Directions to get to Stephen Riady Centre Auditorium 2, part II

Yours truly will be performing in the following concert.

Journey to Vienna 
By NUS Symphony Orchestra 
Date: 30 Jun 2013 (Sun) 
Time: 8.00 p.m. 
Venue: Stephen Riady Centre, Auditorium 2, University Town, NUS. 
Tickets at $10 each. To order the tickets, please approach any member of the NUS Symphony Orchestra or contact nusso.contact@gmail.com

For the convenience of friends, supporters and members of the audience who will be attending this concert, here is a second part to how we can find our way to the Auditorium 2 at Stephen Riady Centre, University Town, NUS. 

The weather-proof way

This method is possibly suitable for people who prefer sheltered pedestrian walkways which will prove to be helpful during wet weather condition. It is also suitable for people who are familiar with getting to the University Cultural Centre and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, yet have no clue how to get to University Town. Soon you will learn how to get to University Town!

Getting to Auditorium 2, Stephen Riady Centre, University Town, NUS

1) Take bus service 96 from Clementi bus interchange and alight at bus stop #16169 opposite the NUS University Cultural Centre and on the same side as NUS Raffles Hall. Then cross to the other side of the road to the bus-stop #16161.

1b) Alternatively, take bus service 151 and alight at bus-stop #16161, just after the NUS University Cultural Centre.

Bus stop #16161. After University Cultural Centre, and opposite Raffles Hall.

2) From bus stop #16161, you can choose to walk along the sheltered pedestrian walkway until you get to University Town. The walk is approximately 15 minutes from bus stop #16161 to University Town, Stephen Riady Centre.

2a) Alternatively, depending on the schedule of the NUS Internal Shuttle Bus Service, you can take bus service D2 from bus-stop #16161 and alight at the next stop. Please take note that the frequency of bus service D2 is about 30 minutes on Sundays.

Walk under the shelter of the sheltered pedestrian walkway.
This is the weather-proof way to get to University Town.

On the way to NUS University Town, enjoy the sceneries and the experience of walking across an expressway.
In the background is a glimpse of NUS University Town.

Congratulations! You are in University Town, NUS.

3) Look for directional signs or simply walk forward towards the direction of the Stephen Riady Centre, formerly known as the Edusports. Along the way, you will pass by Subway, Fish and Co Express and Koufu Food Court.

Koufu Food Court on the left.

4) After Koufu Food Court, look ahead and you will see the Stephen Riady Centre. Walk towards the Stephen Riady Centre and you will find yourself on the second level of the Stephen Riady Centre.

Stephen Riady Centre.

5) Take one of the nearby lifts or the stairways to get to the first level of Stephen Riady Centre. You will find the main entrance to Auditorium 2 on the ground level.

Second level of Stephen Riady Centre.
There is a Food Court on this level.
The toilets in this centre are gender-neutral.
Please expect to find doors to the Gents painted pink and doors to the Ladies painted blue and vice versa.

Level One. Entrance to Auditorium 2, Stephen Riady Centre. University Town, NUS.

Last but not the least, may you enjoy the concert. 

Also see:

Journey to Vienna. Directions to get to Stephen Riady Centre Auditorium 2
Journey to Vienna, Pre-Tour Concert, NUS Symphony Orchestra

Journey to Vienna. Directions to get to Stephen Riady Centre Auditorium 2

Yours truly will be performing in the following concert.

Journey to Vienna 
By NUS Symphony Orchestra 
Date: 30 Jun 2013 (Sun) 
Time: 8.00 p.m. 
Venue: Stephen Riady Centre, Auditorium 2, University Town, NUS. 
Tickets at $10 each. To order the tickets, please approach any member of the NUS Symphony Orchestra or contact nusso.contact@gmail.com

The NUS University Town, or UTown for short, is designed for the entire NUS community. The Stephen Riady Centre where Auditorium 2 is located offers a range of sports, educational and performing arts facilities.

Many of my friends have asked for directions to get to the Stephen Riady Centre, University Town, NUS. Here's a map with directions to the NUS UTown Stephen Riady Centre, Auditorium 2. The directions for friends and supporters who are driving are fairly clear, so please refer to this map.

Directions to Stephen Riady Centre, Auditorium 2 via public transport:
As the concert is held on a Sunday night, I will suggest that friends, supporters and members of the audience who are coming by public transport could consider enter University Town via the Dover Road entrance. Although there is a discreet entrance with the shortest walking distance to the Stephen Riady Centre via Clementi Road as we can see from the map, some members of the audience may find the street lights relatively dim to find their way around, so I shall suggest the use of the Dover Road entrance.

I am personally not in favour of using the College Link wall to go to Stephen Riady Centre because shuttle services in NUS on a Sunday night is relatively infrequent. The frequency is one bus every 30 minutes for Bus D2 (refer to NUS shuttle bus services guide).

Here are my suggestions:

1) Take MRT and alight at Buona Vista MRT station.

2) From opposite Buona Vista MRT station, next to the MOE Building, take bus service number 196 towards Clementi bus Interchange. The journey will take about 10 minutes, and there will be 6 stops along the way before reaching the designated bus-stop.

3) Alight at bus-stop #19059. It is opposite the New Town Secondary School.

4) You will see a glimpse of the University Town, NUS.

5) Walk on the pedestrian foot-way that is somewhat parallel to the construction site to get to Stephen Riady Centre. The walk will take about 10 - 15 minutes depending on your pace. Along the way, if you see anyone, you may choose to say 'hello' to the strangers that you would see. The NUS community is generally friendly and you can also asks for verification that you are walking in the right direction.

6) Before reaching the Stephen Riady Centre, you will pass by the Education Resource Centre. There is a 24-hours Starbucks Coffee outlet at the Education Resource Centre. If you do not need a drink from Starbucks Coffee, continue walking ahead. You will see the Yale-NUS College under construction. After that, you will see the Stephen Riady Centre about less than 1 minute walk away.

On the left of this photo: Education Resource Centre. University Town, NUS.
On the right of this photo: Yale-NUS College under construction.
In the middle of the horizon: Stephen Riady Centre.

7) When you are at Stephen Riady Centre, find your way to the first level (i.e. ground level) either via the stairways or the lifts. Auditorium 2 is located nearby NTUC Express, Fortune Village and the Dance Studio.

Stephen Riady Centre.

Facilities nearby Auditorium 2, Stephen Riady Centre. University Town, NUS.

Entrance to Auditorium 2, Stephen Riady Centre. University Town, NUS.

Stephen Riady Centre.

Dining and retail options:

There are various dining options in University Town. 

For example, there is a food-court, Flavors@U-Town at Stephen Riady Centre, on the second level. Flavors@U-Town opens daily from 7.30 a.m. - 10 p.m. At Flavors@U-Town, one can find a variety of food from Western food, Chinese style soups, Chinese food, Malay food, Indian food. 

Nearby Stephen Riady Centre is Town Plaza. There is a Koufu Foodcourt there that opens till 10 p.m. Koufu presents Korean food, Chinese food, Malay food and more.

For more dining and retail options in University Town, please visit: http://www.nus.edu.sg/oed/services/retail-and-dining/outlets.htm#edusports

Also see:

The weather-proof way to get to Stephen Riady Centre: Directions to get to Stephen Riady Centre Auditorium 2, part II 

Journey to Vienna, Pre-Tour Concert, NUS Symphony Orchestra

Journey to Vienna, Pre-Tour Concert, NUS Symphony Orchestra

Dear friends,

Yours truly will be performing in the following concert.

Journey to Vienna
By NUS Symphony Orchestra
Date: 30 Jun 2013 (Sun)
Time: 8.00 p.m.
Venue: Stephen Riady Centre, Auditorium 2, University Town, NUS.
Tickets at $10 each.
To order the tickets, please approach any member of the NUS Symphony Orchestra or contact nusso.contact@gmail.com

During this concert, audience will preview the NUS Symphony Orchestra's programme that will be performed in the upcoming Summer Cum Laude Internation Youth Music Festival in Vienna this July.

Programme:
1) Beethoven: Symphony No. 1, 4th movement
2) Low Shao Suan, Low Shao Ying: Danses Joyeuses
3) Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.1
4) Strauss: Voices of Spring
5) Dvorak: New World Symphony, 4th movement
6) Liu Tieshan, Mao Yuan: Dance of the Yao

I am looking for share the gift of music with you. See you there.

For more details, please visit the Facebook event page of Journey to Vienna.

Please find below a map with directions to get to the venue of the concert:

Into the New World

The National University of Singapore Symphony Orchestra (NUSSO) will be presenting the concert "Into the New World". This concert is part of the NUS Arts Festival 2013.

Yours truly will be performing in this concert, and your support will be greatly appreciated.

Details are as follow:

Into the New World
NUS Symphony Orchestra
10 Mar 2013 (Sun)
8.00 p.m.
University Cultural Centre, Hall
Tickets at $19 and $16

Programme:

1) Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)
2) Chen Gang and He Zhanhao: Butterfly Lovers' Concerto
- featuring soloist Mr Foo Say Ming from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
    and also Chinese instrumentalists on Sheng, Dizi and Yangqin.
3) Kodály: Háry János Suite
- featuring Ms Qu Jian Qing, Yangqin principal from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.

About this concert:
"As our world becomes more and more globalized and migration increases, our identities as communities and individuals shift and change to the point where we are no longer sure of what defines us. Communities change as citizens have become more cosmopolitan and new migrants become influenced by their new surroundings and yet, the issues are not new.

Under the baton of Maestro Lim Soon Lee, the NUS Symphony Orchestra will explore the convictions of composers who have wrestled with this problem of cultural accommodation and preservation. The programme comprises Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Kodály’s Háry János Suite and Chen Gang and He Zhanhao’s Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto. Award winning Singaporean violinist Foo Say Ming whose interpretation has been praised as accomplishing the fusion of Western and folk idioms will be featured in the concerto."

Please reserve your tickets from SISTIC now.

Queries about the Concert are welcome at nusso.contact@gmail.com

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/408432742570819/?fref=ts

Music bless us all

I write this post with gratitude of the gifts that music and art have bestowed me. Through music and art, I have collaborated with countless creative souls and experienced the value of team-work.

The recent concert that I had played in was a success. The orchestra as a whole has scaled new heights. For myself, it was a humbling experience to continue to learning deeper and more new things from playing music. Reflecting, everyone in the orchestra has journeyed and grew a long way from the first day since the orchestra started preparing for the recent concert.

The title of the concert was Providence. Perhaps life does provide, fate does lead us like an unknown hand to where we ought to? I have no idea. Yet the entire experience to explore the theme of fate in the Fifth Symphony of Tchaikovsky was a humbling one.

Many thanks to family, friends and all well-wishers for your support and encouragement. These mean a lot to me.

Providence by NUS Symphony Orchestra

NUS Symphony Orchestra presents
Providence
24 Mar 2012 (Sat)
7.30 p.m.
School of the Arts, Concert Hall, 1 Zubir Said Drive Singapore 227968
(Nearest MRT stations: Dhoby Ghaut, and Bras Basah)

ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW FROM http://bit.ly/wontVs

Under the baton of Maestro Lim Soon Lee, the NUS Symphony Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a majestic work revolving around the theme of fate and providence. The Orchestra will also be joined by teenage violinist Selina Tang, winner of the 2009 National Piano & Violin Competition, on Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major. The evening’s programme also includes Suppé’s Overture to Poet and Peasant, a light-hearted classic bound to thrill and enchant.

Ticket prices: $15 (circle) and $18 (stall)

For enquiries, please e-mail nusso.contact@gmail.com

Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/225770950842248/

Places: Budak Pantai at The Republic Cultural Centre

Here is a link to a post on an excellent concert by Budak Pantai that I had attended: Budak Pantai at The Republic Cultural Centre.

The Ice-ball challenge

Ice-ball, from the Singapore Food Trail.
Special thanks to Belinda Tan for giving permission to use this photo taken by her.

What was it like to eat an ice-ball? I have read about and heard of people reminiscing fondly of the days when they ate ice-ball. Yet I did not have a clue how the experience would be, until I visited the Singapore Food Trail (located at the Singapore Flyer) recently.

The Singapore Food Trail is a food establishment with an interesting concept to let its guests relive the nostalgic days of Singapore in the 1960s. One of the interesting food available at the dessert stall is the ice-balls. To enjoy an ice-ball against the backdrop of makeshift stalls along the roadside can make one feel as if one has taken the time-machine back to the 1960s' Singapore.

I learnt that in the 1960s, ice-balls were sold at 5 cents each. One of my friends, Eastcoastlife, told me that in those days, a 5-cents ice-ball was her half-a-day's pocket money. She shared that there were occasions when she secretly ate an ice-ball against the advice of her mother. Yet, many of the times, her mother still found out about her secret treats to ice-ball. How could this be so? The coloured marks left behind by the melting coloured ice-ball had betrayed her.

Chun See who writes the blog Good Morning Yesterday has a very interesting post, titled Ice Balls, that helped me to visualize how an ice-ball could be made in the past. Go and check out the photo of the first generation ice-shaver. Apparently, the ice-shaver was made up of a wooden block with nails on it.

Fast forward to the 2011, I could have the pleasure to witness how ice-balls are made. I have a hunch that the management who have made the Singapore Food Trail possible are likely people who have very fond memories of ice-balls.

Placing the filling into the ice-ball.

Adding the colourings.

My grandmother told me that the way to eat an ice-ball was to suck the icy liquid from the ice-ball. After which, one could eat the ice. During this interesting endeavour to savour the ice-ball, there would be an anticipation to find delightful 'treasures' inside the ice-balls. My mother told me that in the past, fillings such as red-bean and peanut could be found inside an ice-ball. The popular 'treasure' appeared to be the attap-chee.

I had my first hands-on experience taking up the challenge of eating an ice-ball on 7 Jul 2011. Eating a colourful ice-ball was a slightly messy affair that required the skillful act of sucking the ice-ball so as to drain it of the melting ice. In addition, I had to train my bare hands to tolerate the cold from the ice-ball. My verdict? Eating an ice-ball is a fun and challenging experience. I felt proud that I had finished enjoying one entire ice-ball without using a spoon!

If you like to have your hands on an ice-ball, please join me in the ice-ball challenge: Eat an entire ice-ball with the mouth and by holding the ice-ball with your bare-hands. No spoon please.

The reward is, the fun and excitement that comes with eating the ice-ball.

Singapore Food Trail
Singapore Flyer
30 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039803

Opening hours:
10.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday,
10.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.


***
Also see: Singapore Food Trail: Reliving the good old 1960s once more  

Invitation to Miniatures

You are cordially invited!

The NUS Symphony Orchestra will be presenting Miniatures! - a chamber music concert at the Singapore Art Museum.


Date: 8 April 2011, Friday
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Glass Hall, Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road S(189555)
Free Admission

This time, the NUS Symphony Orchestra will be taking music out of the NUS campus and into the Singapore Art Museum, with an exciting and varied repertoire that includes:

-A medley of Gershwin tunes (performed by Trumpet trio)
-Puccini's O mio babbino caro (arranged for Harp-Clarinet duet)
-A selection from Rimsky Korsakov's Suite (for Horn quartet)
-Allegro, from Mozart's Quintet for Clarinet and Strings
-John Philip Sousa's Liberty Bell March (performed by Brass quintet)
-Serenade, by Ferenc Farkas (for Wind quintet)
-And many more!

For further enquiries, please visit: http//www.nusso.org

In the spirit of giving back to the community, Miniatures! will be a charity concert collaborating with Mercy Relief to raise funds for victims of the Japan Disaster. Donation tins will be available at the concert for contribution of donation (non-obligatory).

Yours truly will be there to help collect donations, though not to play the double bass at this concert.

NUSSO presents Voyage to the Orient

It is my pleasure to invite you to the NUS Symphony Orchestra's concert, Voyage to the Orient, part of NUS Arts Festival 2011, on 13 March 2011, Sunday, 8 p.m. at the University Cultural Centre Hall, NUS.

Under the baton of Maestro Lim Soon Lee, the NUS Symphony Orchestra will be joined by award-winning UK-based Australian piano virtuoso Geoffrey Saba with a programme featuring the Asian premiere of Peter Sculthorpe's Piano Concerto and the world premiere of Raintree For Orchestra, composed by Temasek Junior College Music Elective Programme and YST Conservatory of Music alumnus, Chen Zhangyi.

The concert will round off with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. This symphonic suite is based on stories from The Thousand and One Nights, which is more commonly known in English as the Arabian Nights.

There will also be a pre-concert and post-concert exhibition on Orientalism and the arts, which will explore the theme of our concert programme in greater detail, and will include exhibits on Arabian Nights and Orientalist art. There will be a live gamelan demonstration from 7.30 - 8.00 p.m. and during the intermission.

Tickets are priced at $16 and $19 (not inclusive of booking fee) and may be purchased from SISTIC. There are 15% discount for NUS students and 20% discount on group bookings (more than 20 tickets).

For further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact nusso.contact@gmail.com or visit the event page at http://nusso.org/360/voyage-to-the-orient.

Thank you very much for your support. Yours truly will be performing and I look forward to have the opportunity to play for you as part of the orchestra!

I would appreciate it if you could please also help to spread the word around for this concert. Thank you.

Here's to end this post with a trailer:

19 Nov 2010: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's concert

19 Nov 2010, Fri:

It was a busy Friday evening at the Sydney Opera House. There was a ballet performance at the Opera Theatre. At the Concert Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra would present a programme consisting Haydn's Symphony No. 99, Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra, Dean's   and Brahms' Symphony No. 2. I would consider myself lucky that I had the foresight to collect my tickets a few days earlier. Afterall, I do not like to queue when there is a crowd. I suppose self-knowledge could help us devise strategies to live our lives with greater ease.

I decided that it was better for me to find my way to the Concert Hall early, so before it was even 7.30 p.m., I held my concert ticket in my hand and headed for the Concert Hall. There was a strings quartet performance at the lobby area. I figured that the performance was given by some of the participants of the Sydney Opera House's World Orchestras Education Programme. I mustered enough composure to navigate my way into the Concert Hall through the crowds.

No photography is allowed inside the Concert Hall. However, there was no rule to say that no sketching is allowed. I could appreciate how at times a sketchbook could be more relevant than the camera. I could sketch the Concert Hall and no one would say that I had flout the rules!

It was at least 20 minutes before the start of the concert. I was delighted to see some of the members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's double bass section up on the stage warming themselves up. That I saw as good luck for yours truly. I happily did a sketch of the stage of the Concert Hall as a memento.

The orchestra was playing to a full-house. Even the standing seats were taken up. My seat offered me a good view and sound of the orchestra. I could enjoy a good view of the double bass section too.

Honestly, I was feeling a little tired from the long day. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has a way to inspire its audiences with its sound. As I browsed through the Berlin Philharmonic's Sydney Opera House's souvenir
booklet, what struck me was the cultural mandate of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra stated by Sir Simon Rattle that goes: "Music is no mere luxury, but instead a fundamental need. Music must be a vital and essential element in the life of each individual."

Audience to the concert had the pleasure to listen to Dean's Komarov's Fall. Brett Dean is an Australian composer who was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra viola section from 1985 to 1999. I suppose there was a special significance to present his composition during Berlin Philharmonic Orhcestra's tour to the land Down Under.

My favourite part of the concert was the orchestra's rendition of the work of one of my favourite composers, Brahms. Brahms' Symphony No. 2 opened in a balanced orchestral sound that immediately captured my ears' attention for the entire duration of the work. The second movement that opened with the cello section was the most moving rendition of the symphony I had ever heard. The third movement delighted my ears with its contrasting colours. The fourth movement was brilliantly articulated with one of the most balanced orchestral sound that touched my soul and heart with the vision to press on.

Brahms' Symphony No. 2 was so marvellously performed that I could still remember the clarity and beauty of the sounds from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Balanced was the word. The symphony was put together so heavenly by the orchestra that I felt deeply moved by the music. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gave the best live rendition of Brahms' Symphony No. 2 that I have heard to date. I was greatly inspired by the orchestra. Bravo!

It was a night of inspiration. I was very pleased with my choice to listen to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. Actually, the experience was way better than when I heard them a week later at the Esplanade Concert Hall for a different programme.

After the concert, the music from the concert kept ringing in my ears and mind so heavenly.

****
People and moments that I am grateful for:
1) I am grateful that I happened to realise that the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was performing at the Sydney Opera House during my visit to Sydney. This helped me eventually decide to get a ticket to one of the concerts.
2) I am grateful that I could have some financial means to treat myself to an inspiring concert by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
3) Many thanks to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for a wonderful rendition of Brahms' Symphony No. 2 and a wonderful concert!
4) It is a gift that I could sketch. With this skill, I need not depend on the camera at all times.

A new thing that I did:
1) It was my first time listening to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra live!
2) I sketched inside the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall for the first time in my life.

My learning points:
1) Some great things in life are worthwhile making time for and investing in.
2) Great musicianship starts with living life well.

****
Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)
http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/

This week: The concert

NUS Symphony Orchestra
Presents
Romantic Fantastique
Venue: Victoria Concert Hall
Date: Friday 19th March 2010
Time: 7.30 pm

Featuring multi-award recipient Natasha Liu on the cello, the NUS Symphony Orchestra will bring you Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, a composition known for its charm and grace.

Led by conductor Lim Soon Lee, the orchestra will also perform the popular Symphonie Fantastique composed by Hector Berlioz, one of the most important works of the Romantic period. The audience can look forward to an exciting musical journey as it unfolds the various episodes of an artist's life.

Tickets: $12(stall), $15(circle)

For more details, visit www.nusso.org

***
I personally thinks that Natasha Liu plays well on the cello. You may also like to listen to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.

Music delights

On 26 Apr 2009, I visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens to catch an outdoor concert performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). The concert is sponsored by CIMB in celebration of the SSO's 30th birthday.

Earlier in Apr 2009, I had attended an outdoor concert by the Singapore Chinese Orhcestra at the same venue, and it was very clear that there was more audience attending the concert by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. I wonder if it was due to the better weather or the better publicity. Whatever it is, it is a joy to be out in the open-air to listen to music. Many of the members of the audience brought along champagne and food to have a picnic in the park while listening to the concert.

There will be another concert at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage. Details are as follow:

17 May 2009 (Sunday)

4.45 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Philharmonic Youth Winds
Adrian Chiang conductor

6.15pm - 7.15pm
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Lim Yau conductor
Programme:
GERSHWIN - An American in Paris
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Fantasia on Greensleeves
IRVING BERLIN - A Dance Tribute to Irving Berlin
MASCAGNI - Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana
KANDER, JOHN - Chicago (from the film “Chicago”)
TCHAIKOVSKY - 1812 Overture, Op. 49

Admission is free.

King and Emperor

If given a choice, I prefer listening to music live. Recordings often do not appeal to me as much as live concerts. As such, it was with pleasure that I look forward to Singapore Symphony Orchestra's performance of the concert titled King and Emperor. I have had the pleasure and honour to have Eastcoastlife as my company for the concert.

The programme for the concert is as follow:

BEETHOVEN - Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
SAINT-SAËNS - Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 'Organ Symphony'

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 is one of the piano concertos that never fails to delight me. I think Beethoven is simply a genius in composition. While I don't have a particular interest in writing music, it fascinates me to listen to a good piece of music composition. I realised that for most of my attendance at concerts performed by professional orchestras, I was not listening to how well the musicians were performing, I was listening to whether the composition inspires or captivates me. I can't exactly tell why, but Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 is simply a brilliant piece of work. It inspires.

After the intermission, the orchestra performed Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3. I wish I was sitting nearer the acoustic canopy where I have simply no low ceiling above my head. Then, I think I would significantly experience the power of the sounds of the organ. I don't get to hear this symphony very often, and it was just stunning to listen to it LIVE. I absolutely love the quiet and deep tones of the organ when the lower notes were played.

Many thanks again to Eastcoastlife for her company. She shared with me her views on some issues which I appreciate greatly. I wish I have more wisdom to reconcile some of the issues.

Meantime, I wish for inspiring moments. Art and music remind us of the beauty in this world.

Finding hope in music

11 Apr 2009, Sat: Thanks to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the 92.4 FM call-in contest, I had won myself a pair of tickets to a concert performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Many thanks to one of my good friends who had taken time to accompany me to the concert. I appreciate her company and friendship.

The programme for the evening featured Haydn's Mass in D minor which is not an often performed work in the Singapore context. In addition, for the first time in my life as a listener, I got to listen to the entire Elgar's Enigma Variations, Op. 36 live.

My favourite variations from Elgar's Enigma Variations, Op. 36 were Variation 9 (Nimrod), Variation 12 (B.G.N.) and Variation 14 (E.D.U.). I am a biased listener in some ways. I personally prefer listening to live performances compared to recordings. This is especially so for choral works.

I was particularly looking forward to listen to Hadyn's Mass in D minor for it is a work that would be rarely performed live in the Singapore context. Like the biased listener in me had said early, I state that choral works simply just have to be listened to live. It is usually in a live performance that one can experience the impact of a choral work. I particularly like how Hadyn composed the strings parts to create a sense of tension in the music.

Could mankind find hope through music? Hopefully music evokes the compassionate side of humanity.

With this post, I share with you Nimrod Variation from Elgar's Enigma Variations.

Two recitals that I will be attending

It is an exciting week and I will be attending these two recitals. Admission to both recitals is free, so do join me to support.


Senior Recital: Yeo Eun-Ju, Double Bass
18 Mar 2009, Wednesday, 6.30 p.m.
Conservatory Concert Hall, NUS, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
Admission is free.

************


Senior Recital: Koh Pei Shan Emily, composition
19 March 2009, Thursday, 8 p.m.
Conservatory Concert Hall, NUS, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
Admission is free.

I ask for a favour

The NUS Symphony Orchestra Presents
A New Season
(part of the NUS Arts Festival 2009)
Saturday, 14 March 2009, 8pm,
University Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Tickets at $15 and $18 (includes Sistic charge)

****

A New Season is the concert that celebrates the 30th anniversary of the NUS Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra which yours truly is currently playing in. The exciting thing is that the orchestra will premiere Emily Koh's About E.C.O, a composition wholly inspired by man's relationship with our environment.

The Guest-of-Honour for the event is Mr. Paul Abisheganaden, founder and first conductor of the NUS Symphony Orchestra, then known as the NUS Concert Orchestra.

It is just a fornight away from the concert, and it is greatly hoped that friends, ex-members, well-wishers of supporters of the NUS Symphony Orchestra could join us to celebrate the special occasion.

Here is a favour to ask. It will be amazing to experience the power of the blogging world. I ask of you that wherever you are, whether or not you could attend this concert, please help spread the word of the concert on your blog so that more friends, ex-members, well-wishers of supporters of the NUS Symphony Orchestra would get to know about the concert, and perhaps some may join us for this special occasion.

Tickets to this concert is available from SISTIC.


Programme
SMETANA The Moldau from "My Fatherland"
VIVALDI Selections from "The Four Season"
1. Autumn
2. Winter
EMILY KOH About E.C.O.
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38, "Spring"




I look forward to play for you.

Upcoming concert

Your support will be most appreciated for the following concert. There will be a premiere of About E.C.O. composed by one of my friends, Emily. Yours truly will be playing in this concert.


The NUS Symphony Orchestra Presents
A New Season
(part of the NUS Arts Festival 2009)
Saturday, 14 March 2009, 8pm,
University Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Tickets at $15 and $18 (includes Sistic charge)

Join the NUS Symphony Orchestra for an evening stroll through the seasons, with a perfectly-themed repertoire inspired by nature, as we celebrate 30 years of touching lives with music!

Bringing the orchestra to new heights is the premiere of a composition by homegrown talent Emily Koh, wholly inspired by man's relationship with our environment. Infusing interactive digital media into symphonic music, this newly commissioned work is guaranteed to stimulate the senses and elevate the audience experience.

More familiar are Smetana's Die Moldau and excerpts from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, which will feature the virtuosity of two young and gifted soloists from the School of the Arts Singapore, Helena Dawn Yah and Ryce Lee.

It is, however, Schumann's "Spring" Symphony No. 1 that promises to be the highlight of this milestone concert – its fanfare signifying spring-awakening, with its longing for a lush springtime and the preparation for the new season.

The Guest-of-Honour for the event is Mr. Paul Abisheganaden, founder and first conductor of the NUS Symphony Orchestra, then known as the NUS Concert Orchestra.

Programme
SMETANA The Moldau from "My Fatherland"
VIVALDI Selections from "The Four Season"
1. Autumn
2. Winter
EMILY KOH About E.C.O.
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38, "Spring"

Christmas concert at Esplanade Concert Hall

I saw these at Esplanade and was looking at them with wonder and delight.

There was a performance put up by saxophone players at the Esplanade Concourse before the start of the concert by SSO.

Once again, I am thankful for having won a pair of tickets to the CIMB-SSO Christmas Concert held on 12 Dec 2008. Many thanks to my friend, RL, for being gracious to take time to attend the concert with me and for being very kind to offer me her most appreciated company for the entire night.

It has been a lovely concert to catch. The concert opens with Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28. The Singapore Symphony Children's Choir has put up a commendable rendition of the work. My eyes were on the harpist, delighting in how different textures and colours of sounds could be produced on the harp simply by varying the way the harpist pluck the strings of the harp. It was lovely.

I realised that music that has been arranged do not quite appeal to my ears as compared to original compositions. Nevertheless, Bruce Chase's (arr.) Christmas Favourites, Paul Bateman's (arr.) Christmas Medley and Mykola Leontovich/ Richard Hayman's (arr.) Carol of the Bells still brought a bit of cheerful festive mood to me, even though I do not celebrate Christmas.

Esplanade Concert Hall.

My favourite was Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker: Suite No. 1, Op. 71a. I was not listening particularly to the orchestra's rendition of the work. I realised that my ears were tuning in the marvellous work of composition that Tchaikovsky has written. I was listening out for the various composition techniques and tools that Tchaikovsky had used to make this work sound so interesting and lovely. I think Tchaikovsky is a genius in his own right as a composer. I am glad that I have found delight in listening to his works.

Here, I have my friend, Emily, to thank. She has inspired me in many ways to listen to music. I thank her for one of her gifts: Aaron Copland's What to Listen for in Music. While I have read chapters from this book during my university days, when Emily presented it to me again as a gift, I have found myself reading it again and more motivated to be an active listener.

Another work that I like at the concert was Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride. I do not know why, but I think it was well written. I was listening to it with a sense of wonder and delight.

Worth mentioning was the Carol Sing-a-long at the end of the concert. Members of the audience were invited to sing along, as the orchestra plays the accompaniment. Many sang, and the mood in the concert hall was pretty high. I was listening to the orchestra's accompaniment. I concluded that I have more interest in accompaniment than the melody. Singing the melodies of the Christmas carols did not interest me. I could find not much interest and delight in them, at least not that night. It was in attempting to harmonise the melody, internally, at the back of my mind, that delighted me. I am glad that Western music heavily utilise the concept of harmony.

Whatever it is, the conductor has been pretty encouraging and even told all members of the audience that after the concert, they could go and tell their friends and loved ones that they have sung at Esplanade Concert Hall!

By the way, I have found the programme booklet for the concert to be well designed. One of the pages of the booklet was of good quality card-paper which when 'punched out' from the page, could serve as both a Christmas card and a mini calendar for the year 2009.

Last but not the least, I thank RL for giving me a lift back home, and more so, for being very kind to bear with my rants that were probably results of a mind that was not functioning anywhere near its optimal because of the time of the night. I thank her too for kindly obliging to my many requests. In addition, many thanks to RL for her gifts, photo and for sharing with me donuts from Krispy Kreme which she had brought from Australia. It is the thoughts that came with these that I am deeply thankful of.

I appreciate the kindness that she has shown me. I wish her fulfillment and happiness.

Last but not the least, I am deeply thankful for the many blessings and kindness that I have received, especially during the past few days. Many thanks to my friends for the wishes of good-luck and good-will that they have sent me during the past few days. I am deeply grateful.

Krispy Kreme donuts.