Steve Reich Urmas Sisask Know What Is Above You Benedictio Jacquet de Mantua Daniel Knaggs O Vos Omnes O Vos Omnes after Jacquet des Mantua * Robert Schumann Eric Banks Das Schifflein Op 146, No 5 And Both Shall Row * minimalism and shamanism then and now two songs on journeying Camille Saint Saëns Sergei Taneyev Calme des nuits Op 68, No 1 Звёзды (The Stars) Op 15, No 1 two night skies arr Stephen Leek arr Karen Siegel Simple Gifts To Be Free * to simplify things... (or not...) Craig Hella Johnson Daniel Knaggs We Tell Each Other Stories / I am Open from Considering Matthew Shepard To Everything, A Season from Of Time and Passing * * feeling and knowing denotes Singapore premiere*
O vos ómnes qui transítis per víam, atténdite et vidéte: Si est dólor símilis sí t dól é Atténdite, univérsi órem méum. Si est dólor símilis s O all you who walk attention and see: if there be any sorr Pay attention, all p y sorrow: if there be any sorrow like my sorrow. Jacquet de Mantua Daniel Knaggs (1483 - 1559) (b. 1983) from the 5th responsory for Tenebrae of Holy Saturday
Know what is above you. An eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds recorded in a book. Bened Deus, Pater, e Sanctus. May you, the Father e Holy Spirit. Steve Reich (b. 1936) Urmas Sisask (b. 1960) fromPirkei Avot 2:1 Episcopal blessing
The brown forester1 pulls out? It is a horn that softly sounds: The shore echoes [its sounding] From his walking stick Another unscrews prong and possessions, And mixes the tones of a flute Into the droning of the horn.
Die Rudrer auch sich regen mit taktgemäßen Schlägen, das Schiff hinunter flieget, von Melodie gewieget. Hart stößt es auf am Rande, man trennt sich in die Lande Wann treffen wir uns, Brüder, auf einem Schifflein wieder?
A little ship quietly travels Its path along the current. Those travelling on it are silent For they do not know each other. What is it that from beneath his pelts
Ein Schifflein ziehet leise den Strom hin seine Gleise, es schweigen, die drin wandern, denn keiner kennt den andern. Was zieht hier aus dem Felle der braune Waldgeselle? Ein Horn, das sanft erschallet, das Ufer widerhallet!
Von seinem Wanderstabe schraubt jener Stift und Habe, und mischt mit Flötentönen sich in des Hornes Dröhnen. Das Mädchen saß so blöde, als fehlt' ihr gar die Rede, jetzt stimmt sie mit Gesange zu Horn und Flötenklange
The maiden who had sat so bashfully, As if she were incapable of speech, Now lifts her voice in song To the sounds of the horn and the flute The rowers, too, bestir themselves With rhythmic strokes. The ship beneath them flies Rocked by melody. The shore is reached with a hard bump, The passengers [prepare to] go their separate ways into the land: "When, brethren, will we meet again Upon a little ship?"
Robert Schumann (1810 1856) from Romanzen und Balladen Vol. IV
Shenandoah
Eric Banks (b. 1969)
The Water is Wide (originally O Waly, Waly of Scottish origin)
The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er, And neither have I wings to fly, Give me a boat that can carry two, And both shall row, my love and I. Where love is planted, there it grows, It spreads its branches, like a tree, Love blooms in sweetness, like a rose, With such a grace you'll never see Oh love is handsome and love is kind, And love's a jewel, when first it's new, As love lives on, it grows refined, Like the blade of green, in the morning dew
Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you, Away, you rolling river. Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you, Away, we're bound away, across the wide Missouri. Oh Shenandoah, I'll never leave you, Away, you rolling river Oh Shenandoah, I'll not deceive you, Away, we're bound away, across the wide Missouri 'Tis seven long years since last I’ve seen you, Away, you rolling river And seventy more I’ll promise to you, Away, we're bound away, across the wide Missouri A medley of two folk tunes
Stillness o e evening, Vast s heres, Gre ults Dee you
L'éclat du soleil, la gaité, Le bruit plaisent aux plus futiles; Le poète seul est hanté Par l'amour des choses tranquilles. Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 1921)
Vous charmez les âmes profondes.
Calme des nuits, fraîcheur des soirs, Vaste scintillement des mondes, Grand silence des antres noirs
The bright sun, merriment, And noise amuse the more frivolous; Only the poet is possessed By the love of quiet things
Вчасполночный, близпотока Тывзглянинанебеса: Совершаютсядалеко Вгорнеммиречудеса Ночивечныелампады, Невидимывблескедня, Стройноходяттамгромады Негасимогоогня Новпивайсявнихочами Иувидишь, чтовдали Заближайшимизвездами Тьмамизвездывночьушли Вновьвглядись итьмызатьмами Утомяттвойробкийвзгляд: Всезвездами, всеогнями Безднысиниегорят Вчасполночногомолчанья, Отогнавобманыснов, Тывглядисьдушойвписанья Галилейскихрыбаков, Ивобъемекнигитесной Развернетсяпредтобой Бесконечныйсводнебесный Случезарноюкрасой. Узришь звездымысливодят Тайныйхорсвойвкругземли. Вновьвглядись другиевсходят; Вновьвглядись итамвдали Звездымысли, тьмызатьмами, Всходят, всходятбезчисла, Изажжетсяихогнями Сердцадремлющаямгла. Звёзды
The stars of darkness have gone into the night Look again and darkness after darkness Will tire your timid gaze: All the stars, all the blue fires of the Abyss burn In the hour of midnight silence, Having driven away the deceptions of dreams, You look with your soul into the writings of the fishermen of Galilee, And in the volume of a close book, will unfold before you The endless vault of heaven With radiant beauty. You will see the stars of thought lead their secret choir around the earth. Look again others rise; Look again and there, in the distance, the Stars of thought, darkness after darkness, Rise, rise without number, And ignite their fires The dormant haze of the heart.
Sergei Taneyev (1856 1915)
At the midnight hour, near the stream You look at the heavens: Miracles are performed far away In the mountain world Nights are eternal lamps, Invisible in the brilliance of the day, Masses of unquenchable fire walk in harmony there But stare into them with your eyes And you will see that in the distance Behind the nearest stars
The Stars
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gain'd, To bow and to bend we will not be asham'd, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come round right. arr. Stephen Leek (b. 1959) arr. Karen Siegel (b. 1980) Original tune by Elder Joseph Brackett (1797 - 1882) for the Alfred Shaker Community in Maine, USA
In the story of us all We tell each other stories so that we will remember Trying to find the meaning... I am open to hear this story about a boy, an ordinary boy Who never had expected his life would be this story, (could be any boy) I am open to hear a story Open, listen All.
Always telling stories, wanting to remember Where and whom we came from Who we are Sometimes there’s a story that’s painful to remember One that breaks the heart of us all Still we tell the story We’re listening and confessing What we have forgotten
We tell each other stories so that we will remember Try and find the meaning in the living of our days
Craig Hella Johnson (b. 1962) from Considering Matthew Shepard, a fusion oratorio
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time for every purpose under heaven:
Daniel Knaggs (b. 1983) Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To everything there is a season,
A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
Amelia Lee Anthea Lee Chan Jie En Felicia Tan Glenvicia Sim Honey Shwe Sin Kong Xin Yan Tan Yu Xian Tang Bi Feng Zhang Xiao Han Sopranos Aini Said Angela Ang Althaea Wangko Caitlin Seet Cayden Chen Cheong Jia Rong Chin Qin You Nellie Lim Ng Li Yen Raeanne Lim Vanessa Chan Yao Huijun Altos Chan Sheng Feng Jason Yeo Jonathan Chee Kong Delin Tan Song Ern Xiao Cong Chen Tenors Brian Lim Dylan Tan Huang Junyao Lim Ren Jie Michael Tanny Russell Lew Sebastian Tan Terrence Toh Yap Bao Shen Basses
Reina
(in order of appearance) Lee Yu RuTambourim D Rei LimTambourim A Linnet SimHorn Jeremy LimFlute Tabitha GanPiano Zhu ZeyuCello
Brian LimClarinet TeoViolin
The group is committed to a balanced and empathetic exploration of human relationships through music. Drawing from different personal and musical histories, each individual brings to the table an ownership of music making and an interest in what it means to translate a score from the page into an experience and a headspace, for both musicians and audiences alike. The Chorallective also seeks to provide a space for inspiration and growth amongst young musicians, singers, conductors and artists, as we collaborate and seek out our individual and collective artistic identities. For its 2nd season starting Mar 2023, the choir is excited to explore a choral song cycle, a fusion oratorio, and a multimedia opera Stay tuned!
The Chorallective is a project-based collective of singers and musicians who gather for choral music and its interdisciplinary possibilities with different artists each season, exploring the humanness that drives the act of musicking.
Her involvement in Singapore’s music scene includes collaborations with The Esplanade, the Young Musicians’ Society, the Magnetic Band as well as the SYC Ensemble Singers, where her role as Assistant Conductor (2009 2018) saw her working largely on new music and chamber choral works with interdisciplinary elements She was selected to represent Singapore in the Asia Pacific Youth Choir in 2011 and 2014, promoting and performing choral music of the Asia Pacific region In 2017, Siew Woon was selected to conduct in the International Masterclass for Choral Conductors at the 15th International Chamber Choir Competition (Marktoberdorf) In 2019, Siew Woon received a Conducting Fellowship with the Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (USA), where she conducted the Norfolk Festival Orchestra and Choir In 2021, she formed The Chorallective, a project based collective of singers who gather for choral music and its interdisciplinary possibilities with different musicians and artists each season Having grown up in school choirs, Siew Woon is now the conductor of several school choirs in Singapore, where her choral programme explores a diverse range of choral music genres and pushes the frontiers of choral performance, commissioning new music and collaborating with arts groups both within and outside of the school setting She is thankful for the privilege of guiding her students through their musical and personal journeys, and hopes that they, too, will find their time in choir joyous, fulfilling and thought provoking In 2020, Siew Woon was conferred Singapore’s prestigious National Arts Council Arts Scholarship (Postgraduate), in support of her pursuit of the Master of Music (Conducting) programme at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), National University of Singapore Simultaneously, she was enrolled the Master of Music Education (Choral Emphasis) programme at the Westminster Choir College (USA), under the Trailblazer Foundation Study Grant With these varied experiences, she enjoys exploring how choirs can create new corners with instrumentalists and artists in the landscape Her interests as a conductor now encompasses chant, soundscaping, Laban movement application and choral music education through Critical Pedagogy In her work, she aims to integrate her knowledge in both choral and orchestral conducting to foster meaningful and thought provoking approaches in music making
Choy Siew Woon is a Singaporean choral director, music educator and vocalist She has studied choral conducting under James Jordan (USA), Simon Carrington (UK), María Guinand (Venezuela), Simon Halsey (UK), Volker Hempfling (Germany), László Nemes (Hungary) and Jennifer Tham (Singapore)
Singapore born percussionist Lee Yu Ru (Yuru) has had quite a musical adventure. Having started his musical education since the age of 4 through the piano, Yuru proceeded to enroll in the newly established School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA) in 2008 with a specialization in piano performance; eventually making the switch to Percussion in 2011 He went on to clinch 1st place in the National Chinese Music Competition 2012, under the percussion ensemble category, marking his explosive start into percussion His hunger for all things percussion grew, thus beginning his foray into orchestral and western classical percussion in 2016, leading him to enroll in the YST Conservatory of Music in 2017 An extremely versatile and adaptive performer, Yuru is often found freelancing across diverse orchestras and ensembles ranging from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers, YST Orchestral Institute to Dingyi Music Company, and the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of his time at YST include appearing as the percussion soloist for the Conservatory’s tour to Korea, Intersections (2019), performing Dr Chen Zhangyi’s triple concerto《三⼈⾏》, as well as performing in musical comedy duo Igudesman and Joo’s UPBEAT (2018) production. Not forgetting tuba virtuoso Øystein Baadsvik’s Evolution in Tubistry (2018), and multiple Beethoven Im Garten concerts, under the baton of Singapore’s wunderkind conductor, Wong Kah Chun. Yuru is currently pursuing his Master of Music in Percussion (Performance) under the tutelage of Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist, Jonathan Fox He can be heard on YouTube, under the YST Orchestra Institute as well as OpusNovus, appearing as soloist and percussionist As of 2022, he has also joined Morse Percussion, a Singapore based contemporary percussion ensemble, performing in their latest production A:LIVE, which was touted to be “ a force for new music to be reckoned with” by Dr Chang Tou Liang. In addition, Yuru can be found on Spotify, appearing as a session musician for various Singaporean artists such as instrumental math rock band Hauste, on keys, glockenspiel and percussion, for their albums Leavings (2018) and Patterns (2020), as well as Bennett Bay, in his albums Compass (2017) and In Memory Of (2018).
Rei Lim is an active percussionist in both the Western classical and Chinese music scenes in Singapore A versatile musician, her experience spans multiple genres and musical cultures, from orchestras and symphonic bands to chamber and percussion ensembles. She has performed with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra; Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM); Dingyi Music Company; Wind Band Association of Singapore and Windstars; The Philharmonic Orchestra; Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra (SNYCO); Singapore Wind Symphony Percussion Ensemble (SWSPE); A Bigger Bang; Reverberance; and the Temple of Fine Arts among others Rei has represented Singapore overseas, performing in the UK; Taiwan; Malaysia; the Netherlands; and Germany, and in 2016 was granted a scholarship by SNYCO to study at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing for three weeks Over the years, she has also taken on on multiple leadership positions and organisational roles, serving as Principal Percussion for four years at SNYCO, and since 2017, as a committee member, timpanist and Principal Percussion at OMM for multiple concert projects Rei recently completed her Diploma in Music with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, graduating as Best Graduate and Valedictorian of the Class of 2022. An awardee of the Leong Yoon Pin Scholarship, she is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music at the NAFA, under the tutelage of SSO Associate Principal Percussionist Mark Suter, and SSO Principal Timpanist Christian Utke Schiøler She has performed solo at platform and open house concerts; as timpanist and percussionist with the NAFA Orchestra; with the NAFA Wind Orchestra; and with the NAFA Percussion Ensemble Since joining NAFA, Rei has also been active in collaborating, performing and recording with the NAFA Composition Department Beyond studying classical percussion, Rei has also independently taken lessons in Chinese, South Indian, and Middle Eastern percussion; in particular, she studied Carnatic music and the mridangam intensively with Sri Trivandrum D Rajagopal from over five years. At NAFA, she has continued to expand her musical vocabulary and technical facility across different instruments and cultures, taking lessons in drum kit with Pablo Calzado; Malay percussion with Riduan Zalani; and Latin percussion with Mark Suter
Linnet’s musical journey began when she joined the school band at age 13 and quickly fell in love with making music. Following her passion, she is currently pursuing her bachelors degree at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Jamie Hersch and Hoang Van Hoc She enjoys music of various styles, regularly performing chamber and orchestral works
A recipient of the OCBC Local Undergraduate Scholarship, Jeremy graduated with First Class Honours in Flute from the joint degree program between the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal College of Music He has played with The Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers, the Singapore Lyric Opera and also in the Singapore premiere of Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman ” in 2016 Jeremy studied the flute with Roberto Álvarez and has played in the masterclasses of Michel Bellavance and Michael Cox After clinching a 2nd prize in the Open Category of the Singapore Flute Festival Competition in 2017 he now maintains a schedule of teaching the flute in local schools and privately in his home studio He is equally comfortable teaching children and adults of all levels, and believes that music making should fundamentally be jolly and fun! In his free time, Jeremy arranges music and often performs the arrangements with The Tango Sextet, a wind ensemble that he founded with his bandmates during National Service in the Singapore Police Force Passionate about Russian culture, Jeremy is learning the Russian language and organizing “Music from the Soviet Era” concerts at the Esplanade.
Tabitha graduated from Singapore Management University’s School of Social Sciences in 2016, and has since been doing freelance work as a pianist, accompanist and teacher. She has worked with vocalists, choirs, woodwind, brass and string players, chamber ensembles, and dancers, playing a variety of genres mainly classical works but also venturing into pop and jazz, as well as improvisation in a variety of styles As a child, Tabitha loved music and played her favourite tv ads by ear, sometimes with impromptu improvisations . In addition to playing her favourite classical pieces, she has continued to improvise on everything over the years and now does so regularly as a dance accompanist. As a teacher, she tries to build some elements of improvisation into classes and aspires to cultivate future generations of musicians that are well rounded and able to compose, improvise and understand the piano and its music Tabitha has played at numerous venues in Singapore including the Esplanade Concert Hall, Recital Studio, and Victoria Concert Hall. Recent performances include ‘Resonances' in July 2021 at the Recital Studio, an interdisciplinary concert in which there was piano improvisation mixed with dance, poetry, and cinematic visuals In September and November 2021, she played a mix of works in ‘Like Nothing Else’, a themed concert produced by composer/conductor Dr Robert Casteels and featured works by Debussy and Casteels For dance, she has accompanied in a number of locations, including the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Singapore Dance Theatre This August, she also brought live music to dance show ‘1, 2, 3, Plie!’, at the Aliwal Arts Centre. When she’s not playing the piano, Tabitha is reading, listening to music, or experimenting in the kitchen
Brian is a band director at Singapore American School, where he teaches the Middle School bands. He is also a clarinet and woodwind teacher for various local schools, and for private students.
Outside of band, Brian sings in choirs as a bass; and also plays traditional Indonesian Gamelan music. In his free time, Brian enjoys playing mahjong and collecting radioactive uranium glass.
Born in 2003, Beijing Zeyu started learning the cello at the age of 6 from Mr Huang Yuanze (the principal cellist of China Philharmonic Orchestra) In 2018, he started learning from Mr Jiang Lixing (the principal cellist of the China National Symphony Orchestra) He was a student of Beijing 101 School, he also has been a first year enrolled pre college student of Tianjin Julliard School and studied there with Ms Yeonjin Kim and graduated with an excellent grade In 2021, Zeyu has got into the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music with 4 years full scholarship, now he is studying with Proffesor Qin Li-Wei In addition, Zeyu has won a lot of competitions such as 1st prize of 2015 Vienna International Music Competition ， 1st prize of the Aiqin cello competition in 2019 ， 2nd prize of Gustav Mahler Cello Competition in 2021. Now he is using Antonio Guadagnini,(1853) which is loaned from the Rin Collection.
Having attained a ATCL and LTCL with distinction in violin performance, Reina is vastly experienced in performing and orchestra playing, having participated in many performances including places like the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Esplanade Concert Hall, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Victoria Concert Hall, and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall. During her term as a member of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, she was selected to represent the orchestra in various overseas events including the 33rd Toyota Youth Orchestra Camp held in Gifu, Japan and ‘Visionary Masterworks’ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia She was also selected to perform with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra for the Sing50 concert, a national event to celebrate the nation's golden jubilee, led by soloist Lang Lang and prof Chan Tze Law. At the 7th Singapore Performers’ Festival, Reina attained the Platinum Award and was invited to perform at the Gala Concert In 2019, she participated in the Euroasia Youth Music Festival and was awarded 2nd place in both the Open and the Young Artiste Category Reina was also awarded the concerto prize to play with the Siam Sinfonietta for her performance. Apart from having experience as a violin soloist, Reina is also experienced in chamber music, where she attained the Gold Award at the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival with her piano trio in 2019. Reina plays on an Pique, Francois Louis, 1809 on loan from the Rin collection.
Reina began her violin studies under the Gifted Young Violinist Programme in NAFA and continued her music education in Violin Performance from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.
NationalArtsCouncil, for their kind support, VenuePartnership&ProductionTeamatTheEsplanade, for all their help and guidance towards making this concert a success, Ourfamilyandfriends, for all your love, understanding and support towards our pursuit of music (and Saturday night rehearsals), & lastbutnotleast,you,ouraudience, for being here tonight, allowing us the privilege of sharing this experience with you.
JollinTan & VanessachanofCoolPeopleConcepts, for your genius wordsmithing and graphic design, TanYaoGuang & YaoHuijun, for being our lovely stage managers, TommySanusi & JasonYeo, for your dedicated Front-of-House support, WanZhongWei & StevenCheong, for all your effort in helping us document this special concert,
