Concert: "FIRSTS" by Key Elements @ Esplanade

((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

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

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

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

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

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

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

((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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

((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

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

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

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

Concert: Naturally 7 Live in Singapore

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

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

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! :)