PhilClarinets in Concert IV - On The Sixth Day Of Christmas

Comprising members from the clarinet section of the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra (PWO), PhilClarinets is the largest section of PWO with over 40 highly skilled volunteer musicians. Since its debut recital in August 2010, PhilClarinets has continued to impress audiences with a selection of music showcasing the rich, colourful, and flexible sonorities of the clarinet. As a close-knit family, PhilClarinets strives to continue presenting quality clarinet ensemble repertoire to a wider audience.

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra presents

PhilClarinets

in

Concert IV: On the Sixth Day of Christmas

Part of the PhilChamber Series

30 December 2022, 7.30 pm

Esplanade Recital Studio

THE ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

George Frideric Handel

Gavin Bryars

MY SCHOOL DAYS: CLARINET MASTERPIECES COLLECTION

Arranged by Tohru Kanayama

· Weber’s Concerti no

Eichler’s Scales

Rose’s 32 Etudes

Brahms’ Sonata No. 2

Saint-Saë ns’ Sonate

Poulenc’s Sonata

THREE ELEGIES FOR 9 CLARINETS NO. 1 & 2 WE SPEAK ETRUSCAN FOR BASS CLARINET AND BARITONE SAXOPHONE

Lee Hyla

Intermission

CRESCITA

Satoshi Yagisawa

THE NUTCRACKER SUITE

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Arranged by Jay Ong

NOAH’S ARK

Bert Appermont, Arranged by Ralph Lim

#FYP JAPAN

Yoasobi, Arranged by Jerry Tan and Ralph Lim

· Summertime

Racking into the Night

Monster

A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Leroy Anderson, Arranged by Dominic Koh, Edited by Ralph Lim

Mozart’s Concerto · Joy to the World

Deck the Halls

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Good King Wenceslas · Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Silent Night · Jingle Bells

Adeste Fideles

LAU LIFENG BELLE CONDUCTOR

Lifeng was born in Singapore and her musical journey began with playing the Euphonium at the age of 14. In pursuit of her passions in music and communication studies, she first enrolled with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA, Singapore) and graduated with a Diploma in Music (Performance - Euphonium) in 2006, before continuing her studies with a Bachelor of Mass Communications (Public Relations & Journalism) from Murdoch University, Western Australia in 2009.

Thereafter, Lifeng served the Singapore Police Force (SPF) as a Senior Officer for 13 years. She first served as an Investigation Officer at Central Police Division and then Team Leader at Public Transport Security Command for over 5 years. Subsequently, she was awarded an SPF scholarship to the UK Royal Marines School of Music (RMSoM) in September 2013.

Under the tutelage of Malcolm Binney, Lifeng attained a pass with distinction in the DipABRSM (Music Direction) exam, an LRSM (Music Direction) diploma and earned the best conductor award in the RMSoM Bandmaster Course of 2015. Immediately after her stint with the UK Royal Marines, Lifeng completed her BMus (Hons) Degree at Plymouth University, UK.

Lifeng returned home to Singapore in August 2015 and formally began her stay with the SPF band as the Deputy Director of Music. On top of being a conductor for the band, she had the vision to lead the SPF Band in delivering world-class shows and theatrical productions on both local and international platforms. Since then, Lifeng has successfully spearheaded the SPF Band’s involvement in state events as a show producer. These include the 37th ASEANOPOL conference in 2016 and the 70th year Women in Policing Anniversary in 2019. Lifeng has also brought the SPF band to participate in international military tattoos such as Nova Scotia Military Tattoo in 2018, Spasskaya Military International Tattoo in Moscow in 2016 and World Police Band Concert (WPBC) series in Myanmar 2017 and Thailand 2018. In 2020, Lifeng was awarded the Efficiency Medal “Pingat Berkebolehan” National Day Award by the Singapore government.

Lifeng has been performing with the Philharmonic Wind Orchestra for over 20 years and was recently appointed as their Assistant Conductor in September 2022.

MUSICIANS

Liang Jiayi

Michiko Yamaguchi

Sean Tan

Yogendran Chandra Kumar

B-FLAT CLARINET

Amanda Yeo

Chen Peiyi

Cheong Mun Hoe

Dominic Koh Elvin Koh

Fikri Yeong Jacus Pek Jonathan Chen

Juan Diego Maringka

Kamran Aminian

Kwan Hao Wei

Lee Qing Ping Lim Jiayi

Ng Cheng Huat

Oliver Tan

Phoong Khang Zhie

Ralph Lim

Satsuki Goh Sean Lim Shie Rui Qi Yap Fangyu

Chua Jay Roon

Desmond Chow Liu Yoko

Yiau Daniel

E-FLAT CLARINET ALTO CLARINET BASS CLARINET CONTRABASS CLARINET BARITONE SAXOPHONE PERCUSSION

Michellina Chan Melvin Leong

Comprising over 150 highly skilled volunteer musicians, Philharmonic Wind Orchestra (PWO) was founded in 2022 to continue the legacy of The Philharmonic Winds and Philharmonic Youth Winds. Led by Music Director Maestro Leonard Tan, PWO continues its long-standing artistic mission of advancing wind music in Singapore, at the same time expanding its outreach to all segments of the Singaporean community.

Since its formation in 2000, The Philharmonic Winds and Philharmonic Youth Winds have been known for presenting meaningfully-programmed concerts of consistently high standards. Each concert revolves around a theme, such as Sounds of Japan, All That Jazz, Absoluut Dutch, An American Portrait and Death and Life, amongst others. The wind orchestras have also presented works by Grainger and Varèse, wind serenades by Mozart, Dvořák and Strauss, symphonies by Hindemith, Barnes and De Meij, and various works by Luis Serrano Alarcón, including his monumental Marco Polo Trilogy which was heralded as one of the “Best Classical Concert of the Year” (2015) by The Straits Times, Singapore. In addition, The Philharmonic Winds has participated in opera productions of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Weill’s Street Scenes.

Through its regular concert and “Singapore Compose” series, The Philharmonic Winds and Youth Winds also strongly support Singaporean composers by performing and premiering their works, devoting entire concerts to their compositions. Composers featured include Leong Yoon Pin, Kelly Tang and Phoon Yew Tien, to name but a few. The orchestras also seek to enrich wind repertoire with arrangements by their very own members.

Over the years, The Philharmonic Winds and Youth Winds have developed a number of music series, which have been popular with their audiences. These include:

· “Philharmonic Winds in Concert” series (cutting edge wind repertoire)

· Philharmonic Youth Winds’ “Classique” series (notable wind compositions)

· “Fun with Music” (Children’s concert series)

· “Singapore Compose” (local composers and compositions)

· “Philharmonic Winds Goes Pop” (signature pop series, including arrangements by our members)

· Philharmonic Youth Winds’ “Songs Our Parents Love” series (pop oldies’ series)

· “Sounds of Japan” series (Japanese wind repertoire)

PWO brings music to the general public by performing at neighbourhoods around Singapore, and to anywhere it believes it can make a difference. Through these outreach performances, PWO seeks to inspire generations of future performers, make music accessible, and support social causes.

PWO also regularly participates in the National Arts Council’s programmes and initiatives, such as its Singapore Arts Festival, Arts in Your Neighbourhood series, and Silver Arts Festival. PWO’s instrumental ensembles also regularly perform for the Arts Education Programmes in schools.

PROGRAMME NOTES

THE ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba is a short and lively instrumental passage for two oboes and strings written as part of Act Three of the oratorio Solomon. The passage continues to be a popular tune used during wedding ceremonies today and was featured at the 2012 London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony when James Bond (Daniel Craig) met the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

THREE ELEGIES FOR 9 CLARINETS NO. 1 & 2

Gavin Bryars

Gavin Bryars wrote Three Elegies for Nine Clarinets after an ensemble project at the Chateau d’Oiron in France in 1993 and dedicated it as a gift to clarinetist Roger Heaton for all his work over the years. Roger Heaton has been a member of Bryar’s ensemble since 1986, and has also recorded a number of the composer’s pieces. The initial idea was for a fairly short unaccompanied solo work, but eventually the piece developed into a longer and larger ensemble piece for 4 B-flat clarinets, 2 alto clarinets, 2 bass clarinets, and 1 contrabass clarinet. Generally rich, slow, and sonorous, the piece begins with an extended series of unison lines, gradually evolving into a sequence of accompanied solos featuring both the clarinet and bass clarinet, eventually leading into a full ensemble sound as the piece progresses.

MY SCHOOL DAYS: CLARINET MASTERPIECES COLLECTION

My School Days is a collage of classic repertoire and excerpts from method books, worked on by many generations of clarinet students while in the music conservatories. You will hear excerpts of works by Weber’s Concertino, Brahms’ Sonata No. 2, Saint-Saëns’ Sonate, Poulenc’s Sonata and Mozart’s Concerto, and also Rose’s 32 Etudes and Eichler’s Scales.

PROGRAMME NOTES

WE SPEAK ETRUSCAN FOR BASS CLARINET AND BARITONE SAXOPHONE

Lee Hyla

We Speak Etruscan is a contemporary piece that tests the mettle of advanced players in several technical and expressive manners. Written in 1992, it is dedicated to the two players for whom it was composed, Tim Berne (saxophone) and Tim Smith (bass clarinet).

CRESCITA

Satoshi Yagisawa

Crescita was commissioned by the clarinet ensemble “Grow” for their 10th anniversary. “Crescita” is the Italian version of the ensemble name “Grow”. The music begins with a slow, peaceful melody. As the tempo picks up, the melody changes character to a more lively syncopated style. This depicts the ensemble’s history: growing together and overcoming hardships while progressing forward. The piece also includes an excerpt from Antiche danze ed arie per liuto by Ottorino Respighi. It was one of the favourites of the late Shigeru Yamamoto, former conductor of the ensemble, and represents beautiful memories. The premier was performed by all the members of the clarinet choir “Grow” conducted by Takeo Toriyabe. To make the music more accessible for various groups, the ensemble suggested it to be arranged for an octet. The composer believes the first half of the piece will capture the uniqueness of each performing group, and the contrast between the sentimental and the lively, exciting sections should create a splendid performance.

THE NUTCRACKER SUITE

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Arranged by Jay Ong

Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker, was not always the Christmas standard it is today. When it premiered in 1892, critics were not kind in their reviews. However, the composer knew his music was worthy so he created two suites from the ballet. The first suite, with its charming character dances, proved to be very popular in the concert hall. Regrettably, he did not live to see his original ballet become the beloved Christmas tradition it is today.

The ballet is in two acts; the first scene is at a Christmas party, where Clara receives a nutcracker as her present. One of the other children breaks it, and after everyone goes to bed, Clara slips downstairs to get her toy. The nutcracker comes to life and turns into a handsome prince, who takes her to the “Kingdom of Sweets.” The second half of the ballet does not have a story; the character dances represent “candies” from different countries, who perform for her.

What makes this music so enduring is the masterful way Tchaikovsky uses the colors of the instruments to portray the confections. “Chocolate” is given a Spanish dance with a brilliant solo for the trumpet. The “Arabian Dance” is Arabic coffee, although the oriental-sounding music is actually based on a Georgian lullaby. The “Chinese Dance” represents tea, with an acrobatic flute and piccolo and pizzicato strings.

The “Trepak” is a traditional Russian dance that might be the single most-used piece of music in today’s Christmas movies. Its festive tune perfectly captures the excitement and chaotic rushing that is a part of Christmas preparation. The “Dance of the Mirlitons” features the flute section with English horn responses, and a mirliton is both a reed flute and a tube-shaped pastry.

The celesta, which is a cross between a small piano and a glockenspiel, portrays the enchanting Queen of the Sweets, the “Sugar Plum Fairy.” This suite ends with Tchaikovsky’s most famous waltz, the Waltz of the Flowers, with its beautiful harp solo and grand symphonic style. It is a sweet feast of music!

NOAH’S ARK

Bert Appermont, Arranged by Ralph Lim

Noah’s Ark is a composition based on the well-known bible-story, in which Noah builds an ark to conquer the flood. This work portrays four impressions (I. The Message, II. Parade of the Animals, III. The Storm, IV. Song of Hope), each introduced by a proper theme. In the book of Genesis, Noah’s Ark is described as being a massive ship, built at God’s command, that saved Noah, his family, and two of every kind of land animal from the global flood that took place 4,350 years ago. It was 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high, and easily housed the several thousand animal kinds God brought to Noah.

PROGRAMME NOTES

#FYP JAPAN

Yoasobi, Arranged by Jerry Tan and Ralph Lim

Featuring some of the top Japanese songs on TikTok’s For You Page (#fyp) between 2019 and 2022, this medley includes Summertime by cinnamons and evening cinema, Racing into the Night ( 夜に駆ける; Yoru ni Kakeru), and Monster ( 怪物 ; Kaibutsu) by Japanese duo, YOASOBI.

Summertime (Kimi no Toriko) There are currently 7.5 million videos created on TikTok using the Japanese Song Kimi no Toriko by Rizky Ayuba. The song title literally translates to “I’m crazy about you”. Originally, “とりこ(toriko)” means “captive” or “prisoner”, but this word sometimes refers to “a person who is very enamoured of someone”.

Racing into the night ( 夜に駆ける Yoru ni Kakeru) is based on a short story written by Mayo Hoshino that depicts a fleeting romance between a man and a girl who is fascinated by the personification of death. Despite the dark underlying story, this upbeat song took off on TikTok and other social media platforms, leading Spotify’s Viral Top 50 (Japan) ranking.

Monster ( 怪物 Kaibutsu), on the other hand, is based on a novel by Paru Itagaki, Jibun no Mune ni Jibun no Mimi o Oshi Atete (自分の胸に自分の耳を押し当てて) which loosely translates to “I press my own ear to my chest”. The song is later used as the opening theme for Beastars, an anime series created by the same author. The anime tells a story about a carnivore trying to coexist with herbivores in a cruel world. The song peaked at second place on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and was the only Japanese song featured on Time’s 10 Best Songs of 2021 list.

A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Leroy

Anderson, Arranged by Dominic Koh, Edited by Ralph Lim

A Christmas Festival, composed in 1950, is a concert overture built upon traditional Christmas songs. Originally recorded by the Boston Pops, this Christmas medley sets the standard for all others. Anderson has encompassed the joy, celebration, and solemnity of Christmas in his arrangements of Joy To The World, Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel, Silent Night, Jingle Bells and O Come, All Ye Faithful.

PhilClarinets would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following, without whom this concert would not have been possible:

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, for its support towards this concert, and for being the family where we grew up musically together.

Ms Lau Lifeng, for her astute musical direction, friendship and guidance to PhilClarinets.

Ms Joen Koh, for designing the marketing and publicity collaterals for the concert.

Mr Fikri Yeong, for filming and editing the promotional video trailer for the concert.

Ms Koh Swee Jin for her valuable time and assistance in documenting tonight’s concert through her camera.

Ms Jolie Giouw, our emcee for this evening.

All individuals and organisations who have, in one way or another, contributed to the development of PhilClarinets.

Our families, friends and loved ones, for their support and understanding. And you, our audience, for your presence here with us tonight.

PhilClarinets in Concert IV Project Committee