A Tempo XVI

the second show of this year is RJC's A Tempo XVI,and of course my mum's used to my concert going routines.no sign of those headline-busters though

here's Concert Tip No 2:never show up late.the earlier the better.but there's a limit.45 minutes at most.gives you ample time to mill around and still saunter into the venue 10 mins before concert startsok...i'm very likely going to sound like some editor from Wine and Dine,so i'll try.of course i saw a whole gang of your kakis,or ex ones i mean.so the list include(in order of appearance) Yuan Ru(too bad she appealed back to IJC),the innova guy who appealed into HCl thru band,Samz,another Innova girl who's now in NYJC(apparently she knows about the rumour about Juliana and me),Ms Ng,my juniors from CCHSM who i miss alot,my CHC fren and Shortie(with her kakis as well) and a whole lot of AJC ppl

since i wasn't down for any council briefing,as a rich dude with money to burn,spending a night at the Esplanade is the ultimate decadence.so how,let's check out the repertoire.

there's a medieval theme for this A tempo,esp when i saw the promo posters on the day i crashed so the start goes like this

Huntingtower
that's a ballad,they say.but i think i find the insistent bass note emanating more like a opera.but anyhow that fairly exploded with rhythm with a few high points in between.apparently it seemed haunted to the person who wrote the programme,but not me.i find it more like a tragedy

Time to take back the Knights (The Chosen)
a contrasting piece that is quite boppy,and not another medieval ball theme.whereas the last piece was very solemn,this seemed more like the appetizer

Funiculi-Funicula Rhapsody
funny name.but nothing funny by all means.more cute than funny.winds around your eardrums in a brilliant rhapsody.quite cool

With Heart and Voice
inspired by an old spanish hymn,as they said.so how,they literally played this out with their heart and soul and letting the instruments do the talking

Pirates of the Carribean
cameo by the Raffles Winds(aka the Rafflesian Alumni band).
need i say more?quite a rousing piece that is conferred a brass cloak by the orchestra

St Florian's Choral
the composer wasn't popular at first,but this great choral piece retains its 18th century charm,updated with more grace.

Finale from Symphony no 5
whereas ACJC made it sombre,RJC made it sounded more optimistic

Celtic Folk Song Suite
the celtic elements are sorely lacking,but it more than compensated with the grace only brass can give.the middle one was more light,presumably to herald the next song that's just as heavy as the first

Evergreen 70s
you know what,the percussion men look funky in that one,obviously one to dance to,literallyand they are so forthcoming with encores they performed 2,one conducted by a student conductor and one by the in house Japanese counductor,and with the addition of unusual stuff like piano and electric bass,they aren't going to be toppled off their best band award soon

Oh yeah Ee jean (or simply Jean) saw me before she retired backstage.there rounded off a great night

Muse-ACJC's band concert

so guys i've braved little verbal ammo to go to ACJC's concert yesterday.that's called enjoying the high life,to AJCians still reeling from orientation2 tribal funka..whee funky altjira brings back memories of saturday night fever in ibiza or MoS,but esplanade reminds me of prague or vienna

not that purists don't care,but then they let late comers in...funny man...esplanade never like this before one

so ACJC,being masters of arts like Raffles,served up this 12 course menu.wait...2 each from ACS I and BR band and something intriguing.here's the order.it's as if a classy degustation menu at el Bulli,and sometimes such extended concerts may be a bully to one's ears...if they are quite impatient

Surprise piece-I forgot what's the name already
played at the expense of All Pleasant Things by James Barnes,which was to be played after the interval.but anyhow it seemed like those rousing appetizers or tapas that you start before a meal,light and satisfying

Finale from Symphony no 5-dmitri shostakovich(the programme spelt it out the french way,like my email,dimitri.but i prefer the russian.oof enough nonsense)
it gets very heavy this time.the emcee said about this last part being a protest by the composer of the supposed manipulation by the soviets.happy parts at the front and this sombre piece at the back.pretty much like the soup course or the suckling pig

Music for Prague-featuring interlude and toccata and chorale--karel husa
interesting start with percussion only.bells sounds made from xylophone that really make this piece live up to prague's name as city of 100 spires.then all the war sounds that has something akin with the city in an emergency.that's the next best thing before the main courses.must have been a palate cleanser...i wish i can go Hradcany next year...but my gang are going Olomouc.argh!haha!

variations on a korean folk song-john barnes chance
actually that was arirang,performed in 5 styles.pretty much like those degustation menus of a particular food,where the food was cooked 5 styles and then served in small portions as a sampler.in this case i'd find that there's a traditional version,a double tempo version,and 3 other versions which i dun remember except for the 4th which is also quite fast and the fifth which has some teasing interplay

INTERVAL

I met the principal,who had been sitting 2 rows in front with the board of governors and the big brass.so naturally it went on to compliments and about the delay of the 1 intake policy.

Seagate Overture-james swearingen
performed by ACSI band.of course when you're going to sleep,here's something to rouse you.haha i bet that's true.and it's just halfway through!might have been an opening act for the main course

Vesuvius-frank ticheli
performed by ACSI band.the tragic circumstances of the eruption of vesuvius in the 1st century is very well shown with the big bass drum tones that permeate the song most of the time.a sense of emergency is also there in the form of higher pitches.the eruption part towards the end is especially interesting.i can't think of something more garang,like chili con carne

Yorkshire Ballad-james barnesperformed by ACS BR band.ballads have been known to be quite soft and feminine,presumably about love.if this was a beef well cooked and rare,the acs band endowed on it yorkshire pudding...in other words,a masculinity that emanates from an all guy ensemble

El Cordobes-geert felin
performed by ACS BR band.bullfights are very masculine,and a hispanic touch was added by the castenets(sic) that is audible during the middle.a sharply contrasting course to complement the softer one preceding it

Slava!-leonard bernstein
an exciting piece which showcased the operas that this particular composer had composed(i supposed so).carnival atmosphere climaxes with the band yelling the same word that gives the song its name.happy by all means.in fact it's near the end of the main courses,now for the heavyweights

Phantom of the Opera-andy lloyd webber arranged by johan de meij
longest piece.and world famous as well.it gets a makeover of brass with the nifty hands of the acjc band.whereupon the opera type atmosphere was prevalent in its original version,the band gave it a particularly joyful atmosphere,and is resplendent with all the ups and downs of the whole opera,encased within 20 mins

The Little Mermaid-joy bacook
essentially dessert.under the sea...so would the audience go...

The End-i thought i'd only be the only AJC guy there.then i saw 3 seniors,who were pleasantly-unpleasantly surprised by my prescence.got out with a very nice feeling in my heart

next up:
RJC Concert on 11 April.I got a stall seat this time.juz hope i'd be second time lucky with mr hodge seating more than 15 rows away

and update:
15/05:ACJC String Ensemble night-most likely i won't be going unless something happens
17/05:VJC Choir nite.because of Rachie i'm going.and maybe my dearie as well.but then...can you say a white lie about cca?
22/05:confirmed my school one.joseph chin is not joseph chin if he doesn't get the most expensive tickets
23/05:ACJC Choir nite.a back to back one may make my mummy scowl.but i dunno.i say i got fren in all top 5 jc,plus ijc,acjc sajc tpjc nyjc...and of course ajc as well.no excuse not allowing me to go since my fren invited me
08/04:VJC Band nite.good since you can cook up some funny excuse on friday and say i'm now at orchard road.wait...i think i've a talk by rohan gunaratna.so a taxi trip there seems more likely

that's all for now