

---Start of Extract---

Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album, 2005 & 2009

Come witness the spectacular return of nine-man a cappella choir, Ladysmith Black Mambazo – the voice and soul of South Africa.

Following its raved international debut in Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland, this household name in world music has transcended the poverty and dark times of apartheid to become the cultural ambassador of South Africa. Formed in the troubled 1970s by Joseph Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs indigenous Zulu music, blended with the choral traditions and sensibilities of Christian gospel music. Its message of peace, harmony and unity has won the hearts of the world, having been invited to perform at Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and concerts for the Queen of England, Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela. Three Grammy Awards and numerous nominations attest to the heartrending and spiritual power of its music.

“It’s amazing what real music can do.” – Timesunion.com

In a career that has spanned nearly thirty years Ladysmith Black Mambazo have recorded forty albums, sold over 6 million records and brought home 3 Grammy awards. The group is a national treasure of the new South Africa, in part because they embody the traditions suppressed in the old South Africa. Black Mambazo has also been invited to perform at many special occasions, including two Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies, a concert for Pope John Paul II in Rome, 1996 Summer Olympics and during Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. Time does not seem to be slowing down Ladysmith Black Mambazo as they continue to travel the world, spreading their message of “Peace, Love and Harmony”.

---End of Extract---

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Choral Masterclass by Stephen Cleobury

2009-05-16T13:11:00.003+08:00

((Edited to correct erroneous date))

Date/Time: 26 Jul 09, 11 am

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: $12

Note: Internet Booking starts on 18 May 2009, 9am.
Other Sales Channel starts on 18 May 2009, 10am.

---Start of Extract---

Learn the finer points of choral singing from one of the world’s most respected music director, Stephen Cleobury, from The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

This choral masterclass will feature the participation of two Singaporean choirs – Singapore Lyric Opera Children’s Choir and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/choir/director.html

---End of Extract---

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Concert: The Choir of King's College, Cambridge

2009-05-16T13:04:00.002+08:00

Date/Time: 26 Jul 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$88, S$68, S$48, S$28, Box Seat - S$88

*S$24 (Cat 3), S$14 (Cat 4) for Student
S$33.60 (Cat 3), S$19.60 (Cat 4) for Senior Citizen (age above 60 yrs) and NSF

Note: Internet Booking starts on 18 May 2009, 9am.
Other Sales Channel starts on 18 May 2009, 10am.

---Start of Extract---

Programme
Lobet den Herrn (Ps. 117)
Bach

Hör mein bitten (Ps. 102)
Purcell

ehova, quam multi sunt (Ps. 3)
Purcell

Voluntary on the Old 100th
Purcell

Sonata no.3 (1st movement)
Mendelssohn

Richte mich, Gott (Ps. 43)
Mendelssohn

Hear my prayer (from Ps. 55)
Mendelssohn

Organ Concerto Op. 4 no. 4.
Handel

Missa Sancti Johannis de Deo (Kleineorgelmesse)
Haydn

Komm, Jesu, komm
Bach

“...impeccable intonation, unfailing rhythmic vitality...” – The Times

Experience the pure, angelic voices of the Boys of King's College, one of the world's best known representatives of the great British choral tradition.

Led by music director Stephen Cleobury, this world-famous choir will perform a repertoire of choral favourites from Bach, Purcell, Mendelssohn, Handel and Hadyn, accompanied by a string ensemble comprising some of Singapore’s best musicians – Chan Yoong Han (violin), Michael Loh (violin), Tan Wee Hsin (viola), Chan Wei Shing (cello) and Yang Zhengyi (double bass) – and organist Peter Stevens performing organ solos and an organ concerto.

Internationally recognised as the pre-eminent representative of the great British church music tradition, the choir owes its existence to King Henry VI who envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. Today, famous for its many recordings, the choir is heard on radio by millions all over the world and has travelled to the USA and Canada, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei and Tokyo. The choir has worked with many distinguished soloists and orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Kurt Masur.

Performed in English, Latin and German. 110mins, including 20min intermission.

Explorations: Post-Performance Autograph Signing by Stephen Cleobury 26 Jul 09, Sun

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from SISTIC now! :)

Concert: Old Friends, New Melodies by AJC Alumni Choir

2009-05-15T12:57:00.001+08:00

Date/Time: 26 Jun 09, 7 pm - 9.30 pm

Venue: YMS Arts Centre, 54 Waterloo St

Ticket Price: $12

---Start of Extract---

Established in 2006, the Anderson Junior College Alumni Choir was formed by a group of choristers that recently graduated from AJC. We felt that two years of singing, performing and competing was simply not enough to measure our passion for music.

So here we are - our first public concert as an alumni choir!

Spread the word and bring your friends along for a night of classics, contemporaries and pop a cappella. Get tickets from any alumni choir member now! We look forward to seeing you at YMS on the 26th of June!

---End of Extract---

View their concert details on facebook, alternatively for tickets, e-mail them at ajalumnichoir@gmail.com.

Looking for commentary on VJC Choir's concert

2009-05-15T08:51:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

If you were at last night's Symphony of Voices, do let us know how you felt the choir did. A list of their programme would be most useful as well :)

E-mail us at singforharmony.gmail.com or yeshamiel@gmail.com

Thanks again!

Listening Recommendations: Nox Aurumque by Eric Whitacre

2009-05-14T08:52:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

Apologies for the late post. Here's this week's listening recommendation:

Nox Aurumque's composer Eric Whitacre's latest work, and was only recently premiered in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 22 Mar 09. He (or his compatriots) has very kindly posted a pretty high quality video on youtube!

Here's a quote from his official blog regarding the piece:

---Start of Extract---

Nox Aurumque (Night and Gold) is the piece that just received its premiere in Minneapolis last month. As the name implies, it is sort of a ‘companion’ piece to Lux Aurumque (Light and Gold).

In writing it, I wanted to echo some of the musical material in Lux Aurumque, while at the same time filling it with themes from Paradise Lost. I asked Charles Anthony Silvestri (Sleep, Leonardo Dreams, Lux Aurumque, Her Sacred Spirit Soars) to write me an original poem in Latin, and as usual, he knocked it out of the park. Here’s the translation:

NOX AURUMQUE

Gold,
Tarnished and dark,
Singing of night,
Singing of death,
Singing itself to sleep.
And an angel dreams of sunrise,
And war.

Tears of the ages.
O shield!
O gilded blade!
You are too heavy to carry,
Too heavy for flight.

Gold,
Tarnished and weary,
Awaken!
Melt from weapon to wing!
Let us soar again,
High above this wall;
Angels reborn and rejoicing with wings made
Of dawn,
Of gold,
Of dream.

Gold,
Singing of wings,
Singing of shadows.

---End of Extract---

The piece, as Mr Whitacre puts it, sounds like a haunting reminder of his other pieces as he borrowed a couple of motifs from his other works, e.g. Paradise Lost, Lux Aurumque. *For more on this, visit his blog post*.

The piece will be published once the other choirs who commissioned this work perform it! :)

Enjoy!

Sing-ing Sunday: Debussy

2009-05-10T20:25:00.007+08:00

I think this is a good arrangement and rendition of Debussy's Trois Chansons (which includes Dieu qu'l la fait bon regarder! and Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain) for trombone quartet. Very lovely brassy sounds.

While I can't find any videos of Singaporean choirs singing Dieu qu'l la fait bon regarder!, many school choirs have sung Yver.

Here is NJC choir's version of Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain.

Concert: Thank you for the Music (SLO Children's Choir)

2009-05-10T20:03:00.000+08:00

Date/Time: 7 Aug 09, 3.30 pm, 8 Aug 09, 3.30 pm & 7.30 pm.

Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

Ticket Price: $18 (Discounts available, view SISTIC website for more details)

---Start of Extract---

Feature works from Classical, local and Asian folksongs and contemporary music

---End of Extract---

Order your tickets from SISTIC!

Afterthoughts on the SYF season

2009-05-08T19:26:00.003+08:00

Hey guys,

Thought I should do a summary of the SYF season (or at least what I heard).

Generally, the overall level of choral singing has improved! Kudos to all performers and conductors for their hard work. There were much less 'cringe'-worthy moments, and there were definitely performances which made you feel like you were in the concert hall, rather than 'judging' or 'critiquing'. This was especially so for the JC category.

In addition, I'll just like to point out that the sound upstairs is VERY different from what you perceive in the stalls. I had the benefit of actually listening to choirs on both levels (not during the competition). As such, it may explain why there were some 'shocks' when the results came out.

The JC/ IP schools generally gave decent performances, what some of them lacked in musicality, they made up for it with technical difficulty or vice versa. However, none of the schools (including the G/GwH schools) managed to conquer all 3 pieces. There were a few which were close (I won't mention who), but still fell short of doing so. Pitching has generally improved though the intricate bits (e.g. end of phrases, sustained notes) still need some work. It was in this category where you could tell that every school had their niche tone/ genre of pieces which they were most comfortable performing, which made it interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

The Sec schools (imo), have improved the most. Schools, which did not have an established brand-name, have stepped up and produced choirs which may be comparable to that of choirs in international competitions. Tone is more cohesive than before, though many of the schools would benefit from voice training (yeah I know it's difficult and not cheap, but that's the ideal situation). However, conductors tend to re-use past repertoire, or the practice which my friends call recycling, and I generally didn't like. One example was Ti Hor Hor. I remember hearing that piece so many times within that short span of time in which I was there listening.

Lastly, I thank you all readers for your time, comments and all during the SYF season. Finally, to all performers and choristers, thank you for your hard work. I hope you have produced music which have touched you in one way or another, and continue to do so for many years to come.

Concert: SLO Youth Choir in Concert

2009-05-08T14:49:00.000+08:00

Date/Time: 6-7 Aug 09, 8 pm

Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

Ticket Price: S$18

Please add to above price $3 Booking Fee per ticket for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee per ticket for tickets $20 and below. Charges include GST where applicable.

---Start of Extract---

A musical journey with famous tunes from operas, folksongs, musical theatre and pop culture.

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from SISTIC today!

The Simpsons (A Cappella!)

2009-05-07T09:17:00.003+08:00

Dear all,

Here's something interesting to listen to!

This video was featured in last Sunday's episode of the Simpsons (U.S), with the group's YouTube clip of them singing the Simpson's theme song rather than the usual one!

The group's the Pacific Northwest's Canvas, and though they've disbanded, they've had immense hype of late due to this video! haha

Enjoy! :)

---Item taken from A Cappella News---

((Edit: Visit Canvas at this url now! :)))

Commentary

2009-05-06T11:08:00.001+08:00

Dear all,

After some e-mails from readers, in order to facilitate commentary on the blog, we've amended the current comment posting requirement to openid, which is more flexible than having to use a gmail acct.

Thank you, and we look forward to more wonderful choral and a cappella singing in Singapore!

Concert: Limelight 2009 Anglican High School Choir

2009-05-05T23:57:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: Tues, 30 Jun 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: $20

---Start of Extract---

Eric Whitacre
The Seal Lullaby
Sleep
Lux Aurumque

Nelson Kwei
Yu Chang (Male Chorus)
Maiden of Miao (Miao Jia Shao Nu)

Vytautas Miskinis
Ave Maria
Ave Regina coelorum (Female Chorus)

Bob Chilcott
Aesop’s Fables

Hear the choir explore different genres of music, in particular contemporary choral works.

Immerse yourself in Eric Whitacre’s intricate choral piece set to powerful literature and be transported to the rolling meadows and hills of a pastoral landscape with Nelson Kwei’s colourful arrangements of two Chinese folk melodies. Then, feel the soulful tug of Vytautas Miskini’s music, and hear the morality tales of Aesop in a new way with Bob Chilcott’s Aesop’s Fables.

---End of Extract---

Purchase your tickets from SISTIC now!

Concert: Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco (The Little Singers of Monaco)

2009-05-05T23:53:00.001+08:00

((bumped up due to updates))

Date/Time: 7-8 Jul 09, 8 pm

Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

Ticket Price: From $25-60

---Start of Extract---

Spend an enchanting evening with Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco, the Little Singers of Monaco (LSM) and enjoy a programme of fine choral music ranging from sacred music, songs of master composers that include Bach, Charpentier, Mendelssohn, Mozart, etc, Gregorian chants to modern French chansons and songs from Monaco.

Based in the Cathedral of Monaco, the LSM's musical sensitivity and rich traditions of European royal choirs have won them critical acclaim wherever they perform.

For more information, please visit www.nafa.edu.sg, under the calendar of events.

---End of Extract---

Taken from an OCBC bank flyer

---Start of Extract---

The Little Singers of Monaco (In aid of NAFA Student Relief Fund)
Under the royal patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco

Be enchanted by the melodious voices of the "Little Singers of Monaco" (LSM) rendering in sweet harmony sacred music, Renaissance music, works of early master composers, French chansons and songs from Monaco that reflect the geographical characteristics of Monaco’s location in Southern France.

Based in the Cathedral of Monaco, the 31-strong LSM with a century old tradition is internationally renowned for their musical sensitivity and rich traditions of European royal choirs, winning critical acclaim and fans wherever they perform. Their touring concert programme features works by Charpentier, Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Franck, Fauré, Casals and Andrew Lloyd Webber, including modern songs from Monaco and Paris namely "Les Grands Boulevards", "La romance de Paris", "Les Champs-Elysées", "Mademoiselle de Paris" and "Sous le ciel de Paris".

The LSM have also been associated with the operatic performances of the Monte-Carlo Opera and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, and many other popular opera productions.

---End of Extract---

Get your tickets from SISTIC today!

JC SYF Schedule/ Results

2009-05-05T23:20:00.011+08:00

((Edit: Bumped up, updated and amended some erroneous results (typos). Dear all, if you have the names of the conductors, we would appreciate it if you could e-mail it to us at singforharmony@gmail.com or yeshamiel@gmail.com. Thank you! ))

Hi all,

Sorry for this late update of the SYF schedule.

We'll be updating this post once the results are out.

Stay tuned! All the best to competing choirs tomorrow! :)

Schedule and order taken from cdas.org.sg

0930 Yishun JC - S - Adrian Poon

0945 Victoria JC - GwH - Nelson Kwei

1000 Raffles Institution JC - G - Toh Ban Sheng

1015 Jurong JC - CoP - Foo Shi Hua

1030 Anglo-Chinese JC - GwH - Valerie Wilson

Break

1115 Catholic JC - GwH - Toh Ban Sheng

1130 Dunman High (JC) - S - Jennifer Tham

1145 National JC - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi

1200 Tampines JC - S - Ong Chiak Yin

1215 Meridian JC - GwH - Foong Hak Luen

Lunch

1345 Nanyang JC - S - Gabriel Cheow

1400 ACS (I) - S - Phua Ee Kia

1415 Temasek JC - S - Jennifer Tham

1430 St. Andrew JC - S - Albert Tay

1445 Anderson JC - GwH - Nelson Kwei

Break

1530 Pioneer JC - S - Ong Chiak Yin

1545 Serangoon JC - B - Khor Ai Ming

1600 Hwa Chong JC - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi

1615 River Valley (JC) - S - Jennifer Tham

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 1/4

2009-05-05T07:55:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

I didn't update live 'cause I didn't wanna incur the wrath of the ushers, anw, the following are my live thoughts. It's more or less what I thought at that point, but more polished. The predictions are in no way altered. :) I apologise for any typos. Do let me know if there are any errors. Thanks!

Yishun JC

Bogorod/tse Devo - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Varsha ("Monsoon") - Vanraj Bhatia

Prediction: S
Actual: S

Set piece started off a little flat, and the TBs could have projected for balance. Both the A and Ts could be more focused with their tone. First choice piece had some nice phrasing, but had a couple of pitch errors (As esp). Felt the sound from the Ts could be fuller. Final piece had some split notes, and I didn't really think the piece was executed well (in terms of expressing the intent of the composer) and as such was a tad bland for me. However, overall it was alright and should deserve a silver.

Victoria JC

My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land - Edward Elgar
The Phantom Waltz - Hendrik Hofneyr

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

Sops started the set piece a little flat. Nice phrasing in the piece, but had some pitch problems towards the end. Generally liked the set piece, thought they captured the mood well. The first choice piece, by Elgar, was generally good all-around, but had some pitch errors. Thought the piece could have tugged at one's heart-strings more. The final piece was avant garde. There were a few messy moments and were thus unclear at parts. However, towards the end they got the feel of the waltz. Overall a great performance.

Raffles Institution JC

I thank you God for most this amazing day - Eric Whitacre
Ronde - Maurice Ravel

Prediction: HG/ GwH
Actual: G

The guys started the set piece a little flat at the starting chord. T were a little too harsh at the middle section, while the As were slightly flat at the end section. They could have made the ending and its chord 'grander'. Overall, pitching, dynamics and phrasing was good. First piece is by Eric Whitacre and is a risky song-choice given its length. The beginning was very musical, however, I personally felt the rest of the sections were a little detached at times and didn't flow quite so organically. There was also a T sticking out at times. However, it was a generally solid performance and very musical. Final piece is technically difficult and the TBs started off a little flat. Diction was also not very clear and there were some pitching errors. They ended sharp. Should be a HG but perhaps GwH if they can forgive the mistakes in Ronde.

Jurong JC

The Blue Bird - Charles Stanford
Street Calls - Leong Yoon Pin

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

First thing I noticed were the gloves. What's up with them? They would have looked perfectly fine without them. Generally for all three pieces, pitching was a major issue. It was especially so for Ts. There was a B who was sticking out and they lacked subtlety in their phrasing. Some of you felt that I was too harsh with my criticism but this was honestly difficult to listen to.

Anglo-Chinese JC

Forvarskvall - David Wikander
Dayo Dayo Kupita - Nilo Alcala

Prediction: HG/ GwH
Actual: GwH

Closing off before the break's ACJC. Overall, having heard them for so many years, I was kinda disappointed, but if one judges objectively without any past preconceptions, they did pretty alright. The set piece had some pitch errors, but my general critique's the tone, which is though homogenous and tight, is slightly airy (all), and lacked depth (men). First piece was generally musical, and had a homogeneous sound, but still some pitch errors. Second piece was alright. Challenging rhythmically but I felt they delivered pretty well but didn't really 'wow' the crowd. There was a tenor sticking out though. Overall, they were well, but as I said, was a little disappointed as I had high expectations of ACJC.

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 2/4

2009-05-05T07:54:00.001+08:00

Catholic JC

Jauchzet Dem Herm, Alle Welt (Psalm 100) - Felix Mendelssohn
Pokpok Alimpako - Francisco Feliciano

Prediction: G
Actual: GwH

Set piece started off well, but they had a messy middle section. They had good phrasing and dynamics, and a nice build to the end. However, they were slightly pitchy at parts. First piece (Mendelssohn) was alright, and felt they did bring out most of the nuances. There were some voices sticking out though, particularly in T. Final piece was their saving grace. It had generally good pitching but there was one part where the men were flat (just after the first section, dunno how to describe where it is). This was a better performance than their first piece, and should earn them at least a G.

Dunman High (JC)

Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orleans - Claude Debussy edited by John Rutter
Pater Noster - Alberto Grau

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

The IP schools generally have a smaller choir due to the size of the cohort they get. As such, mistakes were very much more evident. My general issue was that the sops were slightly airy and the men (mostly Bs) could be deeper in their tone. The set piece had many pitch problems, esp within the girls. It wasn't really a good start. First piece was a great improvement from the set piece, however, they could used more phrasing and a wider dynamic range for the piece. Pitching was much more accurate but could still be better. The last piece ended flat, and it was this piece where I esp felt the basses could be deeper in their sound. Generally alright, and the final two pieces were much better than their set piece. Could be LS but may drop to HB if the judges deem the mistakes in the set piece to be too severe.

National JC

Denn er hat Seinen Engeln befohlen - Felix Mendelssohn
Prelude to Kalinda Koute-Tande & Kalinda - Sydney Guillaume

Prediction: HG
Actual: GwH

The set piece started sharp, and had a bunch of pitch problems through out which were rather evident. The B's tone were shallow imo, but thought it may have been only to accentuate the 'Chinese' feel of the music. The Ss were a little screechy for me, but then again not everyone would agree with me on that one. Thought the set piece wasn't executed well (mainly because of pitching). Their first piece was much better than their set piece. Generally good pitching throughout. Nice phrasing and dynamics, and musically sound. However, I personally felt it lacked an emotional depth to the music. Similar to VJ's, I thought it could have tugged at one's heartstrings more. The final piece had a stable sound. Good overall and it was an interesting piece, however, imo, it also lacked a depth to the music. Should be HG due to the mistakes in the set piece.

Tampines JC

Nachtwache I - Johannes Brahms
Alleluia - Marek Jasinski

Prediction: LG
Actual: S

Generally I felt the tone was airy and it lacked depth. The set piece started off alright, but the tenors rushed a phrase and then things started going a little rocky. Some pitch errors (flat) esp at the end of phrases, and they could have done more phrasing to better bring out the inflections Chinese instruments have. The first piece was better in tune, but lacked subtlety to it. The final piece had a stable start, but there were pitch errors and the middle section become flat. But overall, a decent performance.

Meridian JC

Yver, vous n'estes qu'un villain - Claude Debussy
Mate Saule - Peteris Vasks

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

Some of my friends didn't really agree with me on this one, but I stick to my predictions and critique (and evidently I was right lol). First thing I noticed was that gold thing on the collar of the girls clothing. Looked funny from a far, like a gold necklace or something. Anw, generally I didn't like the guy's tone. It was a little too constricted and not free. The set piece was flat at the front, and had some effy pitching during the interplay bits, but overall an alright performance. The first piece was, ok. That's all I have to say, but it lacked an emotional depth to it. The next piece i've heard so many choirs do so I'm pretty familiar with it. It was this piece which I esp felt the T's tone was a bit weird, and the music lacked a little subtlety to the phrasing. There was one voice sticking out, and the chord after the loud section was out of tune, but it was a pretty alright performance of the piece. Yeah they went sharp but it was pretty solid. Based on the general level of performance, it should get GwH.

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 3/4

2009-05-05T07:53:00.003+08:00

Ok I apologise to everyone for this quarter of performance, I had lunch with someone and I totally forgot about the time. I had a friend who was inside and these are his predictions:

Apparently the emcee said the name of "Dum Belle" as "dumb bell" and caused a huge explosion of laughter inside the hall. Dunno how true it is but that's what he told me.

Nanyang JC

The Shower - Edward Elgar
Dum Belle - (not stated)

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

ACS (I)

My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land - Edward Elgar
Kasar Mie La Gaji - Alberto Grau

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

Temasek JC

Os justi - Anton Bruckner
Tanchame - Ko Matsushita

Prediction: HS/ LG
Actual: S

St. Andrew JC

Lay a Garland - Robert Pearsall
Knowee - Stephen Leek

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

Anderson JC

Ronde - Maurice Ravel
Magic Songs (movements 1,4 and 9 only) - R. Murray Schafer

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

((According to him, their Ronde was better than RIJ's in terms of pitching and rhythm, and was thus stable. However, it was a lot slower than the intended speed.))

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 4/4

2009-05-05T07:51:00.002+08:00

Came back in time for this part and boy was the hall packed :S

Pioneer JC

Verlorene Jugend (Op. 104, No 4) - Johannes Brahms
Like a Prayer, Like a singing, Like a Weeping - Mauro Zuccante

Prediction: S
Actual: S

Generally their tone is secure, though I would prefer deeper TBs. Set piece had a few effy pitchings but they more or less had a sense of key, and they had some nice phrasing here and there. Start of the next piece was a little messy and the pitching wasn't quite there. Again, some nice phrasing here and there. Their final piece was much better in terms of pitching despite there were still pitch problems, and I liked the piece. Thought the phrasing and dynamics could be more subtle though.

Serangoon JC

I Love My Love - Unknown (Cornish Folksong)
Nicolette - Maurice Ravel

Prediction: B
Actual: B

The set piece was rough, for the most part, the pitching was inaccurate. They recovered a little in the middle section, but I felt like they weren't listening close enough to each other's part. They were kinda like in their own individual slightly sharp/flat key but relatively accurate if you just listen to individual parts. Pitching is better in the next piece, but remained an issue. Some nice phrasing here and there. Final piece is by Ravel, which I think will be a problem, but their pitching was much better. Diction is a bit weird but overall i would say that they spent a lot of time on this piece. Pitching was a major problem for all the pieces, however, Nicolette had better pitching than the rest of the pieces and they would probably nail a B.

Hwa Chong JC

Orpheus, with his lute - George Maclarren
Que Rico E - Guido Lopez-Gavilan

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

There were a lot of Ms Lim's supporters in the audience today haha. Anw, their sound in the set piece is very stable. The tone for the basses is similar to NJ's so I assume the shallow tone was to accentuate the 'Chinese' feel. Some pitch problems here and there (and they went sharp esp towards the end) but a pretty solid performance. The next piece had a lot of nice phrasing and dynamics, but was a slightly pitchy (the start). They had a warm sound, and I wanted to fall deep into the music, but just couldn't. It was good but not magical. The final piece was impressive, and they did it despite it being technically challenging due to pitching (dissonance) and rhythm. Generally pitching at bits not quite there, and they went slightly sharp, and was messy at some points, but I think the judges would be impressed enough to give them GwH.

River Valley (JC)

Norveg Leanyok - Zoltan Kodaly
Ubi Caritas - Imant Raminesh

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

Another IP choir, the size really plays a significant role. In general, pitching was an issue for all three pieces. They had a number of pitch errors (e.g. girls at the start) in the set piece. The tone could be deeper (for guys) and the girls were slightly airy. The first piece was better executed than the set piece. Some pitch errors still audible, but an improvement from the set piece. The final piece had some pitch errors as well, the music was in general nice, but lacked a musical depth to it. The last two pieces were decent, but the set piece may result in the choir getting B.

Sing-ing Sunday: Boy Band-ish

2009-05-03T18:33:00.001+08:00

Nice!

Concert: "FIRSTS" by Key Elements @ Esplanade

2009-04-29T00:11:00.000+08:00

((Bumped up due to updates))

Date/Time: 29 May 09, 9.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

Ticket Price: $25

---Start of Extract---

After staging two sell-out concerts (“Jazz at the Movies” in Nov 2005 at Victoria Concert Hall and “Jazz for the Record” in Oct 2007 at Young Musicians’ Society), “Firsts” will be the a cappella group’s third ticketed event since its formation in 2001.

“Firsts” represents many – pardon the pun – firsts for Singapore’s premier vocal ensemble, as each song that they’ll be offering represents a milestone in the sextet’s musical journey: ‘I’m Beginning to See the Light’ is Key Elements’ first attempt at creating a jazz combo sound, complete with 12-bar scat solos for each member;
Shayne Ward’s ‘Breathless’ will be the first time the tenor will sing as high as the soprano; and ‘一人一半’ and ‘拢是为了你’ are two songs they first performed for the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan concert in Nov 2008.

So get your ticket, get on board and join Key Elements as they take you on this delightful and extraordinary trip!
Tickets at $25 are available from all SISTIC counters, as well as from the Esplanade ticketing booth.

---End of Extract---

Courtesy of A Cappella SOUNDS. :)

---Start of Extract---

Formed in early 2001, Singapore’s premier a cappella group Key Elements is made up of the key elements of three older a cappella groups: Chua Kim Beng, Jason Ong and Vaughan Tan were from pioneering outfit ‘IN-A-CHORD’, Chua Hui Lian and Susanna Pua were members of Christian group ‘bcoz’, while Benedict Goh was one of the founders of ‘Impromptu’. Recognised primarily for its repertoire of jazz standards, the group is equally adept at singing other genres and languages.

Aptly entitled “Firsts,” the concert represents many firsts for this captivating sextet, as each song that they’ll be offering represents a milestone in the ensemble’s musical journey. I’m Beginning to See the Light is Key Elements’ first attempt at creating a jazz combo sound, complete with 12-bar scat solos for each member, and 一人一半’ and 拢是为了你’ are the first two Hokkien songs they performed as part of Hokkien Huay Kuan’s November 2008 event.

After two sold-out concerts at home, notable international performances in Genting Highlands, Jakarta, Taiwan and Seoul, and 2 recordings under their belts, Key Elements will dazzle audiences with their inimitable arrangements and tight vocal harmonies.

---End of Extract---

Get your tickets from SISTIC now

Sing-ing Sunday: More Showpieces

2009-04-26T22:28:00.003+08:00

The dramatic:

Rhythmically driven. I got a question. Do the shouts, glissando and irregular rhythms in the song require Sprechstimme (speech-level singing)?

The "bourgeois":

By Maurice Ravel (start listening from 4:30).

VERY HARD SONG.

The cinematic:

Take me away. Another very tough song.

All are very good, as the title of this post suggests, showpieces. Perfect for scoring marks for artistry and technique.

JC SYF is in nine days! All the best to the choirs...

A Note to Our Readers

2009-04-25T00:13:00.003+08:00

Dear readers of Sing 4 Harmony,

I'm sure all of you are acutely aware of the firestorm that has taken hold of this blog. With SYF Central Judging for Secondary Schools drawing to a close, now seems a prudent time for some sort of response from the owners of this blog. Most importantly, some clarification needs to be made.

Our entries are not intended to insult or put down choirs or other musical groups. Rather, we try to give an opinion based on what we see and hear. Notice the key word 'opinion'; ours are but a mere sampling of the thousands of individual opinions in the scene. We have never claimed to be the authority in Singapore Choirs or A Cappella groups, and we do not intend to. We provide news on upcoming performances, give opinions based on what we see or hear, and share them in the hopes of providing some food for thought. You might liken us to movie reviews in the Straits Times. You may not agree with any given review - in fact, I find myself disagreeing quite often. Yet, when one delves into why these different points of view exist, one usually finds that there is something new to be learnt.

You will notice that, till now, we have never shied away from communicating with our readers. We can be contacted in any number of ways, ranging from email to the blog's tagboard. With the many incendiary responses resulting from Yeshamiel's SYF commentary, we at Sing 4 Harmony have decided to put certain measures into place. As you can see, the tagboard has been removed, reason being that it is simply too easy for potentially meaningful discussions to be derailed into personal insults. With the anonymity granted by the internet, it was all too easy for such statements to be made without anyone being accountable for them.

Of course, comments can still be made on individual entries, but will require approval before they appear on the website. While this does translate to more work for us at Sing 4 Harmony, we are willing to try means of facilitating constructive discussion. We all have something to learn from each other - hopefully, this will help us all do just that.

One of the greatest gifts of performing is to be able to share it with people, touching others as well as yourselves. It is our hope that Sing 4 Harmony provides a place for meaningful sharing for Singaporean choristers and singers.

Thank you, we look forward to your continued support.

Concert: Grandioso IV Journey by Ngee Ann Polytechnic Choir

2009-04-24T18:59:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 26 Apr 09, 7 pm

Venue: Nanyang Academy Of Fine Arts Lee Foundation Theatre

Ticket Price: Standard - S$10 (Free seating)

---Start of Extract---

The first half of the concert will have performances from the entire choir, and our a cappella group, LinkAge; and then the later half of the concert will consist of a short original musical.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.
To get them, contact ESTHER @ 93262772.
Alternatively, you can just leave your name and contact info on the tagboard.

---End of Extract---

First published by our friends at, A Cappella S.O.U.N.D.S. For more a cappella news, do also drop by over there! Ching Mei has an extensive library of tracks, events and contacts over there :)

Day 1 - 7 Sec Sch SYF Results

2009-04-24T07:22:00.005+08:00

Dear all,

Here are the results. There are some disappointments (imo), i think the judges were fairly lenient, however they were quite stricter from day 2 PM onwards.

Results for Day 3 till the end of SYF were taken from cdas.org.sg.
((Edit: Added in Bedok Green Sec Sch and Coral Green Sec Sch's results. We apologise for the omission. Many thanks to 'Cond' for pointing that out :) Conductor's names have been added as requested by a reader.))

Day 1

Juying Sec Sch - B - Jayme Buk
North Vista Sec Sch - S - Francis Liew
Deyi Sec Sch - S - Michelle Poh
Woodgrove Sec Sch - B - Flora Yee
Ximin Sec Sch - G - Yong Chee Foon

Temasek Sec Sch - G - Ho Lian Ian
Peirce Sec Sch - S - Jason Ong
Queenstown Sec Sch - B - Khor Ai Ming
River Valley High Sch - G - Jennifer Tham
Commonwealth Sec Sch - GwH - Foong Hak Luen
Boon Lay Sec Sch - B - Nicholas Tham

Day 2 AM

Fuhua Sec Sch - G - Angila Tan
Northview Sec Sch - CoP - Vaughn Tan
Ang Mo Kio Sec Sch - S - Audrey Chung
Bukit Batok Sec Sch - S (surprise) - Flora Yee
Kent Ridge Sec Sch - S - Ho Lian Ian
Mayflower Sec Sch - G (surprise) - Gregory Chen

Choa Chu Kang Sec Sch - S (surprise) - William Lim
Orchid Park Sec Sch - G (a little surprised) - Justin Goh
Anglo-Chinese Sch (Independent) - G (a little surprised, but they're lenient) - Chan Ern Theng
Victoria Sch - GwH - Nelson Kwei
Northland Sec Sch - CoP - Sim Kok Heng
Anderson Sec Sch - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi
Greenview Sec Sch - S (surprised) - Ho Lian Ian

Day 2 PM

Anglican High - GwH - Terrence Toh
First Toa Payoh Sec Sch - B - Lim Hui Min
Queensway Sec Sch - CoP - Sheila Ong
Jurong West Sec Sch - S (shocked) - Fabian Yiong
Raffles Institution - G (surprised, thought GwH) - Toh Ban Sheng
Chung Cheng High Sch (Yishun) - B - Tan Ping Chuen

Tanjong Katong Sec Sch - GwH - Nelson Kwei
Anglo-Chinese Sch (Barker Road) - S - Jason Ong
Kranji Sec Sch - S (surprised, should have been G) - Ong Chiak Yin
Hillgrove Sec Sch - CoP - Fabian Yiong
Macpherson Sec Sch - CoP - Ronald Goh
Dunman High Sch - S (thought it had a chance of low G) - Jennifer Tham

Day 3 AM

Dunman Sec Sch - GwH - Toh Ban Sheng
Jurongville Sec Sch - B - Nicholas Tham
Henderson Sec Sch - S - Francis Liew
East Spring Sec Sch - S - Lee Jin Li
Zhonghua Sec Sch - B - Ong Kok Leong
Ngee Ann Sec Sch - S (shock) - Yong Chee Foon

Zhenghua Sec Sch - S - Gregory Chen
Bedok South Sec Sch - CoP - Ronald Goh
Chung Cheng High Sch (Main) - G (shock) - Dawn Yin
Riverside Sec Sch - S - Adrian Poon
Junyuan Sec Sch - B - Michelle Poh
Holy Innocents' High Sch - S (shock) - Flora Yee
Bukit Panjang Govt. High - S - Yong Chee Foon

Day 3 PM

Presbyterian High Sch - S - Flora Yee
Yusof Ishak Sec Sch - S - Khor Ai Ming
Bendemeer Sec Sch - B - Goh Eu Joe
Catholic High Sch - G - Nelson Kwei
Ahmad Ibrahim Sec Sch - S - Sheila Ong

Yishun Town Sec Sch - S - Jessy Oskar
Loyang Sec Sch - CoP - Vaughn Tan
Westwood Sec Sch - S - Wilson Goh
Fairfield Methodist Sec Sch - G - Yong Chee Foon
Manjusri Sec Sch - S - Michelle Poh

Day 4 AM

CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' Sch - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi
St Margaret's Sec Sch - S - Grace Oey
Punggol Sec Sch - B - Lee Jin Li
Pioneer Sec Sch - CoP - John Khoo
Yio Chu Kang Sec Sch - S - Emmanuel Qiu
Guangyang Sec Sch - B - Lee Mei Yel

Damai Sec Sch - B - Wilson Goh
Bukit View Sec Sch - B - Hu Zheng
Siglap Sec Sch - S - Lim Jin Li
Clementi Woods Sec Sch - CoP - Ong Kok Leong
Greendale Sec Sch - B - Albert Tay
Cedar Girls' Sec Sch - GwH - Naomi Chai

Day 4 PM

Dunearn Sec Sch - S - Jason Ong
CHIJ St Joseph's Convent - S - Francis Liew
Bedok Town Sec Sch - S - Angela Lee
St Anthony's Canossian Sec Sch - GwH - Toh Ban Sheng
Raffles Girls' Sch (Sec) - G - Anna Loo
Crescent Girls' Sch - S - Quek Soo Hiang

CHIJ Katong Convent - G - Francis Liew
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Sec Sch - S - Ngian Ping
Bedok North Sec Sch - S - Nicholas Tham
Tanjong Katong Girls' Sch - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi
Gan Eng Seng Sch - B - Khor Ai Ming
St Hilda's Sec Sch - B - Cherlylene Liew

Day 5 AM

Christ Church Sec Sch - B - Sheila Ong
Nan Hua High Sch - G - Dawn Yin
Pei Hwa Sec Sch - CoP - Hu Zheng
Chai Chee Sec Sch - S - Kueh-Puah Hwee Khee
Marsiling Sec Sch - B - Angela Lee
CHIJ Sec (Toa Payoh) - G - Jennifer Tham

Tampines Sec - B - Nita Chan
Nan Chiau High Sch - G - Dawn Yin
Broadwick Sec Sch - CoP - Vaughan Tan
Yishun Sec Sch - S - Adrian Poon
Whitley Sec Sch - B - Lim Hui Min
Bishan Park Sec Sch - B - Benedict Goh

Day 5 PM

Fuchun Sec Sch - CoP - Joycelyn Chng
Compassvale Sec Sch - S - Angela Lee
Nanyang Girls' High Sch - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi
Beatty Sec Sch - S - Susanna Pua
Unity Sec Sch - S - Francis Liew
Clementi Town Sec Sch - B - Khor Ai Ming

Hua Yi Sec Sch - B - Fu Shi Hua
Changkat Changi Sec Sch - CoP - Zhang Xiao Wei
Balestier Hill Sec Sch - B - Hu Zheng
Regent Sec Sch - S - Adyll Hardy
Singapore Chinese Girls' Sch - G - Angela Goh

Day 6

CHIJ St Theresa's Convent - S - Nicholas Tham
Bedok View Sec Sch - B - Ngian Ping
Methodist Girl's Sch - G - Jennifer Tham
Woodlands Ring Sec Sch - S - Grace Oey
Hong Kah Sec Sch - CoP - Lim Hui Min

Peicai Sec Sch - B - Susanna Pua
Paya Lebar Methodist Girl's Sch - G - Albert Tay
Bartley Sec Sch - CoP - Wendy Tan
Pasir Ris Crest Sec Sch - S - Ong Chiak Yin

Day 7

Bedok Green Sec Sch - S - Lim Tiong Kiang
Coral Sec Sch - B - Nita Chan
Swiss Cottage Sec Sch - S - Wilson Goh
Pasir Ris Sec Sch - B - Angelina Choo
Greenridge Sec Sch - B - Jessy Oskar
Geylang Methodist Sec Sch - S - Ho Kian Ian

Seng Kang Sec Sch - S - Lim Tiong Kiang
Bowen Sec Sch - S - Foong Hak Luen
Hai Sing Catholic Sch - B - Khor Ai Ming
Jurong Sec Sch - B - Goh Hsuan Hsuan

St Gabriel's Sec Sch - G - Flora Yee
St Andrew's Sec Sch - S - Albert Tay
Hwa Chong Institution (Sec) - S - Yong Chee Foon
Montfort Sec Sch - B - Ronald Goh

Reader's notes and e-mail

2009-04-22T23:04:00.007+08:00

Dear all,

A reader who has requested to remain anonymous, e-mailed us with some comments and points which we feel are important for the rest of our readers to know. It's extracted as it is (except that the name and certain portions which he/she has requested to be omitted or amended). Do read this e-mail and the reply. Thank you! :)

-----

Hi there,

Have read your interesting blog on this year's SYF Choir competition. Came across the one on Northland Sec, and my good friend happens to be their accompanist. Although she doesn't really care what people write about her, I do wish you could give her a little more credit than saying she's ' a mess'. She is a soon FRSM in piano performance holder and has given workshops in Lasalle. How can she be ' a mess' ? Do you know she is not a teacher from Northland, but a total outsider ? And do you know that she only got the scores just ONE Week before the SYF? And do you know that she only had TWO rehearsals with the choir before the actual competition ? And do you know that she is doing this so that Northland can get a chance to perform, as without a pianist, they could only withdraw from the competition ? And how many people do you know who have the guts to do a sight-reading performance at VCH ?

And I see a pattern in your reviews, that if the choir sucks, so is the accompanist. Is it always the fact? I was there myself, and you are right about the piano part and the singing part were not together at times. But were you able to tell that the pianist's rhythm and tempo were the correct ones and she was trying to 'pull' the choir back to the correct rhythm and tempo ? One thing she was careless with was that she has forgotten that the choir only obeys the conductor. She has done more than 100 formal accompaniments ( for exams and performance ), and she was able to help 'correct' the candidates' tempo when they got nervous during the exams. And regarding why the SET piece was so slow, it wasn't. She was playing the tempo which was written on the score ( 132 i think ), so she's not slow, it's other schools who went faster. The conductor wanted her to start off with 132, what can she do ? You can't blame her !

I'm a LRSM piano holder, and I admit I don't have the guts to learn those pieces in less than a week ( she has a full-time job and doesn't have all day to practise !), have 2 rehearsals and perform at VCH. I think she is really great to be able to do all these and yet didn't play a single wrong note ! I think I would have made mistakes for such short notice and few rehearsals.

And I think it's not fair to compare between schools. Northland's conductor is just a Grade 8 piano holder and he's a Math teacher, not a proper Choir teacher. I believe many elite schools have proper teachers to train the singing [edited as requested by the reader] is gonna be much higher than other schools who have a coach who is a P.E. teacher with just a Grade 5 piano background. So although Northland didn't sing as well as most of the other schools, I admire their courage and hard work. They did stay back in school for several hours for practice. They put in effort too. Just that they are not as smart and talented as students of other schools and they are not lucky to have a good instructor. I do believe they can improve over the years. They have achieved Bronze for a few times before, all they need now is time and opportunity.

So I do hope you can edit your blog a bit and do give credit to the pianist and maybe comment in a more tactful way. For example, instead of saying the piece was way too slow, you could say' it would be much better if the tempo was slightly faster so to give the piece a more cheerful taste'....etc. I'm not here to criticise you ( although I've seen some people on your tagboard who weren't very happy with your comments on their choir costumes ), I'm just here to give you a background of the Northland accompanist, coz I really really think she deserves better than ' a mess '. I'm sorry if I sound rude in any way in this email. I'm writing very sincerely and hope you can understand.

Highly appreciated if you could edit your blog on Northland and make it more positive. I thank you on behalf of the accompanist and the Northland Choir.

- Anonymous

-------

Hi Anonymous,

Thank you for your e-mail. I was in no way offended by its contents. In fact, it's good to know the events which happened 'behind the scenes'.

I was admittedly rather harsh on the 1st and 2nd days of competition, and the writing was as well. It was just that Northland performed in a bunch of B, S and G schs but was relatively weaker than them. While I sympathize with how conductors from neighbourhood schs have to manage their limited resources (i had an ex-teacher who also conducted one such sch and I admire her resilience for doing so), what we hear on the day of competition is what we get. However, I've heard schools in a similar circumstance do alright (with a few problems here and there) during SYF.

Having read your comments below, I admire the accompanist's courage to perform under seemingly adverse and an almost impossible situation. The reason I said it was a mess was that the choir veered very much off the speed of the accompanist. They were rushing, yes, but it's more often than not, better to rush together than be off-sync. My biggest problem with them was pitching, it was difficult to not pick out these problems if an objective critique was to be given.

Nonetheless, I adhere to my comments on the blog entry and will not make any edits. I wrote what I heard, and that's how people judge, as harsh as it may seem. However, I'll be publishing this post shortly to allow people to realise the work the accompanist had to put it. I believe it's important to have another angle in a situation like this.

Finally, the choirs which were lacklustre, often had a bad set piece. However, if you read the comments, not all 'messy' comments were targetted at the accompanist but rather the inner voice movements in the choir. 'Messy' comments explicitly meant for the pianist were indicated as such. :)

Once again, thank you for your e-mail and hope that once the dust settles you'll be a reader of this blog.

Regards,
Yeshamiel

Article on SYF

2009-04-22T17:42:00.003+08:00

Dear all,

A reader mailed us to inform us of this article written in the straits times (blog) on syf. Do take a look! :)

http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2009/4/22/sounds-of-solid-gold

Notice

2009-04-20T22:37:00.002+08:00

((First published on Apr 20, 1:20 AM. This article has been bumped up))

Dear all,

Thank you for your continued support for this blog.

As mentioned in the tag-board, I'll be unable to attend the rest of SYF (beginning of the second half of day 3 till the end of the festival). As such, we won't be continuing the 'live' commentary.

However, we strongly encourage any individuals who are there to e-mail us both the results and their opinions on how they felt the choir(s) did. If it does not contain any derogatory language, we will publish it without censorship of your writing (we may do some reformatting etc.). Should you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate in your e-mail and we will act accordingly. If so, please mail us at yeshamiel@gmail.com or singforharmony@gmail.com.

In addition, "Sing-ing Sunday" and "Listening Recommendations" will continue next week. Either Cliff, Cheej, Ruiz or I will be posting, (we still haven't decided on who does what though). Similarly, if you have any recommendations for us, do e-mail us at the a/m addresses for our necessary action.

Lastly, in light of recent comments on the tag-board, please note that while criticism or differing opinions regarding the manner/material which we've written/commented is accepted, we strongly abhor any form of flaming or targeting of individuals (e.g. conductors) which may potentially be slanderous or lead to prosecution by the authorities. Do be cautious with such comments. Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Concert: An Evening With Friends by Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir

2009-04-20T15:24:00.001+08:00

Date/Time: 1 Jun 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$25, S$21, S$19 (Doesn't appear to have concessions for students)

---Start of Extract---

Since its inception into the Ministry of Education's Choral Excellence Programme, the Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir has achieved numerous accolades both internationally and at home.

Having clinched top honours in prestigious choral competitions in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Wales, and most recently in Slovakia, the ACJC Choir is the only Singapore Choir to have been invited by the International Federation of Choral Music to represent the country at the 4th World Symposium on Choral Music in Sydney, Australia.

At home, the choir is the six-time winner of the Singapore Youth Festival Choral Competition "Choir of the Year" and “Best Junior College Choir” Award.

This evening’s concert celebrates the shared passion and love for music making between choristers past and present and will feature the works of renowned composers including world premier of the choir’s commissioned works.

----End of Extract----

Book your tickets through SISTIC now!

Day 3 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 1/4

2009-04-17T08:54:00.006+08:00

A new day, and another new group of people take on the SYF. I hope they'll put up the song list today.

Due to a large number of people taking videos, photos and postin on YouTube, they're officially banning use of cameras, video cams and phones. I'll only update during the break.

Dunman Sec Sch

Dravidian Dithyramb
Kasar Mie La Gaji

Prediction: H G
Actual: GwH

They've got a huge choir with a very substansive male section. The set piece had a large range of dynamics, and a wide variety of phrasing. Sops were a little airy and the tenors a little throaty. First piece was generally good though the balance was very much skewed to the S and As. Felt the accents were a little too much at times. The second piece started a little flat, but felt a little tentative and probably slightly draggy. The tenors lacked depth, and the sops flat at chords. It lacked a spark. Should be a high gold

Jurongville Sec Sch

Shinjiru (Believing)
Sweet Phyllis Stay

Prediction: H B
Actual: B

Their set piece started sharp, and their high notes flat. Dissonant and a cappella sections were off. First piece is accompanied by piano. It's a sweet piece, but the girls were airy and the guys lacked strength to their voices. Some pitch errors esp obvious at chords, but the balance was alright. A tad boring though. The second piece was a cappella, polyphonic. Not a good choice but they manage through it though pitch problems were abound. Final chord was a mess. Should be high bronze.

Henderson Sec Sch

Gao Shan Qing 高山青
Autumn Leaves

Prediction: H S
Actual: S

Nice gown, though the colours are a little muted. They're smiling which is always good. The set piece had a good start though the girls' tone is rather airy. Male voices could be deeper in sound. Relatively in tune but there're still a bunch of pitch errors. Male voices need some training. First piece is autumn leaves, accompanied by piano. It's a sad but sweet song. They've got good volume but too airy for me. Relatively in tune but with some pitch errors. I like the piece, but the phrasing could be more delicate, but overall not bad. The final piece has the piano, but is first a cappella which was pretty well done. Overall, good though it had a lot of pitch errors.

East Spring Sec Sch

Nona Nona / Burong Kakak Tua
Shenandoah

Prediction: S
Actual: S

Like the outfit though the bow-tie should go. Set-piece is a tad slow, with quite a number of pitch errors. Rushed a little, a few voices sticking out and the sops a little airy. First piece has the piano and it's a good start by the altos, but chords were off when the other parts came in. Basses had a nice tone but a little soft and could be deeper. Final chords was out but pitch problems still apparent. Last piece is Asian-influenced, it lacked phrasing and pitch problems still apparent. They could be quite good given some voice training.

Zhonghua Sec Sch

Burung Kakak Tua
Shenandoah

Prediction: L S
Actual: B

Shiny purple shirts and gowns but still looks pretty dull. It's also a huge choir. Set piece - airy sops but relatively in tune. Accompaniment was messy though. Altos were sharp during the cappella section. Tenors were a little weak. First piece was a cappella, and is pretty easy. They stayed relatively in tune though there were pitch problems. Guys seemed to be in a different key than the girls. Nice last chord. The final piece is also accompanied by piano but slightly flat. Pitch problems still present. Thought they could be more passionate though.

Ngee Ann Sec Sch

Turot Eszik A Cigany
Diu Diu Dang A (Huo Che Diao) 丢丢铜仔

Prediction: H G / GwH
Actual: S (shock)

They look classy and it's a gigantic choir. Set piece's at a good speed, but the long notes are flat. Male voices are a little whiny though girls were a little airy. The first piece is quite tricky for pitching esp the key changes. Nice phrasing. TBs sound weak, and there're some pitch problems esp at cadences. Not bad overall. Last piece, and I had the same problem with the TBs, but they captured the mood of the pitch well.

Day 3 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 2/4

2009-04-17T08:51:00.004+08:00

Zhenghua Sec Sch

You raise me up
Gao Shan Qing

Prediction: S
Actual: S

Set piece was a tad slow, pitch problems esp in high notes. The dissonant section was off and there was a bass stickin out. The next piece (Chinese) however was better. It's accompanied by piano and the unison sounded good. Overall it was ok (pitch problems and all), and they captured the spirit of the music. Last piece was again ok, i like the song but the phrasing could be more delicate. It's pretty simple and a tad boring but a good job. There were a few pitch problems though. Pitch problems were the crux of their mistakes.

Bedok South Sec Sch

Blue bird
The cooling shadow

Prediction: L B
Actual: CoP

The girls look like they've got ruffles on their sleeves. Not my cup of tea. Anw, it's a huge choir. They started the set piece flat, and was very airy. The men's "gallop" was pretty consistently out of tune. The a cappella section was also quite out of tune. The next piece is a cappella, but their male voices are again out of tune. Split notes were frequently detected. The last piece was also a cappella, and once again airy sops and the male voices were out. It was difficult to grasp the key but they managed to the end of the piece despite the many pitch errors.

Chung Cheng High Sch (Main)

催咚崔
Kasar Mie La Gaji

Prediction: GwH
Actual: G

First thing I noticed was that they've got a substansive male section. They were rushing a little in the set piece, but the tone was quite good and full. Pretty good start. Their Chinese piece had good phrasing and inflections. It was refreshing to listen to. The final piece started a little rocky but they quickly recovered to deliver a brilliant performance. Sure there were pitch problems here and there, but the tone was suitable for the piece, and the sound was solid and stable. Probably GwH.

Riverside Sec Sch

Oyasumi
Muie Rendera

Prediction: L S
Actual: S

Yellow, black and red don't really work together. Anw they have quite a number of guys. Set piece was messy, their voices are raw and the sops tend to go flat, not quite a good start. First piece's a cappella, but it felt kinda weird throughout the entire piece. There were some stray voices and the men's pitching was off. The 2nd piece was much better though the basses were flat. The piece was simple and rather repetitive. The men have to work more on their pitching.

Long wait in between...

Junyuan Sec Sch

Three Hungarian Folk-Songs
Geylang Sipaku Geylang, Ikan Kekek, Chan Mali Chan

Prediction: H B / L S
Actual: B

There's a kid with ridiculously long sleeves for his blazer and looks rather disinterested in singing. Anw the set piece started flat. Pitch problems esp in sops. The altos and sops were rather airy. The first set piece is a cappella but there were split notes, pitch problems and thr key changes were awkward. The last piece had piano accompaniment, and they were rushing. It was relatively in tune despite there being dome pitch errors. Didn't really care for the piece though.

Holy Innocents' High Sch

O Lux
Diu diu dang 丢丢铜

Prediction: G
Actual: S (shock)

The white and light purple drapery looks like an apron. Anw, the set piece was alright. It was clean with relatively ok pitching, but lacked depth (esp T). In the first piece, there's a bass sticking out but it was a good start. Pitching was a problem at parts but they had moments of brilliance. The final piece, a cappella, had surprisingly accurate pitching, though I felt the tenors were a little shallow in their tone. Good but not spectacular

Bukit Panjang Govt. High Sch

Bartok
Suriram

Prediction: L G
Actual: S

Last group before lunch, and it almost looks like nonyas walked out (the tops of the ladies were rather peranakan), also they have a lot of guys and it's a gigantic choir. The first phrase of the set piece was slightly flat, but they recovered. I felt there could have been more phrasing to bring out the nuances, and the tenors a little shallow. Overall, decent with some pitch errors. The next piece was better, they captured re mood of the piece though with a few pitch problems. However I didn't really get it. The final piece made me feel like the tenors were too shallow in tone. There were pitch problems but there was some nice phrasing and dynamics.

Day 3 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 3/4

2009-04-17T08:49:00.001+08:00

Presbyterian High Sch

Actual: S

Yusof Ishak Sec Sch

Actual: S

Bendemeer Sec Sch

Actual: B

Catholic High Sch

Actual: G

Ahmad Ibrahim Sec Sch

Actual: S

Day 3 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 4/4

2009-04-17T08:47:00.001+08:00

Yishun Town Sec Sch

Actual: S

Loyang Sec Sch

Actual: CoP

Westwood Sec Sch

Actual: S

Fairfield Methodist Sec Sch

Actual: G

Manjusri Sec Sch

Actual: S

Day 2 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 1/4

2009-04-16T07:25:00.009+08:00

Hey guys,

Firstly, let me apologise for the sometimes incoherent typing and writing, it happens when you're multi-tasking between listening, typing with your fingers on your phone and thinking of what to write :S

Anyhow, all the best to today's group! It's the first big group for SYF! As far as possible, everything will be posted 'live', that is if my phone decides to play nice today. You should see an update every 15-20 minutes. If you don't, click on 'refresh' to clear your cache. That should fix the problem. Our coverage begins at 0900 hours (Singapore-time for Diane haha) :)

P.S. Today's results will also include those of yesterday's choirs.

I'm early again and on the way in i saw a few choirs practising outdoors. In addition I see a number of familiar faces, and the ever friendly Malay auntie usher. Got the same seat from yesterday :) The crowd today's much larger than the one from yesterday. There are a number of powerhouses performing today so brace yourselves, I think we're in for a tough and long day of competition. Yes, and since I'm early, may I comment on bright and shiny neon blue shirts one of the choir's in? Talk about making a statement LOL. Anw, if anyone of u are coming today do say hi! As usual, the judges are talking loudly and laughing. Happy judges = happy choirs at the end of the day.

Either way the beginning of day 2 is imminent!

Fuhua Sec Sch

Habatakouashitahe
Musica Dei

Prediction: L S
Actual: G (surprise)

Ooo... They're in classy red, but they've only got 7 guys! The set piece's pretty fast, phrasing's adequate, but the balance is a little lacking, tone's as usual airy but overall a good job. First piece's (musica dei) with piano accompaniment. Some nice sections and phrasing, but they tend to go sharp especially the ladies, and I could use more t bs. It's a sweet piece if I might add. Next piece's the jap piece accompanied by piano, and they tend to go flat on the long notes. The tenor solo was rather lacking in volume and tone, but it sounds a little similar to the piece before. I think it'll be a low silver 'cause it wasn't severely out of tune, but balance is a major issue though

North View Sec Sch

Deo dicamus gratias
Di Tanjong Katong

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

Next up is the a go go choir (neon blue?!) Set piece is a tad slow, but omg they're REALLY airy esp the sops. The choir's huge (60?), but the lack of vocal training is telling. They were severely out during the dissonance section. Really bad. First piece's accompanied by piano (deo gratias) there are split notes all the place. It's a nice piece but it's being butchered. Argh I can't wait for it to end, and they went out of tune (sharp in the middle, flat at the end). Oh no, the second piece a cappella, it sounds bitonal but it's supposed to be a nice tonal folk piece. They are ridiculously pitchy, omg. I'm pretty certain it'll be CoP.

Ang Mo Kio Sec Sch

Go, Lovely Rose
Ti Or Or

Prediction: S / L S
Actual: S

I'm sure the judges are yearning fir a good performance now. I know I am. Oh they're in green blazers. Very formal. It's a pretty balanced choir (sexes), the tone's a little airy. It's pretty alright but then sops sound... Muffled? It's a weird sound. The first piece's a cappella, eric whitacre-ish chords, they lack depth to their voices, their nerves are getting to them, but they recovered at the end. There was a brief moment of brilliance, it's lacking blend and subtlety. The next piece is a cappella, omg they've come ALIVE, they must like this piece but there are obvious pitch problems still present. Should be silver maybe low in light of the tone and frequent pitch errors.

Bukit Batok Sec Sch

Lelo Ledung
Oy Polna Polna Korobushka

Prediction: L B / CoP
Actual: S (a little surprised)

The set piece is WAY too slow, it'll definitely be a fault. The girls are airy. Some pitch errors esp in ascending and descending bits. The balance is slanted towards to the girls, too little guys. The dissonant bit was too tentative. Not a good start. I'm thinking CoP at this point in time. The next piece's a cappella Asian (Filipino I think), but the girl's tone is distracting, not to mention the sharpness . I don't really like this piece. The next piece is also a cappella but eastern european/ Baltic. They do a much better job with this piece but I don't get the sudden tone change. They were flat in this piece. I think it'll be either a low bronze or cop, but probably the former. If it's the latter it's 'cause of the set piece.

Kent Ridge Sec Sch

Aka Tonbo
Apamuy Shungo

Prediction: L S
Actual: S

They look like milk-maids in pink but without a bonnet. I would like to hear more t bs, the girls are airy. They are relatively in tune but the performance itself was boring. On to the next piece, starts a little flat (a and s). It's a very delicate, subtle piece but the phrasing isn't quite there, some minor pitch problems. Last piece is Japanese I think, they're more alive (I think the stamping helps) but they're flat. Didn't care for the piece though. It should be a low silver.

Mayflower Sec Sch

Dana Dana
Shinjiru

Prediction: L S / H B
Actual: G (shock)

Navy and yellow don't work unless u're walking down a Alexander McQueen runway. Even then, yellow mandarin collars on a navy shirt will never work.. Set piece is a bit slow. The choir's huge, the phrasing's a bit heavy. The girls are a little shrill, and sharp. Their lack of vocal training is showing, and are frequently out of tune. I like the next piece, it's a cappella, their throaty sound works here, but the lack of depth is showing. It's a decent attempt I might add. The next piece is accompanied by piano, what's with this year and Japanese pieces? Anw, they sound confident, but the airy tone is rather annoying for such a piece. The development section is quite well done, this piece is alright, probably more stable with the piano helping them. Still, there are still some pitch errors evident. Probably low silver or high bronze 'cause of the set piece. It was quite bad u know.

Day 2 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 2/4

2009-04-16T07:24:00.011+08:00

And now we begin with the second half of the am session! The judges are not laughing or talking though. Could that be a sign of things to come?

Chua Chu Kang Sec Sch

Burung Kakak Tua
In these delightful groves

Prediction: L B / CoP
Actual: S (shock)

Oh my... The girls look like a gown version of the St Nicks t-shirt + sch uniform.. Anw they are very out of tune. Like really, all over the place in pitch. Not to mention they're very airy. Not a good start at all, it's probably the worse set piece I've heard thus far... The next piece is a cappella, they're very pitchy, getting flatter with each sequence. I like the tres piecarde at the end but that's probably as much as I liked. The chords in the next piece were not quite there, the pitchin is not quite there, and they were rushing. The lack of vocal training is showing. I can't wait for it to end. I'd say low bronze or cop if the judges take into account the set piece

Orchid Park Sec Sch

Cantate Domino
月娘啊!请你甲我讲(Hokkien)

Prediction: H S
Actual: G (a little surprised, they're lenient)

The set piece was fast, I like the phrasing, but the tone of the girls was a little airy while the guys were throaty. The a cappella section was a little pitchy. A little too much with the crescendo and descrescendo. Next piece is a cappella, quite clean, but airy lah. A little pitch problems at the cadences and end of phrases but the start was good. The last piece is accompanied by piano. They've got a sense of musicality (I'm not talking abt actions), and again I like the phrasing. The girls sound a little shrill but still airy here. I'd give them a high silver for their musicality but it's not gold becase of the level of difficulty of the pieces.

Anglo-Chinese Sch (Independent)

Paisigin
Credo

Prediction: H S
Actual: G (they're lenient)

The choir is huge and the conductor looks like a student LOL. Anw the tone is very airy, there is a lack of depth in the sound, but overall relatively in tune. Can't really hear the altos though. The next piece is a cappella, some split notes in the sops. Again there is a lack of depth in the sound. But I like the piece (credo). The phrasing is quite good, but lack subtlety. There are also a few voices sticking out. They ended flat. The next piece is paisigin, the tone is airy, it's alright but I didn't care for this, it kept repeating sequences. The cadences were a little off though. Ended sharp. Should be high silver.

Victoria Sch

Mundi Renovatio
Kucinta

Prediction: H G / GwH
Actual: GwH

I like the yellow tie and black vest. Anw the set piece is a tad slower. The sops sound constricted, the blend is not quite there. They're not really pronouncing the words. They're a little flat but recovered. But still pretty good. Mundi Renovatio next, the t bs sound very mature, some pitching errors in sops and tenors, but they got the mood right though it sounded a tad hectic. But still very solid. Kucinta forces me to listen to the sops and altos more which isn't very good since I don't quite fancy the constricted sound. Nevertheless a very good performance, the blend with a couple of minor pitch errors. Altos ended flat. I hate choreography in general so I wasn't too thrilled with it. I think it's a good performance, high gold definitely but dunno whether it'll be gwh.

The judges have a 5 min break, to deliberate I reckon on whether it's GwH.

Northland Sec Sch

Danny Boy
May Ibong Kakanta Kanta

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

Ok their outfits remind me of kampong. But those around me say dian xiao we LOL. Anw, the set piece is very slow, and they clash ridiculously horridly. The tone's screechy (throaty for guys) and the accompanist is a mess. The a cappella section was awful and I'd say CoP just from this one performance. I said I'd heard the worse, apparently I was wrong. I like the first song, but they are doing a disservice to the song, pitching is again off, not to mention rhythm, tone and phrasing. The accomapanist isn't really keeping together with them. It was painful. Last piece is a cappella. Oh no. It's changing keys every few bars. Another excruiating performance. Clearly CoP.

Anderson Sec Sch

Hajnali Dal
Japanese Game

Prediction: GwH / H G
Actual: GwH

Huge choir! I like the shade of pink, and ms lim has a lot of supporters eh? Fast set piece, the sound has a depth to it, but the tenors are rather weak, it was rather 'bleh', though everything was alright. I think it lacks subtlety. The next piece starts promisingly, but needs more tenors to boost the chords. It's a difficult piece. It's lacking a maturity to it though the sound is there, albeit lacking in tenors. Basses could be more deep and stable in pitch though. Overall good job. The last piece really brings some life to their voices, they're rushing a little. Pitching is questionable at times. They could have played with tone a bit more in this piece. Another difficult piece. High gold yes, gold with honours is a possibility. Hmm. I'll extend a limb to say yes.

Greenview Sec Sch

Home on That Rock
望春风

Prediction: B
Actual: S (surprised)

They look alright LOL. The set piece is a tad slow. Very airy tone, pitching a little sharp. They lack dynamics and the altos were out in the a cappella section. Not a good start. 1st choice piece is the Chinese influenced one with piano accompaniment, the airy tone is an issue. Pitching is a problem, I'd say it's adequate but I'm not particularly fond of it. Final piece of the am session, they lack the depth, volume and soul to do gospel/ spiritual/ jazz-infused pieces. Makes them look amateurish. Not fond of choreography. I'd say bronze.

Day 2 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 3/4

2009-04-16T07:23:00.004+08:00

They're starting to get quite niao with tickets so do come early to get them!

And we're back with the second half of today's performance, they still haven't put up the song list so.. Sorry to disappoint.. Will get it when I can :)

Anglican High Sch

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

A very full sound from a HUGE choir, I like the tone much better, it's a little light though. Pitching wise quite accurate, but they were not quite together in term of rhythm. The next piece is ave maria, which is beautifully phrased and delicate when needed. It's leaving me enthranced, the balance is good and the range of dynamic extraordinary.. Wonderful! The next piece is Chinese, probably by Chen Yi. They're using chopsticks! The humming section wasn't quite good, but everything else was good! I wouldn't mind paying to watch them! They've got good voices in there and it really helps in the tone. It got a little draggy, but clearly GwH!! What a way to start this session.

First Toa Payoh Sec Sch

Prediction: CoP / L B
Actual: B

The sash is off. That's all I can say. There's a voice sticking out, and they're clashing really badly. The tone is harsh, balance is not quite there, the basses are virtually non-existent. It's tough to critique after Anglican High. The next one is Asian, I think Japanese. They start off with hissing and puffing, it's messy with the piano accompanying half-way. The last piece's that's the story of love, it really shows the technical problems in the choir, and it clashes badly. I think CoP or low bronze.

Oh some conductor behind me said want to lose then lose in style (he's dressed in purple)

Queensway Sec Sch

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

They have a small male section, but it's the tone that's problematic. The girls are screechy, but surprisingly relatively in tune. But it feels like talking rather singing. Ok I spoke too soon, during the a cappella section it fell apart. They're doing an a cappella piece (baroque I think Purcell) ok this is painful. All the chords are clashing. This is bad, not to mention the tone. Argh, but they're really trying hard though if's really falling apart. I'm feeling light-headed. Very clearly CoP. The final piece has piano accompaniment, which will help guide them, it's a jap song again. They rushed at parts and I can't wait for it to end.

Jurong West Sec Sch

Prediction: B
Actual: S (shocked)

Ok I need some choral relief, hopefully they will be able to do so. It's getting pretty crowded now! The guys are in red, black and silver, while the ladies are in red with a silver sash. It's a HUMONGOUS choir of presents haha. The set piece is pretty slow, the tone is slightly airy and are clashing quite a bunch. It's a little messy, the pitching is a major issue . The next piece is piano accomapnied with a pretty cool entry. The tenors and basses are lacking. They're screaming a little, but overall not too bad. Last piece is also piano accomapnied, smart thing to do, they have some pitch problems and aren't exactly doing a really difficult song. It's probably bronze.

Raffles Institution

Prediction: H G / GwH
Actual: G (i felt they were cheated)

Next is RI, hopefully they'll do well. The phrasing is good, but the sops sound like gin nas, it's not deep enough, they went flat once or twice. The set piece wasn't quite fast enough though. The next piece however is very good, the musicality and the sensibility in it is really good. Granted, there were a few pitch problems, but the depth, key changes, chords were brilliant. The last piece is iddem dam, which was good just that the tenors could be more deep in the sound. It was a prob observed throughout. The sop soloist seemed to be struggling. It was good, high gold def, maybe gwh if the European judges appreciate the musicality.

Chung Cheng High Sch (Yishun)

Prediction: CoP / L B
Actual: B

The set piece is slow and is a mess, clashing badly a few times for both guys and girls. The guys are singing gallop like rebbit and they're out of tune. The dissonance and a cappella sections are ridiculously out of tune. There's a guy sticking out big time. The next piece is accomapnied by piano but they're still out of tune at bits. I can' stan that guy sticking out, he sounds like he's being forced to sing. It'll be CoP unless the judges decide to be lenient and forgive the major mistakes in the set piece. Top hats?! Oh no.. I have a bad feeling about this.. Piano accompanied, sounds like it's from high school musical.. Anw it's very amateurish but much more in turn except the one guy.

Day 2 of Sec Sch SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 4/4

2009-04-16T07:22:00.004+08:00

Tanjong Katong Sec Sch

Prediction: H G / GwH
Actual: GwH

Crap I was late so all I could listen was the sound from the speaker, which isn't very good.. They sound pretty good from where I am, but then again I may be wrong. The next piece is Asian, and the tone sounds appropriate for the piece. They sound in tune, and have the character of the piece in well. My apologies to fans of TKSS. Can't really judge. But I reckon it's gold vs gwh

Anglo-Chinese Sch (Barker Road)

Prediction: L S / H B
Actual: S

Shit phone hanged, I'm gonna summarize this. I don't like their tone in general, sops are too dark and tenors are screaming. They had a good moment in the second piece, but they were consistently questionable in pitch. They need more training in their voices. Probably a low silver or high bronze depending on how the judges take to the pitch problems.

Kranji Sec Sch

Prediction: H S / L G
Actual: S (I felt they were cheated)

They're in green! Anw the tone is pretty good, they need more control and phrasing though, otherwise it's ok though weird. Their Chinese piece is pretty good the inflections and nuances are there. They're relatively in tune with a few pitch problems, but I don't feel much. In the next piece, the t bs esp have problem with the control needed to make the cut. I think it's a high silver or low gold.

Hillgrove Sec Sch

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

The set piece is way too slow. The pitch problems were everyone esp when they climbed to high notes. The tone was airy and I wanted more sound from the 7 guys. The dissonance portion was a mess, and the a cappella section was painful. Next piece is a Chinese a cappella piece. Sounded bitonal. Omg. I can't say anymore. The last piece is accompanied by piano. It's still painfully flat even with the piano assisting. I love the chords in the piano though. CoP.

Macpherson Sec Sch

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

They've got butterflies in their hair haha. Anyway, my phone ran out of batt, and i can't exactly remember what I typed so I'll do what I can rmb. The tone was lacking, and they were frequently out of tune. I remember it was almost painful to go through all of it. CoP was more or less certain.

Dunman High Sch

Prediction: H S/ L G
Actual: S

Another of Ms Tham's choirs. Dunman was alright. The tone was adequate but not spectacular. Pitch errors in the set piece, had some weird moments. They sang Kyrie as well, but the interpretation's lacking in subtlety and phrasing. The feel of the music isn't fully accentuated, some pitch errors during the interlay of voices. This piece is seriously difficult to pitch. The chords lock in at points, but didn't quite have the continuity to them. The last piece's Asian, but is flat. I didn't really care for it though, but it's definitely a high silver, question is whether the set piece will cause them to get a low gold.

Day 1 of Sec Sch SYF! (Live Thoughts)

2009-04-15T08:42:00.021+08:00

((Edit: amended some predictions after thinking back on the performances, it's in italics for your ease of reference. In summary, the grade for Deyi has been amended to L S / H B, Woodgrove has been amended to B, Queenstown amended to L B / CoP, Commonwealth has been amended to GwH/ H G and Boon Lay has been amended to L B / CoP))

Hey all, today's the first day of SYF, we'll try our best to update u guys as everyone sings (depending on how well my battery holds up), the action begins at 245 Singapore time, so stay tuned for updates!

P.S. All the best to everyone competing! :)

The first school (Juying Sec) just reported, and are, interestingly in pink one piece dresses with a navy blazer top, for the girls, and a navy 3 piece suit for the guys topped off with a pink tie! Quite trendy I might say. Why am i talking about their dress code? 'cause i'm bored from coming early. They look pretty nervous, hopefully they'll calm down before singing. Heck i'm feeling nervous for them. Anyhow all schools will report and warm up at Victoria Theatre before proceeding to VCH for adjudication. Tickets will be distributed at the door (or so I'm told that is). Oh look the next group's here too. Dressed in deep crimson, and the guys in an all black mandarin-collared suit. Ok enough fashion :p

Astonishingly, this year they've posted the songs the schs are signing on a board outside! I've conveniently typed it out for ur viewing pleasure ;) Oh and there a number of pp here supporting or simply enjoying I guess. The ushers are quite nice too, and I got a good seat!

They're starting!! And the judges are talking pretty loudly haha!! There's a Slovenian, Taiwanese, Hungarian, American, British, Singaporean and Zechariah Goh (set piece composer for jcs) Oo it's my trendy choir haha

Juying Sec Sch

Hamabe no Uta (Song of the Beach)
Flying Free

Prediction: B
Actual: B

It's never easy being the first up. You're at the mercy of the judges. The choir is very small (abt 30) and thus less likely to have a wide dynamic range. The sound is in general airy and very soft. Balance is alright though, can hear all parts. As for the set piece, the a cappella dissonant section is off, and the choreography's weird, but generally in tune 'cause of the piano. The first choice piece's fully accompanied by piano. A bit boring. The last bit was off with the chords suddenly increasing in volume, subtlety is lacking. The next piece is also accompanied by piano. I think their lack of volume is helping cover up some pitch problems, but it's really boring. They've got some phrasing, but despite their valiant attempt their pitch problems in the set piece and lack of technical difficulty will be their problem with the judges

North Vista Sec Sch

Let Their Celestial Concerts All Unite
Nao Hua Deng

Prediction: S
Actual: S

Oh it's the cheena choir haha. They're huge in number. They're also airy but the tone and volume is comparatively better. The set piece is quite well done and largely in tune. First piece's accompanied by piano, and is baroque-ish, the pitching is a bit off (no set direction they went out of tune in) but they've captured the mood of the piece. Next piece's.... Chinese! I like the piano accompaniment, anw they're largely in tune. Another happy piece which they do well in. Smart song choices. I believe it'll be silver. They did well in what they chose but the tone's still too airy and the out of tune voices in the choir is a problem. Also piano accompaniment isn't exactly prime material for gold choirs.

Deyi Sec Sch

拜访春天
Salmo 150

Prediction: L S / H B
Actual: S

Ooo... Salmo... This will be interesting. They look like parish singers. Anw they are airy, notably for the male voices. They don't quite gel, which may be a problem. The set piece sounded a bit tentative and hesitant, dissonant section was weird. First choice piece - A CAPPELLA! Anw I think they're a SAB choir. It's pitchy, the guys are the most obvious in doing so. Frequently sharp when ascending and flat when descending. Next, Salmo! The altos are doing the tenor part, the basses are flat and very soft. They're rushing(!!) and they gradually got sharper. Yikes. I think it'll be a low silver, considering they sang a cappella and weren't THAT out of tune. Still, they may get a high bronze if the judges deem pitching to be a crucial criteria for getting silver.

Woodgrove Sec Sch

Ti Or Or
Ubi Caritas

Prediction: B
Actual: B

Gold Chun-Lis! Must have worn that to attract 'Gold' Haha anw their male voices are numbered at 10. They've got a number of serious pitch problems within their own sections. Tone's less airy than the one before but nowhere near what we want to hear. Ti Or Or - I don't know what to make of it. It's a cappella but they've frequently out of tune. The guys are WAY too soft in terms of balance that is, and a loud gong at the end. Reminds me of pok pok. Ubi caritas is a beautiful piece accompanied by piano, they try to phrase, but the pronounciation's inaccurate and very distracting. Clash chords = Probably bronze.

Xinmin Sec Sch

Patoeknal
Itsuki no komori-uta

Prediction: H S / L G
Actual: G (band up)

Omg their choir's huge, and the set piece is fast, but it's probably the actual intended speed. The tone's good and they're argely in tune. The first piece's a cappella, and they're rushing a little. The phrasing's there but perhaps not sufficient for the slow section. I have a feeling I'll like the second piece, it's a very lovely piece, slightly dissonant (intended of course), but the balance and pitching of the arppegiatic bits are off. As I said, I like the piece. It's very delicate but too dominated by S and A, and required more male voices. It should be a high silver. The pitching's not gonna nail them a gold though. I expected more sound from the male voices considering they constituted abt half the choir, but then again, the judges may push it to a low gold.

It's break-time! (till 430) and I'm almost out of batt! I heard one of the judges say smoking break.. LOL..

Temasek Sec Sch

Koko kara haji maru
Tres cantos nativos

Prediction; L G / H S
Actual: G

First thing I see's a bongo... WTH? Anw they're in purple which isn't very flattering. Anw moving on, I could use more tenors and the tone is slightly airy, which is further accentuated in the set piece. But it's in tune and the dynamics and phrasing is good. The next piece's a cappella and I like it! The phrasing and dynamics could be more delicate, but they captured the essence of the piece, there were some good moments. The next piece is African, and pretty simple, but the lady's tone is not sufficient to carry forth the raw essence of the piece. They managed to get it in the middle of the piece, though the actions were a little comical. I believe it'll be a low gold or high silver if the judges decide to penalize the tone and difficulty for the last piece.

Peirce Sec Sch

Ah! Si Mon moine voulait danser
In this ancient house (momoshiki ya)

Prediction: B
Actual: S (higher than predicted)

The tone's airy and a whole bunch of pitch problems in the set piece, mostly within the voices themselves, and the dissonant section's awkward. 1st piece's accompanied by piano and triangle, and the size of the male section (or lack thereof) really affects the sound. It's sorely in need of tenors and a bass is stickin out. It's a broody piece but just a tad boring. The last piece's accompanied by piano as well. Anw may I say that French is NOT easy to sing. They've got to work on vocal technique though, the end of their phrases is always flat. It feels heavy although it's supposed to be a lively jovial danse. In light of this, I think it's a bronze.

Queenstown Sec Sch

Burung kakak tua
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day

Prediction: L B / CoP
Actual: B

Whoa first thing that strikes me is that they're a colour uncoordinated bunch (think teal and pink :S), and the set piece's ridiculously fast. Anw the girls are airy, as usual, but a little shrill overall, it's also missing balance from the guys. They were frequently out of tune but speeding through it kinda diminished its intensity. 1st piece is a cappella, but there's a whole lot of pitch problems mostly in the guys who are flat. It's supposed to be folksy and happy but I can't wait for it to end. They're rushing a little and out of tune. First disaster of the competition, and they were doing ok for the set piece. 2nd piece is better with the accompaniment of the piano but instead of being accompanied by the drum, they sound like the accompaniment to the latter! Not good, but they should get a low bronze on the back of the set piece. Might be CoP if the judges decide the 1st piece was bad enough to relegate them to that position.

River Valley High Sch

Salve Regina
Zhu Li Guan

Prediction: H G
Actual: G

Ooo! Their conductor's Ms Jennifer Tham, the sound's clean, the phrasing's adequate but not spectacular, somehow the guys don't quite blend with the ladies. Pitching's good and it's a good start. Next piece is a cappella, I love the start by the S and As, but the entry by the tenors ruined the mood (way too strained). This piece could be magical, but the execution wasn't delicate enough. They certainly are the best this far, but imo not gold with honours. A blemish at the end by tenors but otherwise a solid performance. The last piece is decent, everything's mostly ok except the tenors being rather weak and airy. It was ok but I didn't really care for it. Should be a high gold but I wouldn't give it gold with honours.

Commonwealth Sec Sch

Jaakobin isot pojat (the sons of Jacob)
Ashita wa Hare Kana Kumori Kana

Prediction: GwH / H G
Actual: GwH

I always liked gold ties, which the guys are wearing. Anw the choir's huge, and thus able to carry a wide range of dynamics, it's a surprisingly good performance of the set piece with very well controlled phrasing. I was worried when I saw 'Jaakobin' as one of the choice pieces, but they do it well! Pitch was accurate at most parts, and is pretty impressive. Ladies and gentlemen, I would say a potential contender for gold with honours. The chords are good, but they went sharp, still a darn good job! Last piece is delicate, very mature sound for a choir so young, the phrasing and dynamics are well-controlled. The sound forces u to breathe in sync with them, it was magic! I'd say, "Gold with honours"!!!! Nevertheless, the judges may still decide to deflate the grade tomorrow after listening to the other choirs, and/or do so 'cause of the slight pitch problems in Jaakobin and the Set-piece.

Boon Lay Sec Sch

Dana-Dana
Arirang

Prediction: L B / CoP
Actual: B

Omg their outfits are GAUDY, anw it's tough to be last and sing after such a good choir. Set piece - they have the same problem as most choirs, airy tone, they are so nervous u can hear it, they are clashing within their parts. Not a good start. Next piece is accompanied by piano, and they sing 'Arirang' first. They lack depth to their voices and phrasing, the grandeur at the loud sections is lacking, but it's relatively in tune. Ok last piece for today, it's a cappella, and it's relatively in tune though the sequences between voices really bring to focus the lack of vocal training. Their tones are raw but it's a good effort and I think it should be low bronze. However, it'll boil down to the judges to decide 'cause the pitching problems were rather severe. Hope they'll be nice and not give out any CoPs.

Btw, results for day 1 will only be announced at the end of tomorrow! Oh, I might say that the choral standard is improving man! Some performances were definitely worth listening to!

Sing-ing Sunday: SYF

2009-04-12T22:57:00.002+08:00

Here are some pieces which have been used for SYF competitions in the past. Thought that I'd do this, since the SYF season for choirs is about to start.

The pieces may very well be re-used this year, I'm sure...

I've shown this before in an earlier post. Catchy rhythms.

Of course, the ever-popular Pamugun by FF Feliciano. Technically hard because of its speed. I pity the Bass 1s who have to sing syncopated rhythms at more than 120 crotchet beats per minute.

I can't find a better local recording of this song for some strange reason. This one's quite out of tune at parts. But in my opinion being out of tune is more forgivable in this song. Have you heard gamelan ensembles in tune?? Hence, my point!

Bin Nam Ma by Alberto Grau. The choreography is written in the score, by the way. Again, I can't find many other school choir recordings of this song on youtube, strange.

Not a common competition song choice, I suppose, but Eric Whitacre compositions are very well-liked by Singaporean school choirs, so here's goes.

The low C# at the end of the song requires inborn talent to be produced.

Mamayog Akun. When I was still in school I thought this was a risky choice for a competition song. Too short, not much of a climax, and it's a 'so what's the point?' kind of song. The score has little annotations, if I recall correctly, no articulation marks, almost no 'hairpins' and accents, only the occasional dynamic change.

But after listening to this version (OK, I cheated. This isn't by Singaporeans), I like this song now! This song requires brilliant interpretation to pull off, else it will sound really bland.

Singaporean choirs LOVE filipino compositions. Another show piece by Feliciano. The UST singers have big voices, I like their loud songs a lot! This version is very robust and resonant!

Iddem Dem Mallida. This interpretation is very different from my personal one. This one has less nuances and more hard-hitting.

With a Lily in Your Hand, by Whitacre. I should rename this post as "Filipino and Whitacre works" already...

Listening Recommendations: Vespers by Sergei Rachmaninov

2009-04-08T11:14:00.002+08:00

Hey guys,

Here's one of my favourite pieces, Vespers by Russian composer, Sergei Rachmaninov (or Rachmaninoff).

The Vespers, also known as All-Night Vigil, was composed during the First World War and performed to benefit the war effort. It's most notably one of the most beautifully written Russian liturgical pieces, and is considered perhaps as the crowning achievement of the "Golden Age" of Russian Orthodox sacred choral music.

The piece, itself, consists of/ is based on chant, namely the znamenny style, recitative Greek style, and 'Kiev' chant - the Ukranian adaptation of the znamenny style. It is sung a cappella, the traditional vocal complement of the Russian Orthodox Church, and is framed around 15 major psalms and hymsn of the Resurrection Vigil

The depth of the music is extraordinary, Rachmaninov made use of the tone, timbre and range of the human voice like no other. The piece varies from 3, 5, 6 and 8-part harmony and comes packaged with a basso profundo. Only in Russia would you be able to find basses who could scale to a low B-flat.

Listen to the fifth movement for the a/m low B-flat. Rachmaninov loved this piece such much he requested for this to be performed at his funeral. What's more this has the score:

P.S. If you notice that they're singing an A, that's 'cause they're flat. Can you imagine, they ARE SINGING AN A!? haha

Here's the other introspective Blagoslovi Dushe Moya Gospoda

Enjoy!! :)

Sing-ing Sunday

2009-04-05T19:52:00.002+08:00

I'm rather amused by the context of the performance.

Concert: Naturally 7 Live in Singapore

2009-04-02T20:22:00.003+08:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the short hiatus. Life has been taking a toll lately with a lot of clashing events. With that out of the way though, here's my take on Naturally 7 - LIVE in Singapore.

I should begin by saying that I've been following Naturally 7 on Youtube for quite a while now. I distinctly recall that my first exposure to the group was watching their Wall of Sound video..and being struck with a profound sense of disbelief that all of those sounds were, as they advertised, made with only their voices. So I began searching for more clips, especially clips of them singing live. Unfortunately, most clips on Youtube are of too poor quality to properly appreciate - more often than not, they are outdoor recordings and very spotty in terms of audio.

I then found out that they were coming to Singapore, and I was elated. At their concert, I was blown away.

I've watched a couple of modern A Cappella greats onstage before - The Swingle Singers, The Real Group, M-PACT - and none of them match Naturally 7 in terms of pure energy and stage presence. The packaging of the performance is a high priority for them, as could be seen from the personalities of the individual singers shining through during the course of the concert.

Naturally 7 regards themselves as a 'vocal band'. By their definition, it goes beyond merely imitating instruments - by their reckoning, they become the instruments. I heard trumpets, drums, harmonicas, electric guitar riffs and distortion effects. What amazed me was that even though it was clear that electronic effects were applied to enhance and touch up the sound, the human element never disappeared.

This is not to say that their roots aren't deeply entrenched. Midway through the concert, they gave a heartwarming story of their origins, and sang a couple of songs without the aid of anything other than simple condensor mics. The blending of their voices and the undercurrent of emotions in their singing was A Cappella at it's simplest and most wonderful. It showed their versatility and range, proving that they are indeed deserving of the numerous awards they have achieved.

My personal highlight of the concert was when the group performed Wall of Sound. Seeing my first exposure of Naturally 7 was watching that piece on Youtube it amazed me to see it pieced together, layer by layer, right before my eyes. Watching professionals use the loop pedal (a piece of technology I've secretly wanted to experiment with forever) and literally loop an entire song into being was one of my most memorable A Cappella experiences yet.

Did I enjoy the concert? Yes.
Was it a great A Cappella experience? Most definitely.
If they come back to Singapore, would I watch them again? A resounding yes!

Blog Recommendation

2009-04-02T16:52:00.002+08:00

Hey guys,

We've teamed up with Ching Mei from A Cappella Sounds to help spread the word on the a cappella and choir scene here in Singapore.

She's one of the pioneers to document and promote Singapore's a cappella music :)

Visit her to get more info on concerts etc!

Listening Recommendation: Spem in alium by Thomas Tallis

2009-04-01T23:30:00.003+08:00

Hey guys,

I share with you my obsession over Renaissance music,

Today's listening recommendation's Spem in alium by English composer Thomas Tallis (c. 1505 - 23 Nov 1585). It's a four part motet for 8 choirs of 5 voices each, with individual voices leading in, fading out, in call and return or sometimes homophony. The contrasts are audible to the listener and is indeed a work that has persisted in the choral staple since the Renaissance era.

The lyrics are as follows:

Spem in alium numquam habui praeter in te
Deus Israel
qui irasceris
et propitius eris
et omnia peccata hominum in tribulatione dimittis
Domine Deus
Creator coeli et terrae
respice humilitatem nostram

I have never put my hope in any other but in you,
O God of Israel
who can show both anger
and graciousness,
and who absolves all the sins of suffering man
Lord God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth
be mindful of our lowliness

This version i have below's by the Tallis Scholars, and has a bit of the score in the front so you can see how it moves between parts.

Enjoy! :)

I died listening to this

2009-03-30T00:10:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine forced this upon me. I died laughing.

P.S. I mean no offense to elderly folk but "it is getting hot in here", "i wanna take my robes off" is.. hilarious..

Sing-ing Sunday: Army Cool

2009-03-29T23:30:00.003+08:00

Nothing very fantastic here, but I guess it's different when you're wearing No. 3 while beatboxing haha.

The clip unfortunately lops off a bit of the song. Oh well.

The above are some of the very few clips I could find by the SAF MDC (Music and Drama Company). I am just curious to know what are the results of two years of National Service at MDC.

I believe the MDC Choir holds an annual public concert every year, and its a cappella groups, or Vocal Ensemble as I gather from its official website, apparently do mini performances on demand, as illustrated by the clips above, taken at Pioneer Junior College.

For a group that is supposed to practise every weekday (albeit in camp), they have astonishingly few public appearances, if its official website's calendar of events is fully accurate. I wonder why...

Listening Recommendations: Miserere by Zoltan Kodaly

2009-03-25T14:22:00.003+08:00

This week's recommendation's Miserere by Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly. I just love the sound of the double-chorus, the depth of sound it produces is awe-inspiring. As for the piece, the neo-renaissance-lilt, build-up and harmony is just breath-taking. I would be so gratified if i could hear it 'live' haha.

Enjoy this performance by 2008 Grand Prix finalist, Cantemus!

Nintendo A Cappella

2009-03-24T20:35:00.000+08:00

Hey all,

Here's another interesting clip!

The title says it all:

SYF Sec Sch Performance Schedule

2009-03-23T13:56:00.002+08:00

Hey all,

The syf performance schedule's out, so for pp who are planning to go down and listen, here's the schedule! (linked to the choral director's association website)

Day 1 - 15th April (Wed) Report Performance
1 JUYING SECONDARY SCHOOL 1400 1445
2 NORTH VISTA SECONDARY SCHOOL 1415 1500
3 DEYI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1430 1515
4 WOODGROVE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1445 1530
5 XINMIN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1500 1545

6 TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
7 PEIRCE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1600 1645
8 QUEENSTOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1615 1700
9 RIVER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL 1630 1715
10 COMMONWEALTH SECONDARY SCHOOL 1645 1730
11 BOON LAY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1700 1745

Day 2 - 16th April (Thurs)
12 FUHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL 0815 0900
13 NORTH VIEW SECONDARY SCHOOL 0830 0915
14 ANG MO KIO SECONDARY SCHOOL 0845 0930
15 BUKIT BATOK SECONDARY SCHOOL 0900 0945
16 KENT RIDGE SECONDARY SCHOOL 0915 1000
17 MAYFLOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL 0930 1015

18 CHUA CHU KANG SECONDARY SCHOOL 1015 1100
19 ORCHID PARK SECONDARY SCHOOL 1030 1115
20 ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INDEPENDENT) 1045 1130
21 VICTORIA SCHOOL 1100 1145
22 NORTHLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL 1115 1200
23 ANDERSON SECONDARY SCHOOL 1130 1215
24 GREENVIEW SECONDARY SCHOOL 1145 1230

25 ANGLICAN HIGH SCHOOL 1315 1400
26 FIRST TOA PAYOH SECONDARY SCHOOL 1330 1415
27 QUEENSWAY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1345 1430
28 JURONG WEST SECONDARY SCHOOL 1400 1445
29 RAFFLES INSTITUTION 1415 1500
30 CHUNG CHENG HIGH SCHOOL (YISHUN) 1430 1515

31 TANJONG KATONG SECONDARY SCHOOL 1515 1600
32 ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (BARKER ROAD) 1530 1615
33 KRANJI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
34 HILLGROVE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1600 1645
35 MACPHERSON SECONDARY SCHOOL 1615 1700
36 DUNMAN HIGH SCHOOL 1630 1715

Day 3 - 17th April (Fri)
37 DUNMAN SECONDARY SCHOOL 0815 0900
38 JURONGVILLE SECONDARY SCHOOL 0830 0915
39 HENDERSON SECONDARY SCHOOL 0845 0930
40 EAST SPRING SECONDARY SCHOOL 0900 0945
41 ZHONGHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL 0915 1000
42 NGEE ANN SECONDARY SCHOOL 0930 1015

43 ZHENGHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL 1015 1100
44 BEDOK SOUTH SECONDARY SCHOOL 1030 1115
45 CHUNG CHENG HIGH SCHOOL (MAIN) 1045 1130
46 RIVERSIDE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1100 1145
47 JUNYUAN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1115 1200
48 HOLY INNOCENTS' HIGH SCHOOL 1130 1215
49 BUKIT PANJANG GOVT. HIGH SCHOOL 1145 1230

50 PRESBYTERIAN HIGH SCHOOL 1345 1430
51 YUSHOF ISHAK SECONDARY SCHOOL 1400 1445
52 BENDEMEER SECONDARY SCHOOL 1415 1500
53 CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 1430 1515
54 AHMAD IBRAHIM SECONDARY SCHOOL 1445 1530

55 YISHUN TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1530 1615
56 LOYANG SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
57 WESTWOOD SECONDARY SCHOOL 1600 1645
58 FAIRFIELD METHODIST SECONDARY SCHOOL 1615 1700
59 MANJUSRI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1630 1715

Day 4 - 20th April (Mon)
60 CHIJ ST. NICHOLAS GIRLS' SCHOOL 0815 0900
61 ST. MARGARET'S SECONDARY SCHOOL 0830 0915
62 PUNGGOL SECONDARY SCHOOL 0845 0930
63 PIONEER SECONDARY SCHOOL 0900 0945
64 YIO CHU KANG SECONDARY SCHOOL 0915 1000
65 GUANGYANG SECONDARY SCHOOL 0930 1015

66 DAMAI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1015 1100
67 BUKIT VIEW SECONDARY SCHOOL 1030 1115
68 SIGLAP SECONDARY SCHOOL 1045 1130
69 CLEMENTI WOODS SECONDARY SCHOOL 1100 1145
70 GREENDALE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1115 1200
71 CEDAR GIRLS' SECONDARY SCHOOL 1130 1215

72 DUNEARN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1315 1400
73 CHIJ ST. JOSEPH'S CONVENT 1330 1415
74 BEDOK TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1345 1430
75 ST. ANTHONY'S CANOSSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL1400 1445
76 RAFFLES GIRLS' SCHOOL (SECONDARY) 1415 1500
77 CRESCENT GIRLS' SCHOOL 1430 1515

78 CHIJ KATONG CONVENT 1515 1600
79 KUO CHUAN PRESBYTERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1530 1615
80 BEDOK NORTH SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
81 TANJONG KATONG GIRLS' SCHOOL 1600 1645
82 GAN ENG SENG SCHOOL 1615 1700
83 ST. HILDA'S SECONDARY SCHOOL 1630 1715

Day 5 - 21st April (Tues)
84 CHRIST CHURCH SECONDARY SCHOOL 0815 0900
85 NAN HUA HIGH SCHOOL 0830 0915
86 PEI HWA SECONDARY SCHOOL 0845 0930
87 CHAI CHEE SECONDARY SCHOOL 0900 0945
88 MARSILING SECONDARY SCHOOL 0915 1000
89 CHIJ SECONDARY (TOA PAYOH) 0930 1015

90 TAMPINES SECONDARY SCHOOL 1015 1100
91 NAN CHIAU HIGH SCHOOL 1030 1115
92 BROADRICK SECONDARY SCHOOL 1045 1130
93 YISHUN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1100 1145
94 WHITLEY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1115 1200
95 BISHAN PARK SECONDARY SCHOOL 1130 1215

96 FUCHUN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1315 1400
97 COMPASSVALE SECONDARY SCHOOL 1330 1415
98 NANYANG GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL 1345 1430
99 BEATTY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1400 1445
100 UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1415 1500
101 CLEMENTI TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1430 1515

102 HUA YI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1515 1600
103 CHANGKAT CHANGI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1530 1615
104 BALESTIER HILL SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
105 REGENT SECONDARY SCHOOL 1600 1645
106 SINGAPORE CHINESE GIRLS' SCHOOL 1615 1700

Day 6 - 22nd April (Wed)
107 CHIJ ST. THERESA'S CONVENT 1400 1445
108 BEDOK VIEW SECONDARY SCHOOL 1415 1500
109 METHODIST GIRLS' SCHOOL (SECONDARY) 1430 1515
110 WOODLANDS RING SECONDARY SCHOOL 1445 1530
111 HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL 1500 1545

112 PEICAI SECONDARY SCHOOL 1545 1630
13 PAYA LEBAR METHODIST GIRLS" SCHOOL 1600 1645
114 BARTLEY SECONDARY SCHOOL 1615 1700
115 PASIR RIS CREST SECONDARY SCHOOL 1630 1715

Day 7 - 23rd April (Thurs)
116 BEDOK GREEN SECONDARY SCHOOL 0815 0900
117 CORAL SECONDARY SCHOOL 0830 0915
118 SWISS COTTAGE SECONDARY SCHOOL 0845 0930
119 PASIR RIS SECONDARY SCHOOL 0900 0945
120 GREENRIDGE SECONDARY SCHOOL 0915 1000
121 GEYLANG METHODIST SECONDARY SCHOOL 0930 1015

122 SENG KANG SECONDARY SCHOOL 1015 1100
123 BOWEN SECONDARY SCHOOL 1030 1115
124 HAI SING CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1045 1130
125 JURONG SECONDARY SCHOOL 1100 1145

126 ST. GABRIEL'S SECONDARY SCHOOL 1315 1400
127 ST. ANDREW'S SECONDARY SCHOOL 1330 1415
128 HWA CHONG INSTITUTION (SECONDARY) 1345 1430
129 MONTFORT SECONDARY SCHOOL 1400 1445

Sing-ing Sunday

2009-03-22T21:42:00.005+08:00

Dunman Secondary School Choir Tour 2007

For a choir this young - members are only 13 to 16 years old - the sound is really solid and vibrant (although I suppose the acoustics of the room helped, too).

Of particular interest to some will probably be the final piece performed in this video: Sarba Dance On A Chair by Alexandru Pascanu. Many nice harmonic progressions there.

Listening Recommendations: O Fortuna by Carl Orff

2009-03-18T14:03:00.001+08:00

[Backdated 'cause i forgot to publish it =S]

Perhaps one of the most familiar works known to us today, "O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff. It's been featured in way too many movie sequences than mentionable (usually at the dark/ dramatic portions).

The first vid shows the translation and everything, but the sound quality ain't that good =S

Enjoy!

Honda Advertisement

2009-03-16T17:53:00.001+08:00

Hey guys,

Here's something to fill in the gap between Sing-ing Sunday and Listening Recommendations.

Honda (as in the car company), released an advertisement in 2006 for the UK and well us netizens. And.. the advertisement uses a 60-strong choir to mimic the sounds of a car!

Very interesting indeed:

Sing-ing Sunday: A Few Student A Cappella Groups

2009-03-15T18:38:00.004+08:00

I suppose the group is from Sheares Hall, NUS? A lighthearted cover version of a popular song by The Corrs, if slightly pitchy.

Also from Sheares Hall.

Now, we have Kent Ridge Hall. "Hitori" was originally by The Gospellers, an a cappella pop group from Japan.

Extra:

By... some Temasek Secondary School students! Their energy and tight sound (coming from youths 13-17 years old) put many other a cappella groups to shame! :O

More from Temasek A Cappella Group (TAG). Visually simple yet good! The two tall chaps frame the three shorter girls in the background. I digress, but isn't visuals an essential part of live performances :)

TAG is an optional CCA in Temasek Secondary School. Cool...

Listening Recommendations: Complaints Choir

2009-03-12T23:00:00.000+08:00

This week's listening recommendation isn't really a piece or work, but rather a type of choir.

This phenomenon came about on one cold wintry day in Helsinki, Finland. To the Finnish, the word, "Valituskuoro" is translated to "Complaints Choir", describing situations where a lot of people are complaining simultaneously. The founders of this movement, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen had a brilliant idea, "Wouldn't it be fantastic to take this expression literally and organise a real Complaints Choir!"

The fundamentals were simple. Everyone knows how to complain, the question is can you sing while doing so :)

The first Complaints Choir was born in Birmingham, (known as "the arsehole of England" to some) with much support from the community who instinctively understood the idea (like many of us). It was a huge success, and the flare never died out. Kalleinen and Kochta-Kalleinen were invited to various parts of the globe to help initiate Complaints Choirs in places such as Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, while people in Budapest, Pittsburgh and even Jerusalem started their own versions of the Complaints Choir.

Our own adobe of Singapore has our own Singapore Complaints Choir which was supposed to perform at 2008's Fringe festival. What happened, however, quickly became public news, with much commentary from locals and foreigners alike. I won't dwell on it, but the Complaints Choir actually uploaded recordings onto Youtube, so lucky us haha.

Helsinki:

Budapest

Singapore:

You can view the lyrics here.

Concert Reviews

2009-03-11T22:56:00.003+08:00

Hey guys,

Would really appreciate it if you guys could e-mail us your concert reviews (if you did go) for the recently concluded:

6 Mar 09, St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig Johann Sebastian Bach's legacy
8 Mar 09, 7.30 pm Spectrum: Birth and Death by SYC Ensemble Singers
9 Mar 09, Vocal Mania @ The Republic Cultural Centre Theatre

Do send us your reviews at either: singforharmony@gmail.com or myself at yeshamiel@gmail.com

Sing-ing Sunday: Studio Ghibli Magic

2009-03-08T18:52:00.006+08:00

I am partial towards anything by Studio Ghibli, which produced much loved and acclaimed animation films such as Spirited Away (won Best Animation Film award at the Academy's), Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and very recently, Ponyo On the Cliff By The Sea (LOL). Hence, I immediately loved this song! This choral arrangement, sung by St. Nicks Choir, is very simple and stays true to the feel to the original song.

The song's composed by Joe Hisaishi, by the way. He's a very good film score composer.

Itsumo Nando Demo. Composed and originally sung by Yumi Kimura. This is the end credits song to Spirited Away. I remember watching Victoria Junior College Choir perform this and a Final Fantasy X medley with very nice video footage to accompany each piece way back in 2004. Magical.

The above is by VS Choir. For their SYF Presentation in 2005.

Concert: Moscow State Chamber Choir and Moscow Soloists @ Esplanade

2009-03-06T10:24:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 11 Jun 09; 12 Jun 09; 13 Jun 09 respectively (see below) @ 7.30 PM

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: S$100, S$80, S$60, S$45, S$35, S$20

Additional Info: For the general public:-

Enjoy discounts of up to 25% off when you buy tickets to multiple shows.
Internet Booking starts on 9 Mar 2009, 12am.
Other Sales Channel sales starts on 9 Mar 2009, 10am.

11 Jun 09: Moscow State Chamber Choir (Russia)
12 Jun 09: Yuri Bashmet with the Moscow Soloists and State Chamber Choir (Russia)
13 Jun 09: Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists (Russia)

-----Start of Extract-----

This is basically a three-concert special by two of Russia’s most eminent ensembles [the Moscow State Chamber Choir and Moscow Soloists]!

Arguably the world’s greatest living violist, Yuri Bashmet leads the 30-member Moscow Soloists in two concerts, the second joined by the Moscow State Chamber Choir. Don’t miss the musical gems of Russian and European classicism and romanticism performed by two exquisite ensembles!

The Moscow State Chamber Choir led by the venerableVladimir Minin[sic] also enthralls with litugical[sic] music rarely heard in Singapore in a third concert that ends with stirring Russian songs.

-----End of Extract-----

Programme for 12 Jun 09:

Igor Stravinsky - Concerto in D for Strings
Johann Brahms - Adagio in B minor for viola and strings
Op. 115
Soloist – Yuri Bashmet (viola)
Toru Takemitsu - Three film scores for strings

Intermission

W.A. Mozart - Exultate Jubiliate, K165
Franz Schubert - Mass in G Major for Choir and strings, D. 167

Book your tickets through SISTIC now!

Listening Recommendations: Past Life Melodies by Sarah Hopkins

2009-03-05T20:42:00.005+08:00

Hi all!

Sorry for the late post. "Listening Recommendations" usually comes out every Wed. Been a little 'tied up' haha.

This week's recommendation's Past Life Melodies by Australian Composer Sarah Hopkins, highly acclaimed for her visionary music and inspiring performances for cello, harmonic overtone singing, handbells, choir and the celestial Harmonic Whirlies of her own creation.

Anyway on to the piece. It is, imo, one which forces introspection, transporting you into another realm, and in the midst of doing so offers you fleeting glimpses of our world.

Within those few minutes, one can almost listen and see Aborigines playing the didgeridoo, singing and dancing around a bonfire; in another moment, in Medieval Europe whilst priests worship in Gregorian Chants, and suddenly standing on the mountain tops, peeking into the temples of the Himalayan monks, chanting away the troubles of the world.

The piece incorporates overtone singing and whistling. Due to the drone, it may be a little monotonous and thus not everyone's cup of tea. However, it is unique and showcases the cultures of the world. It's technically very difficult as you need to be really precise with your pitching in order to get the overtones going.

I have two videos below, one's by world-renown group Chanticleer, and the other's by a South African youth Choir, Pro Cantu. Personally I prefer the Chanticleer version, as i feel there's more depth to it.

Concert: Vocal Exploits XIX @ RIJC

2009-03-05T09:15:00.003+08:00

Date/Time: 11 Mar 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: RIJC, Lecture Theatre 1

Ticket Price: $5

Raffles Chorale will be performing in their own school lecture theatre next Fri, 11 Mar 09. Their repertoire includes choral songs, and small group performances (including two new small groups that are just formed last year), as well as their iconic P.U.N.C.H and F.R.I.N.G.E.

Tickets are almost sold out, so anyone who's interested should email Linan (from RIJC) at linanqiu@gmail.com

Sing-ing Sunday 4

2009-03-01T23:19:00.004+08:00

This week, we present Victoria Chorale, singing Stabat Mater by Alberto Grau.

I like the composition for it kept me interested all the way from the start to the end. A simple rhythmic motif heard at the beginning of the piece develops organically into what may sound like a succession of unrelated melodies and textures, but all of these are actually derived from the motif.

Dissonances, or clashing notes that don't sound 'in tune', so to speak, are reference to "sad and afflicted" Mary who watched Him be crucified.

The choreography is written out in the score. I suppose, correct me if I am wrong, it is a visually abstract reference to the crucification and to some extent Mary's emotions as well.

Interesting, how the meanings contained in the text are conveyed through sounds and visuals.

Listening Recommendation: BBC Radio 3, The Choir

2009-02-26T08:08:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

Here's this week's listening recommendation (no YouTube video haha):

'The Choir' is a BBC-produced programme which focuses on choral music, a cappella or otherwise, in both the United Kingdoms and the rest of the world.

Hosted by Alec Jones, a renowned former boy-soprano, the programme allows listeners to be amongst the first to appreciate newly composed choral pieces.

World-renown groups, conductors and composers such as the King Singers, Polyphony, Paul Hilier, Morten Lauridsen and the Latvian Radio Choir have, at one point, been interviewed/features during the show.

In addition, 'The Choir' has a segment which showcases clips of music sent by amateur choirs in the UK. The programme will definitely broaden, and increase the depth your knowledge!

The BBC website allows u to listen to past programmes, provided it does not exceed 7 days. The link is as follows: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/

Enjoy! :)