Concert: AKA A Cappella VII

Date/Time: 22, 23, 30 Sep 2012 (time varies, see below)

Venue: NUS University Cultural Centre

Ticket Price*:

• Opening Night (22 Sep, 7.30 pm): Cat 1: S$50; Cat 2: S$40; Cat 3: S$30
• O-Kai Showcase (23 Sep, 2.00 pm): Cat 1: $30; Cat 2: $25
• Maytree Showcase (23 Sep, 7.30 pm): Cat 1: $30; Cat 2: $25
• Suade Showcase (30 Sep, 7.30 pm): Cat 1: $30; Cat 2: $25

Note:

• 15% discount for Students with valid pass.  
• 15% discount for NSF with valid pass.  
• 15% discount for Senior Citizens aged 55 and above.
• 10% discount for OCBC Cardholders.  
• 10% discount for any AKA A Cappella VII shows for purchases above $250 in a single receipt. Not applicable with other promotions.

* prices exclude booking fee

--- Start of Extract ---

Proudly supported by the National Arts Council (NAC), the AKA A CAPPELLA (AKA) series is the largest and longest running a cappella extravaganza in Singapore, and has been showcasing the best a cappella groups in the local and international scene since its inception in 1996.

The biennial concert was last held in 2010 in Victoria Theatre Singapore and was hosted by Jake Moulton, vocal percussionist of top US a cappella group, The Housejacks from San Francisco.
The AKA A CAPPELLA series of concerts it is now in its 7th edition, and will be held in September this year at the NUS University Cultural Centre.

--- End of Extract ---

List of Performers:

• Opening Night (22 Sep 12): Maytree (Korea) | O-Kai Singers (Taiwan) | Vocaluptuous | Key Elements | MICappella | Juz-B
• O-Kai Showcase (23 Sep 12, 2 pm): O-Kai Singers (Taiwan) | After Six
• Maytree Showcase (23 Sep 12, 7.30 pm): Maytree (Korea) | NUS Resonance
• Suade Showcase (30 Sep 12, 7.30 pm): Suade (Australia) | SMU Voix

You can get your tickets via Gatecrash here:

• Opening Night
• O-Kai Showcase
• Maytree Showcase
• Suade Showcase

There will also be workshops held in conjunction with the Festival. For more information, visit the organiser's website here.

Concert: TPCC Presents: Zen Renaissance Featuring Ueno Koshuzan

Date/Time: 8 Sep 12, Sat, 7.30 pm

Venue: School of the Arts (SOTA) Concert Hall

Ticket Price: Standard - S$30; Concession - S$20

--- Start of Extract ---

The Philharmonic Chamber Choir (TPCC) returns to SOTA Concert Hall with another exciting collaboration – this time, with Japanese shakuhachi master, Ueno Koshuzan. The soulful shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute. In medieval Japan, Zen Buddhist monks used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool; their songs were considered meditation.

In the Western world, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that had a profound effect in European intellectual life, encompassing literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion and music. Here, increasingly freed from medieval constraints in range, rhythm, harmony, form and notation, music became a vehicle for personal expression. Both the secular and sacred music collided and influenced one another.

Along the delicate lines of the secular and the sacred, TPCC will be singing a range of Renaissance and Renaissance-inspired compositions. Ueno Koshuzan will weave the gossamer magic of the shakuhachi through the concert.

A unique and not-to-be-missed musical experience – come to the concert, close your eyes, open your ears and be mesmerised by the music from worlds apart, and yet universally intimate.

--- End of Extract ---

You can get your tickets here.

Concert:: The Poetic Journey with Stephen Cleobury

Date/Time: 23 Jul 11, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

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

--- Start of Extract ---

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

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

[Repertoire]

Johann Sebastian Bach
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden,
BWV230

Johannes Brahms
Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen

Benjamin Britten
Hymn to St Cecilia

James MacMillan
Christus Vincit

Nicholas Maw
One Foot in Eden Still, I Stand

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Richte mich, Gott

Max Reger
O Tod, wie bitter bist Du

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

Michael Tippett
Dance, Clarion Air

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Three Shakespeare Songs

--- End of Extract ---

Book your tickets from here today

SYF Actual Results

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

SYF Pt 3

PJ: Pre: HB Actual: B

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

NJ: Pre: HG/ GwH Actual: G

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

TPJ: Pre: HS Actual: S

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

RVHS: Pre: S Actual: G

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

AJ: Pre: HG/ GwH Actual: GwH

General tendency to go sharp though the overall performance was alright

CJ: Pre: HS Actual: GwH

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

ACJ: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

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

NUS: Pre: CoP/ LB Actual: B

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

VJ: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

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

SYF Pt 2

NYJC: Pre: HG Actual: G

Some obvious errors in pitching, but overall a strong showing

HCI: Pre: GwH Actual: GwH

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

MJ: Pre: HG Actual: G

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

SRJ: Pre: B Actual: B

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

TJ: Pre: LS Actual: S

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

SYF Pt 1

SAJC: Pre: LG (edited) Actual: G

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

Dunman High: Pre: LS Actual: S

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

RI: Pre: HG Actual: GwH

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

YJ: Pre: LS Actual: S

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

Event: Auditions for ONE - Round Two

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

Date: 22 August 2009

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

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

NDP 2009!

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

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

--- Spoiler Alert! ---

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



Well, that's all, enjoy NDP folks!

Concert: Vienna Boys' Choir

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

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

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

---Start of Extract---

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

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

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

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

Website: www.wsk.at

---End of Extract---

Book your tickets from SISTIC today!

Concert: NAC-ExxonMobil: Concert at the Park

Date/Time: 2 Aug 09, 5 pm

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

Ticket Price: Free Admission!!

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



---Start of Extract---

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

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

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

---End of Extract---

Concert: The Voices of Lisbon Chamber Choir

((Update: Discount available!!))

Date/Time: 8 Aug 09, 5 pm

Venue: Victoria Concert Hall

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

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

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

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

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



---Start of Extract---

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

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

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


PROGRAM - LISBON CHAMBER CHOIR

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

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

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

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

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

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

Direction: Teresita Gutierrez Marques

---End of Extract---

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

Concert: TPCC Mendelssohn and Beyond

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

Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio

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

---Start of Extract---

The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Lim Yau conductor

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

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

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

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

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

---End of Extract---

Get your tickets from SISTIC today!

Contest Results: Lisbon Chamber Choir

Hi guys,

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

The winner is... Siti Z!

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

Listening Recommendation: Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

Dear all,

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



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

Enjoy!

Sing-ing Sunday: Concerts I Wish I Attended

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



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



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



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



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

Contest: The Voices of Lisbon Chamber Choir

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

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

Hi guys!

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

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

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

*Hint: Look at the concert programme ;)*

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

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

Sing4Harmony is now on Twitter!

The title says it all!

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

Listening Recommendations: Michael Jackson Tribute

Hi all,

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

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

Event: Auditions for ONE

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

Date/Time: 18 & 25 Jul 09

Venue: Not stated.



---Start of Extract---

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

---End of Extract---

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