SYF Instrumental Ensemble Presentation I

Attended the 1st night of the IE presentation for SYF 2009. As usual, there are some which I found quite refreshing or impressive and some which I didn't quite enjoy. I must stress that my comments have more to do with the "feel" of the music than the standards of the performing groups since I'm not a music professional anyway.

1) Singapore Chinese Girls' School - Handbells & Handchimes
Furioso
Rock Around the Clock

Have been impressed the 1st time I heard Handbells 2 years ago. Still delighted by the choice of songs and the stage presence.

2) Yuhua Secondary School - Harmonica
Serenade Opus.48 - The Waltz
Riverdance

Both songs were quite nice, with Riverdance having a faster & upbeat tempo to it. I was hoping for the complete tune but since it is a guitar adaptation, there were limitations and the fast blood-rushing feel is not fully portrayed in the piece.

3) Dunman High School - Guitar
Mountain in Autumn
La Partida

4) Methodist Girls' School - Strings
Serenade for String Orchestra op. 11-4th movement:Marcia
Momentum Suite for Strings - 1st movement:Dance

They were quite impressive, partly because there was no conductor and the girls could start on their own. Not considering a part where they had to match each other's tempo, I felt they had done quite well. The choice of pieces were also quite good probably because they suited my preference.

5) Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School - Harp
Waltz of the Flowers
Bengawan Solo

Very prim and proper... the girls dressed up in green dresses and the conductor matched their colours. The 2 pieces were fine. Harp music is always soothing and decent, but lacking some edge or power in the melody.

6) St. James Settlement Junior - Harmonica
The Scenic of Yang Tze River
Malaguena

The 1st piece was quite somber and reminded me of, well, some serious occasions when the mood was down. The 2nd piece was slightly more entertaining but not having a perky and fun tempo, lacking a tinge of wildness that is usually present in Spanish music.


7) St. Gabriel's Secondary School - Guitar
Summer's Breeze
The Beatles

It was relatively light music, but somehow lacking in terms of the spirit.

8) Raffles Institution (JC)
Wondrous Evening Air
String Quartet Op 10 - Allegretto furioso

The pieces had a very heavy feel to them. The music felt as if it was very highly strung or very somber, not some light-hearted refreshing music. It also felt quite fitting for an institution reputed for good academic performance and serious attitude. Nuff said.

I will be looking forward to tomorrow night's presentation with ethnic instumental ensembles. :)