Concert: Leong Yoon Pin - A Choral Odessey

Date/Time: 25 Aug 09, 7.30 pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

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



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

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

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Sing-ing Sunday: Studio Ghibli Magic

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

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



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

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

Sing-ing Sunday 4

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

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

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

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

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