The Simpsons (A Cappella!)

Dear all,

Here's something interesting to listen to!

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

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



Enjoy! :)

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

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

Commentary

Dear all,

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

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

Concert: Limelight 2009 Anglican High School Choir

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

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Ticket Price: $20

---Start of Extract---

Eric Whitacre
The Seal Lullaby
Sleep
Lux Aurumque

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

Vytautas Miskinis
Ave Maria
Ave Regina coelorum (Female Chorus)

Bob Chilcott
Aesop’s Fables

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

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

---End of Extract---

Purchase your tickets from SISTIC now!

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

((bumped up due to updates))

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

Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

Ticket Price: From $25-60

---Start of Extract---

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

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

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

---End of Extract---

Taken from an OCBC bank flyer

---Start of Extract---

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

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

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

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

---End of Extract---


Get your tickets from SISTIC today!

JC SYF Schedule/ Results

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

Hi all,

Sorry for this late update of the SYF schedule.

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

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

Schedule and order taken from cdas.org.sg

0930 Yishun JC - S - Adrian Poon

0945 Victoria JC - GwH - Nelson Kwei

1000 Raffles Institution JC - G - Toh Ban Sheng

1015 Jurong JC - CoP - Foo Shi Hua

1030 Anglo-Chinese JC - GwH - Valerie Wilson

Break

1115 Catholic JC - GwH - Toh Ban Sheng

1130 Dunman High (JC) - S - Jennifer Tham

1145 National JC - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi

1200 Tampines JC - S - Ong Chiak Yin

1215 Meridian JC - GwH - Foong Hak Luen

Lunch

1345 Nanyang JC - S - Gabriel Cheow

1400 ACS (I) - S - Phua Ee Kia

1415 Temasek JC - S - Jennifer Tham

1430 St. Andrew JC - S - Albert Tay

1445 Anderson JC - GwH - Nelson Kwei

Break

1530 Pioneer JC - S - Ong Chiak Yin

1545 Serangoon JC - B - Khor Ai Ming

1600 Hwa Chong JC - GwH - Lim Ai Hooi

1615 River Valley (JC) - S - Jennifer Tham

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 1/4

Hi all,

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


Yishun JC

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

Prediction: S
Actual: S

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


Victoria JC

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

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

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

Raffles Institution JC

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

Prediction: HG/ GwH
Actual: G

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

Jurong JC

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

Prediction: CoP
Actual: CoP

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

Anglo-Chinese JC

Forvarskvall - David Wikander
Dayo Dayo Kupita - Nilo Alcala

Prediction: HG/ GwH
Actual: GwH

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

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 2/4

Catholic JC

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

Prediction: G
Actual: GwH

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

Dunman High (JC)

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

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

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

National JC

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

Prediction: HG
Actual: GwH

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

Tampines JC

Nachtwache I - Johannes Brahms
Alleluia - Marek Jasinski

Prediction: LG
Actual: S

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

Meridian JC

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

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

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

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 3/4

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

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

Nanyang JC

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

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

ACS (I)

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

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

Temasek JC

Os justi - Anton Bruckner
Tanchame - Ko Matsushita

Prediction: HS/ LG
Actual: S

St. Andrew JC

Lay a Garland - Robert Pearsall
Knowee - Stephen Leek

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

Anderson JC

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

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

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

JC SYF (Live Thoughts) Part 4/4

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

Pioneer JC

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

Prediction: S
Actual: S

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

Serangoon JC

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

Prediction: B
Actual: B

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


Hwa Chong JC

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

Prediction: GwH
Actual: GwH

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

River Valley (JC)

Norveg Leanyok - Zoltan Kodaly
Ubi Caritas - Imant Raminesh

Prediction: HB/ LS
Actual: S

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

Sing-ing Sunday: Boy Band-ish

Nice!