NUS Guitar Ensemble alumni, Expose! - Beautiful Sunday - Potpourri on String

Beautiful Sunday - Potpourri on String
13 Jan 08
Esplanade Concert Hall

Performing in the Esplanade Concert Hall was as exhilarating as it was daunting. I don’t know if it’s just me (seeing as how the seniors have had so much more experience), but I seriously was awed by the constant thought that I was playing IN ESPLANADE!

Rehearsing intently before our concert starts

The practices towards this performance was tough. Mainly because many of us who were rehearsing for Beautiful Sunday were at the same time practicing for our annual concert. So a typical Saturday practice would start at 12 and only end at 6! Not that I’m complaining - I loved the practices!

Cool dudes tuning their guitars during sound check!

I also remember vividly the ride to Esplanade on the back of the lorry. Trying to drink tea, Ruo Fei clinging for dear life to the side of the lorry….etc

Before we knew it, concert was over and striking began

Riding at the back of the lorry all across the highway to Esplanade sure is fun!

“And a while ago, a couple of months, perhaps, another friend and I went to a ‘Beautiful Sunday’ programme, a guitar ensemble performance. If I remember right, it was the NUS Guitar Ensemble. They performed a very good selection of music in their one-hour set. They presented classical and classic pieces from different parts of the world. Going to that concert inspired me to take out my classical CDs again, actually.”
- Quotes from a blog named Crooked Turret (courtesy of Liang Shan)

Anyway, this concert is one event that I will hold dear to me for a long time to come. To all my dear players, thanks for the great moments!!!

Text: YiTeng (NUS Guitar Ensemble)
Photos: Courtesy of NUS Guitar Ensemble

NUS Choir caroling islandwide!

NUS Choir goes caroling!
Dec 07


While most of us rushed to shopping malls trying to get gifts for Christmas, the NUS Choir carolled throughout the Christmas season.

We entertained appreciative crowds at Ang Mo Kio Hub, Marina Square, Centrepoint; and guests at Tanglin Club and Shangri-La Hotel, presented them with a mix of traditional and contemporary carols, and also shared with them the joy of Christmas.

It was indeed tiring for us but it was another unforgettable experience to sing daily for one whole week! And the more challenging part was that the choir was spilt into half so that we could send out two ensembles to sing at two different locations at the same time!

It was not entirely enjoyable to sing on stage with a background of cartoon scenes, but it was still a decent stage! More importantly, we had a bunch of fun-loving audience who sat right in front of the stage throughout our whole performance!

Hmm... yes, this was Tanglin Club. Of course, it was only one of the many locations which we sang in Tanglin club. The guests at the outdoor restaurant definitely did not mind the Christmas warmth we brought to them despite the hot weather in Singapore!


Marina Square was another challenging place for singers!
To us, it felt like all our voices just vapourized once we started singing as it was such a huge venue; and audience were practically EVERYWHERE - from the front of the stage to the floor just above us!
Nevertheless, we did a decent job, and some tourists even asked where we were from after the performance!


Singing at Centrepoint was tricky. It was a totally different experience from Marina Square. Over here, the space was limited as we were at the entrance of the shopping mall; and the audience were so near to us that we could have stretched out our arm and stole a scoop of ice-cream which they were enjoying at Haagen-daz.


I'm sure you can tell from the photo where this place is! It was somehow a nice feeling when we found out that security guards were sent to manage the big crowd!

Lastly, we also caroled at Shangri-la Hotel! It was indeed the highlight of this yearly caroling affair! On both 24 & 25 Dec, we sang for 3 hours in the afternoon and 3 more hours at night (of course there were 15-minute breaks at each location!) at various restaurants and lobbies round the hotel!

On 25Dec, we took a video when we were singing at its VIP Lounge! Interested to watch?

Simply scroll back up and it's on the right margin!

Text: NUS Choir & Iris

Photo: Courtesy of NUS Choir

NUS Piano Ensemble

NUS Piano Ensemble - EMCC Concert, Potpourri
17Oct 07, 8pm
UCC Theatre


Potpourri concluded on an extremely fragrant note on 17 October at the UCC Theatre. We wish to thank our great supporters (almost a full-capacity concert!) for making the effort to come down and enjoy the music with us. Looks like our months of preparation – oh such grueling mental stamina! – has not been wasted at all. But being hard-core NUSPE-ians, we will only practise harder, and harder, and harder. Watch out for our next concert, TOUCH 2008 on 29 Feb 2008, when once again we will present to you great piano music. It can – and will – only get better!

Such beauty and grandeur! How can anyone not fall in love with such an instrument??

The music… transcends…

The fatigue, pain, confusion, helplessness and agony that come with intensive practice…

The solitary business of playing the piano…

Well, not always!


Not forgetting out backstage crew…

And our verrrryy-strict stage manager Jann! :)

Therese concentrating hard…

Elin and Kwan Rui with Forbidden Core…

And finally, we really thank you for being here with us!

If you spot yourself here, notify us and you’ll get a free ticket for TOUCH 2008!

:)

Text/Caption: NUSPE

Photos: Courtesy of NUSPE

NUSSO, Choir - NUH Quality Day

NUH Quality Day
15Oct07, 4pm
NUS Choir, NUS Symphony Orchestra


On 15Oct, while many others were still busy with their lessons, our choir and Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble managed to squeeze one hour out of their busy schedule to perform for all medical healthcare warriors in conjunction with the NUH Quality Day.

The blurness of this photo shows the state of the choir at the cramp holding room, just 5 mins before the performance!

Of course, a group photo is a must, especially for the exchange students who would only be joining the choir for 1 semester!

Waho~ It was a all-ladies team for symphony orchestra string ensemble!

Text/Caption: GM

Photos: Courtesy of Jacey, with CFA's "ever-fighting" camera

Guitar Impressions 2007

GENUS EMCC Concert - Guitar Impressions
26 Sep 07, 8pm
UCC Theatre


It was an evening of fantastic guitar music, from classical works to modern jazz to familiar pop songs! For those who have unfortunately missed it, hope that these photos would give you some ideas how great it was...

Femme f-altees!!! All the female alto players just before concert. Don’t we all look good? Haha~

During the concert, many were pretty nervous (simply look at their faces in the photo!). Special commendations to the juniors who pulled through the whole thing splendidly despite anxiety attacks, hyperventilation, and almost getting pneumonia!!


GENUS's very own Ge-Nusletters!! Look at how engrossed everyone was with the newsletter. Must be some interesting read! Having slaved over this issue for more than a month, Weilin and Yiteng were glad to finally print, publish and be rid of it.
Haha… just joking! we’re just anxious to move on to the next issue!!


Three members in their prime! After the concert, GENUS members crowded around the foyer to find their friends, family and to receive their flowers. Meanwhile, the 3 seniors from prime one section posed brazenly for the camera.

Sim Chuan, our concert master, playing the bass, seeking some rest and calm away from all the planning for the concert. The 2 days of rehearsals and eventual concert were particularly stressful for him.

Our juniors rock! Funky, enthusiastic, dynamic. What more would we want our juniors to be?

Dr Robert Casteels directing the ensemble. We do enjoy being conducted by Dr Casteels. He was particularly animated and energetic then.

Dr Casteels with Year-1 members looking handsome in their black suits at the foyer after the concert. Behind the camera was Ruo Fei, our unofficial, but extremely good photographer. Kudos to him for all the pics well taken!

Text/Captions: GENUS

Photos: Courtesy of GENUS

NUSSO performs at National Library Plaza!

Fantasie Passionee by NUS Symphony Orchestra
15 Sept 07 (Sat), 3pm
National Library Plaza

The 84-member NUS Symphony Orchestra entertained the public at the National Library Plaza with popular opera and theatre music, i.e. Bizet's Carmen Suites, Gounod's Faust Ballet Music, Selections from Rodgers' The King And I and Selections from Webber's Phantom of the Opera.


The one-hour concert was led by Foo Say Ming, the Orchestra's Assistant Conductor, who is also a musician with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.


The Orchestra was the first group to perform at the National Library Plaza and the performance was part of CFA's ExxonMobil Campus Concerts series.

Can you imagine there are 84 members here!?

Backview of the orchestra - The musicians were so focused on the conductor


Thanks to Exxonmobil, our orchestra managed to stretch further in attracting the public crowd.

You see~ It has attracted such a wide range of audiences...

... and the plaza has even become, P-A-C-K-E-D!

Of course, the pillars of the orchestra:

From Left: Siao Ming, President, who plays double bass;

Lim Soon Lee, Resident Conductor, who played viola during the performance;

Foo Say Ming, Asst Conductor & SSO musician (he conducted the whole performance!);

Chia Jit Min, who palys violin and also former Concert Master.

And more importantly, a photo for the behind-the-scene worker who have made this possible:

Mazlan (Production co-ordinator), Siewling (Manager) and Rex (Exxonmobil campus concert in-charge)!

Photos: Courtesy of SiewLing, with the perfect-for-day-use CFA camera

Choir - Competition at Thailand, July07

NUS CHOIR
The Third “A Voyage of Songs” International Choral Festival
12 – 16 July 2007
Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel, Pattaya, Thailand

During the summer vacation break, while most students were going through internships, part-time jobs and holidays, we had the most wonderful opportunity representing NUS and participate in the prestigious 3rd International Choral Festival, “A Voyage of Songs”, in Pattaya, Thailand.

Departing at Changi Airport - SiewLing came to send us off!

With a great selection of competition pieces in hand, the choir participated in 2 categories,

Open Mixed Category, conducted by Asst. Conductor, Mr Terrence Toh
Ave Marie Stella - a challenging contemporary sacred Latin piece!
Shima E - a very moving and reflective Japanese song about loneliness and the search for love
Bal-lay Gi - a Filipino war chant complete with bamboo percussion, bringing out the fighters’ spirit and pain

Folklore Category, conducted by our Student Conductor, Mr Adyll Hardy
Yu Yue Hua - a sorrowful Hokkien piece which uses flowers to describe a lady's life
Luk Luk Lumbu - a colorful Indonesian tribal piece, together with choreography and elaborate folklore costumes!

I'm sure you can't tell what this is, coz our dear president Aaron was still fixing it the night before the competition!
It was our self-made bamboo war-drum instrument which was used in Bal-lay Gi.

Practices for the competition were long and arduous, working hard at improving every little detail: the choreography, the musical interpretation, the blending of voices, the notes and right down to the costumes.

Above and below: Preview of folklore and Open mixed pieces to our parents and friends @ Auditorium

Before we knew it, we were at the competition in Pattaya, Thailand. The festival was grand, featuring a total of 33 choirs from 10 different countries, across 4 continents!

The compeition hall - fyi, we took this photo, sitting only at the middle rows! Can you imagine how HUGE this hall was?

The beautiful Thai dancers!

The fun-loving Australian choir!

I’m sure you can see for yourself how different we were before and after the competition!

Sincere Praying session

Intense Focus...

another group photo after our Open Mixed category

The NUS Choir obtained two Gold diplomas in Open Mixed Voices and Folklore category, ranking 6th and 4th respectively. In addition, the judicators were impressed with our performance, Luk Luk Lumbu so much that they selected us to represent Singapore to perform at the closing ceremony!

Take note of their weird-looking beard, our guys put on MAKEUP to look tribal!


Here is our choreographed Luk-Luk Lumbu in front of ALL judges and participants in the finale showcase!

During the festival, the NUS choir also interacted with choristers from other nationalities. The choir almost went crazy upon meeting two distinguished composers, Mr. Ralph Hoffman (our seniors won a gold singing his song, Credo in 3rd Festival of Songs in Olomouc, Czech Republic in 2005!) and Mr. Arwin Tan – the very composer of Bal-lay Gi, the Filipino war chant which we sing for this competition!

Ha~ I'm sure you can't tell! The people with a white logo on their left of their Tshirts were actually from The Philippines!


Here was our President, Aaron again with two of the PRC choir girls!

Listening intentively to Mr. Ralph Hoffman, the composer of Credo, seniors' competition piece in Czech Republic!

Mr Arwin Tan actually said, “I’m so moved by your performance! You managed to bring out the exact mixed feeling of glory and pain of war when I wrote the song. I sincerely thank you for the tears you guys shed on stage.”

Of course, we managed to squeeze some time in the last two days to go shopping, travel around Pattaya, and explore its beaches! After the festival, some members of the choir extended their trip to Bangkok, while the rest of the members returned to Singapore.

It's a small world. Here we met Zhou Chong Qing on the plane, the famous DJ of Radio 93.3!

While the trip proved to be five hectic days, it was an experience worth remembering for a long time to come. Recapturing the very spirit the choir had shown on stage during the competition is nearly impossible, but I am sure glad that I was part of something special.

Our beloved conductors: Mr Terrence Toh & Adyll

and of course, the NUS Choir!

Text: Nadiah and Michelle (NUS Choir)

Caption: GM

Photos: Courtesy of NUS Choir