Merry Christmas & a Happy 2010

As if 2009 can’t get any better, let me share this unexpected email, that we’ve just received, with you …

Thank you for your beautiful motet based upon my song, "She's Out of My Life".
You have done a superb job with the piece and the singers are first class...

Kudos!
with appreciation,
Thomas Bähler

Borrowing from just one of Fiškinis’ many favourite phrases …. wwwoooowwww!

A blessed Christmas & a Happy New Year to one and all!!

WEBISODE #6: Light Mass: A Sneak Peek

The jazz ensemble gets groovy for Vytautas Miškinis’ Light Mass!

SYC closes the year with a special concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 13 December, with special musicians on stage. We have Vytautas Miškinis (from Lithuania, land of choral giants) to direct the SYC Ensemble Singers in an evening of music from the Baltic states, and also local jazz musicians Tamagoh and Tony Makarome to premiere a work for choir, jazz trio and additional piano, the Light Mass (by Miškinis himself). We are privileged to have such luminaries as our friends, on stage with us. 

Share this extraordinary celebration with us!

This is your LAST CHANCE to grab your tickets from SISTIC at:
$20, $25, $30, $35 (incl. SISTIC fee)

HEAD OVER TO SISTIC NOW at: http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/index.html?contentCode=syc1209

SYC Ensemble Singers, Vytautas Miškinis and Friends

13 Dec 2009.  How special this evening will be to all of us!?!??!

I have been singing in the Choir for many years and as always, I look forward for each performance.

This 45^th Anniversary concert will be as unique and interesting.

Not only we have a well-known guest conductor all the way from Lithuania, there is also a fabulous Jazz ensemble.

Vytautas Miškinis ! A name I have known for some time but never dream that one day, I will get to meet him and even sing under his baton.

It’s just a week away that we will meet him in person … the excitement is piling!

The preparation for this concert has been challenging because we have to sing in languages that we do not know.

Getting the words right is one thing but getting the audiences (who mostly do not know these languages as well) to understand each one of them through our singing is even harder.

But I am confident that we will deliver. (YES, WE CAN!)

Happy singing !

Peiling =)

Bogoroditsedevoraduysiablago…erm… sapnutalumaastaruspozumazvaigznedziestosamanalaimiba..(eh wrong song). Meelespea…kesmindkulelaulemaielaulemaieluulemaie….(ok…. I think.. how about something I actually understand…) therainhasheldbackfordaysanddaysmylordmygodinmyairdheart..(hmm..issit lord or god!?)

Ok. That is kinda of an exaggeration of how my brain has been like for the past few days – a flurry of Russian/Lithuanian/Latvian syllables trying to find its place in the phrase. Don’t be mistaken.. I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m sooooooooo excited about our upcoming concert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though this eggcitement could have contributed to the above confusion.. hmmm.. anyways…(do not perpetuate the stereotype do not perpetuate the stereotype. The rest of this entry will be intelligent, I promise).

As I was saying, I am excited about our concert because…..

We hardly get to work with instruments. Singing with instruments present a whole new challenge, but we shall not go there today.

The instrument parts in the Light mass are not just accompaniments as with many other voice+instrument type music. Each instrument’s part make up an important component of the music, for which the piece would not work as well without either instruments or choir.

We learn about music (and indirectly also about other cultures) that we normally would have limited access to.

We get to work with Miskinis. THE Miskinis whose name we see all over our “Cantate Domino” and “Time is Endless” scores. The man who has written close to 700 compositions; the man, who, with a wave of his magic hands (and many countless hours of hard work of course) led many choirs to success; the man who has taught invaluable knowledge to his students. It’s a rare opportunity for us on this sunny island to learn from him.

Similarly, having the chance to work with the musicians mentioned in the first point is a privilege too.

We get to travel to a far away place in singing this music and be someone else for a while.

And last but not least, being able to enjoy and perform these wonderful music with people who understand to people who will hopefully understand what we do.

Like many of my friends in SYC, I grew up amongst the midst of SYFs, Colours Awards and the like; and amongst peers who joined Band or Track & Field or ~insert any gold obtaining CCA~ because “it will get me more cca points”/”I can use it to get DSA in case I screw up in my O/A levels”/”its good in my testimonials”.

I like being in SYC because gives us the opportunity to focus on and explore things that matter – the music, the (musical) relationships, ensemble skills, voice etc.  Sure, we fumble along the way, but it gives us a sense of satisfaction and enables us to understand things beyond drilling ourselves silly to get that platinum award at competition X.

Taking that we do out rehearsal, we can find parallels in “real life” in the form of team work, interpersonal relationships, independence and synergy and so on.(Note: Actually I’m not sure what real exactly means. School and Work is quite a strange concept.)

And of course, its great to have other people understand why you want and need to spend n hours trying to learn many foreign words to sing a 2-minute song.

Just yesterday, I was chatting on MSN with Daton, who was our LO went we went to Bandung, Indonesia in 2007.

Our conversation went like

Daton: ha! I saw your facebook status. Seems like you are happy every Wednesday.
haT: HAHA! Yeah!!!!
Daton: I understand. I also feel like that when I practise with my band, even though that means I have to reach home at 1am!!!
haT: yeah! That’s good, because most people don’t understand. They think that you will not do work, or not study just because you want to sing or paint.
Daton: Yeah! My parents are like that too!! They complain about spending too much time on my band.
haT:It’s the same as someone who watches TV all day, right? Just that we choose to do something else?

………….etc

Yeah, anyways…the above conversation is linked to my next point.

I’m also excited about this concert because, to kinda put it in what Jen said in our webcast, it is amazing to meet and work with someone who has a totally different worldview from what was described in the above conversation – someone whose culture is so ingrained in the arts and in choral music in particular; someone who understands why we absolutely must spend n² hours in song every week.

This concert is also kinda like a milestone (for the lack of a better word) for me and a few others in the choir. I decided to join SYC after watching the 40^th Anniversary concert. And maybe, with this 45^th anniversary concert, someone would also be inspired to join us and to understand what we’ve come to believe in.

Oh yes, and about those Russian/Lithuanian/Latvian syllables trying to find its place in the phrase? It will be fixed with lots of sleep and lots of practise. It will be a gooooood concert. Please come!!!

- haT

SYC 45th Anniversary Concert - SYC and Friends - 13 Dec 2009 730pm - Esplanade Concert Hall

WEBISODE #5: Jen on THE Concert

The Madame speaks of the Maestro (codename: Miškinis), the Music (origin: Lithuanian) and the Mystery (what will Jen do on concert day?!). This is the 4th segment of a 4-part interview.

SYC closes the year with a special concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 13 December, with special musicians on stage.  We have Vytautas Miškinis (from Lithuania, land of choral giants) to direct the SYC Ensemble Singers in an evening of music from the Baltic states, and also local jazz musicians  Tamagoh and Tony Makarome to premiere a work for choir, jazz trio and additional piano, the “Light Mass” (by Miškinis himself).  We are privileged to have such luminaries as our friends, on stage with us. 

Come share this extraordinary celebration with us!

Tickets from SISTIC at:

$20, $25, $30, $35 (inc. SISTIC fee)

Promotions:

Keppel Nights 50% subsidy $11 (excl. SISTIC fee, conditions apply)

Visit www.keppelnights.com to obtain a valid Keppel Nights password.

WEBISODE #4: Jen on Choirs

Jennifer answers our burning questions about sopranos, choirs and why it’s great to be Singaporean. This is the 3rd segment of a 4-part interview. Watch this space!

WEBISODE #3: Jen on SYC

Jennifer Tham shares her thoughts on the SYC and the things that matter. This is the 2nd segment of a 4-part interview. Watch this space!

WEBISODE #2: Who is Jennifer Tham?

Jennifer Tham, SYC’s present and longest serving conductor, talks to us about her life and her loves. This is the 1st segment of a 4-part interview. Watch this space!

WEBISODE #1: SYC is 45!

SYC & friends

This year the SYC is 45.  We celebrated this with friends around the world, in a three-choir festival in Japan, in a concert with an Australian choir, with other local choirs in a tribute to pioneer Singapore composer Leong Yoon Pin, and on song-duty at the National Citizenship Ceremony.    

 

We close the year with a special concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 13 December, with special musicians on stage.  We have Vytautas Miškinis (from Lithuania, land of choral giants) to direct the SYC Ensemble Singers in an evening of music from the Baltic states, and also local jazz musicians  Tamagoh and Tony Makarome to premiere a work for choir, jazz trio and additional piano, the “Light Mass” (by Miškinis himself).  We are privileged to have such luminaries as our friends, on stage with us. 

 

Share this extraordinary celebration with us. 

 

Tickets at:

$20, $25, $30, $35 (inc. SISTIC fee)

 

Promotions:

Keppel Nights 50% subsidy $11 (excl. SISTIC fee, conditions apply)

Visit www.keppelnights.com to obtain a valid Keppel Nights password.