Planet Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra presents Planet Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

7.30pm, 30 October 2022

Esplanade Concert Hall

Three Portraits for Symphonic Band Dr Kelly Tang

I. Fanfare II. Chorale III. March Conductor: Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai

Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad

George Butterworth World Premiere of Arrangement for Tenor and Wind Ensemble by Alexander Oon

I. Loveliest of Trees

II. When I Was One-And-Twenty III. Look Not In My Eyes

IV. Think No More, Lad

V. The Lads In Their Hundreds

VI. Is My Team Ploughing?

Conductor: ME4 Ignatius Wang Tenor: Corey Koh

Gloriosa — Symphonic Poem for Band Yasuhide Ito

I. Oratorio II. Cantus III. Dies Festus Conductor: Dr Robert Casteels

Intermission Symphony No. 3 Planet Earth Johan de Meij

I. Lonely Planet II. Planet Earth III. Mother Earth

Conductor: Dr Leonard Tan Chorus Master: Chong Wai Lun Women’s Festival Chorus: Symphonia Choralis with support from VOS Ladies Choir & VOS Community Chorus Film: CineSymphony Planet Earth (Asian Premiere)

Planet Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

A Message from our Chairman

Philwinds has come a long way since its humble beginnings at the turn of the millennium. Through its passion for musical excellence, it has aggregated like-minded musicians to take on some of wind music’s most iconic and challenging repertoire.

The organisation has also provided a valuable platform for local musicians and composers, some of whom have gone on to establish outstanding music careers of their own. Over the years, Philwinds has played its role in putting Singapore on the world map of music through its extensive network with world renowned composers and musicians. Ever the versatile orchestra, it has also reached out to collaborate with artists in different genres.

I could go on speaking of the wonderful initiatives and accolades garnered spanning more than two decades. However, none of these would have been possible without its people – Philwinds is a fully volunteer-led organisation. I’ve never ceased to be astounded by the energy and commitment of this community of musicians. From staging concerts of professional quality, organising outreach activities, to managing its day-to-day operations, Philwinds would not have come as far as it has without their dedication. Special thanks ought to be accorded to its founding members, who had banded together to forge a new organisation and identity for wind music aficionados, many of whom grew up with the Singapore schools’ music education system.

Some of you might be wondering: Why have we called this a “20+ Anniversary” concert? Indeed, this celebration ought to have taken place two years ago, on our 20th anniversary, to celebrate our founding in 2000. Alas, the COVID-19 pandemic put all plans on hold.

Today, the world has emerged stronger, more confident, and with renewed vigour. Similarly, Philwinds has evolved, transforming its flagship orchestra into Philharmonic Wind Orchestra (PWO). As we continue our journey towards organisational excellence, the pandemic has reminded us that we can and should do more for those who do not have as much. Besides musical excellence, access to music, education, and opportunities remains central to our core beliefs. It is with these beliefs that we have pursued and successfully obtained our Charity status last year. We will continue to forge ahead in this direction, striving to be a musical force for good.

That leaves me to conclude with a big word of thanks to you. This concert, a culmination of over five months of meticulous planning, would be for naught without you – our audience, our supporters, our donors, and our friends. Your continuous support uplifts us and lends purpose to what we do.

Thank you for taking time to celebrate with us, and I hope tonight’s performance will enrich your lives as it will ours.

Koh Chye Hock Chairman Philharmonic Winds Group

A Message from our Music Director

For more than 20 years, the primary artistic mission of Philwinds has always been to push artistic boundaries by introducing high quality cutting-edge wind orchestra music to the Singapore audience, such as John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 3, “Circus Maximus.”

This evening’s Gala Concert is no different, where we premiere the CineSymphony version of Johan de Meij’s Symphony No. 3, “Planet Earth,” complete with a female chorus. In featuring our beloved planet for our anniversary concert, Philwinds reaffirms our commitment to sustainability, not just to Earth, but also to the arts scene in Singapore: stretching possibilities through this 50-minute Symphony, presenting new experiences for the Singapore audience, and collaborating with other arts groups.

At the same time, we reaffirm our commitment to championing Singaporean music (Kelly Tang’s Three Portraits for Symphonic Band ) and raising the next generation of young Singaporean musical talents (Corey Koh in Butterworth’s Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad ). In just two decades, Philwinds has premiered numerous new compositions by Singaporean composers, and many Singaporean musicians have passed through its ranks to become professional musicians.

Even more importantly, Philwinds has reached out to the community through innumerable outreach performances and programmes, introducing quality wind music to thousands of new audience members. Its highly successful Philyouth programme has seen countless youth musicians moving on to play in Philwinds. In fact, the two are now playing together as one “Philharmonic Wind Orchestra”.

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra currently comprises more than 150 highly skilled volunteer musicians, of which close to 100 are performing tonight. It is our dream and hope that PWO is a place for lifelong engagement and love in music and the arts. Philwinds has pushed artistic boundaries and impacted the community for more than 20 years — and will continue to do so.

From the very bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support.

Leonard Tan Music Director

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra

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 the 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: The Trilogy”, in what 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)

Philharmonic

International Accolades

PWO has been proud to fly the Singapore flag high on the world stage, first announcing its arrival in a First Prize win at the 2005 World Music Contest, Kerkrade, The Netherlands – a four-yearly gathering of the best wind orchestras in the world. In 2013, PWO clinched Second Prize in the International Wind Band Contest –City of Valencia, Spain.

2005: Gold with Distinction, 1st Division, 15th World Music Contest; Kerkrade, the Netherlands

2008: Top Band, 1st Division, Singapore International Band Festival, Singapore

2009: 40th Anniversary of Japan Band Clinic

2011: World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference, Chiayi, Taiwan

2013: Second prize, 127th Certamen Internacionalde Bandasde Música (127th International Wind Band Contest), Valencia, Spain

2014: Hong Kong International Band Fair

2018: Gold medal, Concert Division, Singapore International Band Festival, Singapore

2022: Singapore International Band Festival

Conductors and Soloists

PWO strives for continuous growth and development through partnerships with renowned authorities in wind orchestra, conductors, composers, and musicians. It has also collaborated with musicians and experts in other art forms, relishing the interdisciplinary connections that it has made. Some of these collaborations are highlighted as follows:

Conductors & Composers

Timothy Reynish, MBE United Kingdom

Douglas Bostock United Kingdom

Felix Hauswirth Switzerland

John Boyd USA

Johan de Meij The Netherlands

Yasuhide Ito Japan

Luis Serrano Alarcón Spain

Tsung Yeh Singapore

Luk Hoi Yui Singapore

Lin Ah Leck Singapore

Adrian Chiang Singapore

Chan Tze Law Singapore

Eric Watson United Kingdom

Alan Lourens Australia

Surapol Thanyawibool Thailand

Soloists

Tang Xiao Ping Clarinet Singapore

Kevin Thompson Euphonium Hong Kong

Qu Jian Qing Yangqin Singapore

Maarten Koningsberger Baritone The Netherlands

Qin Li-Wei Cello Singapore

Roeland Dujine Cello The Netherlands

Jörgen van Rijen Trombone The Netherlands

Kenneth Tse Saxophone USA

Vince Gnojek Saxophone USA

Kevin Bobo Marimba USA

Jose Franch-Ballester Clarinet Spain Hae-Jung Kim Piano South Korea

Other Artists

Boston Brass Brass Ensemble Lawrence Koh Sand Artist

Flamenco Sin Fronteras Spanish Dance

Makoto Tashiro Taiko Drums

Dingyi Music Company Chinese Chamber Ensemble Ministry of Bellz Handbells

Kamini Ramachandran Storyteller

William Ledbetter Narrator

Dick Lee Singer-Composer Charlie Lim Singer-Songwriter Nathan Hartono Singer Tay Kewei Singer

Lee Wei Song School of Music Singers

Gala Concert

Community Engagement and Education

PWO brings music to the general public by performing at neighbourhoods, 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 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. Through these, it has brought music to the community, performing at Gardens by the Bay, Botanic Gardens, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, and at heartland locations such as Toa Payoh, Tampines, Boon Keng, Yishun, and Pasir Ris. Its instrumental ensembles also regularly perform for the Arts Education Programmes in schools.

PWO supports social causes, having performed at the Yellow Ribbon Run, Pathlight School, and for Car-Free Sundays. In 2014, it staged a fund-raising concert for the Children’s Charities Association of Singapore, raising $35,000 for children in need.

Through its activities, PWO also facilitates masterclasses conducted by its musicians and conductors. The orchestra also serves as a platform for composers and arrangers to have their works performed, thus providing opportunities for local talents to be showcased.

Key Milestones and Achievements

2000 Inaugural Concert of The Philharmonic Winds

2002 Inaugural Concert of Philharmonic Youth Winds

2005 World Music Contest, Kerkrade (The Netherlands): Gold Medal with Distinction, 1st Division

2006 Singapore Arts Festival: First wind orchestra to be featured

2008 1st Division, Singapore International Band Festival: Top Band (Philharmonic Youth Winds)

2009 40th Anniversary of Japan Band Clinic, Hamamatsu

2010 10th Anniversary Gala Concert: Launch of Singapore Compose! series

2011 WASBE Conference, Chiayi City, Taiwan

2013 127th International Wind Band Contest, Valencia (Spain): Second Prize

2014 Hong Kong International Band Fair: Gala Concert

2015 15th Anniversary Gala Concert: World Premiere of Luis Serrano Alarcón’s Marco Polo — The Trilogy Also listed as one of The Straits Times’ Best Classical Concerts of 2015

2018 Concert Division, Singapore International Band Festival: Gold Award (Philharmonic Youth Winds)

2019 National Arts Council’s Arts in Your Neighbourhood series: 3 commissioned heartland performances

2022 Launch of Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, under the umbrella organisation of Philharmonic Winds Group, bringing together the best of Philwinds and Philyouth musicians

2022 Singapore International Band Festival: Gala Concert 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert: Planet Earth

Planet Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

Dr Leonard Tan Music Director

Singaporean musician Leonard Tan is a prolific conductor with a strong presence in the Singapore arts scene.

Since his appointment in 2008 as Music Director, he has led the Philharmonic Winds to numerous successes, breaking new ground through acclaimed performances of works such as John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 3, Karel Husa’s Music for Prague, and numerous new commissions. He also champions the works of Singaporean composers.

With the restructuring of the Philharmonic Winds and Philharmonic Youth Winds, he continues providing artistic leadership for the Philharmonic Winds Group as its Music Director.

He earned his doctoral degree from the world-famous Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied orchestral conducting with David Effron, Arthur Fagen, and Murray Sidlin, and wind conducting with Stephen Pratt. He also participated in seminars by Leonard Slatkin, Cliff Colnot and William Jon Gray, and conducted the Indiana University Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, University Orchestra, Conductor’s Orchestra, and Summer Concert Band.

Prior to his doctoral studies, he studied orchestral conducting through masterclasses with Leif Segerstam and Alexander Polischuk in Russia, where he worked with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, and with Johannes Schlaefli, where he worked with Academic Orchestra Zurich. He also worked with leading wind conductors such as Eugene Corporon, Jack Stamp, and Craig Kirchhoff.

He has conducted numerous leading ensembles, including Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore National Youth Orchestra (Principal Conductor), Ensemble de la Belle Musique (Principal Conductor), The Philharmonic Winds (Music Director), and Indiana University orchestras.

Performances under Maestro Tan’s direction have been lauded by local and international critics. Singapore’s The Straits Times described his performance of Corigliano’s Symphony No. 3 as “masterfully helmed,” while the American press lauded his “artful conducting.” He served “with distinction” as Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, where he was praised by the press for his performance of “rare blazing intensity.”

Leonard Tan is currently an Associate Professor of Music, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Dr Robert Casteels Founding Artistic Director

Creating artistic content and being a conduit for change summarise the prolific activities of Dr Robert Casteels, who is a renowned composer, conductor, educator, pianist, and researcher. He believes that these roles are interrelated in the kaleidoscope of activities that is music-making.

Casteels has conducted more than 50 professional orchestras in a repertoire of 600 works ranging from the early classics to contemporary music, from symphonic to vocal and dance repertoire. He has conducted first performances of symphonic works, ballets and operas in festivals such as: Spoleto Festival (US, Italy and Australia), Ars Musica (Brussels), Brisbane Biennale (Australia), Focus (New York), Wien Modern (Vienna), Donaueschingen and Berlin Biennale (Germany). He has premiered significant masterpieces in Singapore, such as works by Boulez, Ligeti, Takemitsu, Stockhausen and Varèse. Casteels has premiered and commissioned many new pieces by Singaporean composers.

Casteels has written a growing corpus of 130 compositions that defy classification because they cross cultures, genres, and disciplines. Several of compositions reveal his concern for the degradation of nature and impoverishment of biodiversity. His works have been premiered or performed all over in Europe and Asia.

Casteels conceived, raised funds for, and executed an impressive series of interdisciplinary projects such as: music and architecture, music and biology, music and birds, music and finance, music and astronomy, music and medicine, music and visual arts (Hearing Images & Hearing Sound, Pictures @ a (SG) Exhibition, Pictures at a (SEA) Exhibition and Dancing Sculptures). In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Casteels conceived and executed the digital project Bubbles in 2021 in direct interaction with musicians performing in his city of birth Tienen (Belgium), thereafter expanded in interaction with dancers performing in Australia. In 2022 he responded to the pandemic with R əsili ənc ə, an ambitious film project in nine episodes online that was performed live as soon as Esplanade reopened.

A passionate educationist, Casteels is noted for his pedagogical work in piano, analysis, composition, and conducting. As an artist who is socially aware, Casteels endeavours to give back to society by performing in prisons, nursing homes, and hospitals.

Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai Guest Conductor

As a senior lecturer of composition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and a composer of music ranging from choir, symphonic band, wind ensemble, chamber music to large-scale orchestral works, Zechariah Goh Toh Chai has carefully fused Southeast Asian-Chinese with Western traditions. In 1999, he received the David and Gunda Hiebert Scholarship award to work on his Master of Piano from University of Kansas, during which he was appointed as a graduate assistant by the university to teach undergraduate music theory. Subsequently, he worked on his Doctorate degree majoring in Composition under the guidance of Dr. Charles Hoag. Zechariah was also awarded the prestigious Anthony Cius Prize for outstanding student composer from the University of Kansas for the Academic year of 2001 and 2002.

Before embarking on his studies in the United States, he was a familiar face in the local music scene, teaching bands and choirs in Singapore. Since July 2002, he has been a lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. As a composer, he is frequently commissioned to write music for symphonic bands and choirs. Since the 1990s, his choral works have been premiered in Singapore and have won many international competitions. Zechariah has conducted numerous folk song arrangement and choral improvisation workshops for choral directors and composers across the Asia Pacific region, including cities such as Bandung (2017), Kuala Lumpur, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei, and Tianjin, China (2018). Additionally, he was invited to lecture and give workshops at the Oklahoma State University and University of Kansas, USA. He was an adjudicator at the World Children and Youth Choir Competition in Hong Kong (2017), the Bali International Choral Competition in 2018, and The Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod, 2018.

His commissioned work 纪元晨光, performed by the Diocesan Boys’ School Choir (Hong Kong), won the Best Male Choir at the Music Competition at the World Choir Games in South Africa, 2018, other choral works Reminiscences of Hainan, In the Bamboo Forest performed by the NUS Choir, awarded the top prize at The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2018, and Assassination performed by Diocesan Choral Society won the Grand Prix award at the Tokyo International Choir Competition 2018. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra commissioned and premiered Blossoms for Large Orchestra in 2017. Zechariah Goh has collaborated with Ding Yi Music Company on a multi-disciplinary production with Chinese Chamber music, Documentary film and ceramics entitled Songs of the Dragon Kiln in 2017. Zechariah was commissioned by the World Youth and Children Choir, based in Hong Kong to compose the set work entitled My Spirit Rejoices for the International Choral Conducting Competition final set work in 2019, he was also commissioned by SSO to compose a new work entitled 承 Flow s that was premiered in August 2022 with conductor Hans Graf.

For his artistic excellence in the field of music, Zechariah was conferred the Young Artist Award (Music) in September 2003 by the National Arts Council, Singapore. The award was presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore at the Istana. Zechariah was awarded the Artistic Excellence Award from the Composers and authors Society of Singapore in 2013, and was also presented with the distinguished Alumni medal from NAFA in 2014.

ME4 Ignatius Wang Guest Conductor

Noted for his versatility and dynamic performances, Military Expert 4 (ME4) Ignatius Wang is regarded as one of Singapore’s rising conducting talents. He is the Director of Music of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band, Music Director of the Lion City Brass Band, Music Director of SEIRA, as well as Associate Conductor of the Temasek Polytechnic Band. Having joined the SAF Central Band in 2011, ME4 Ignatius served as Associate Principal Euphonium and was later awarded an SAF scholarship to the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

A recipient of the Distinguished Star, the Bandmasters’ Course Conducting Prize and the Baldwin’s Award for Best Conductor, ME4 Ignatius emerged top of his class and was the first international student to attain Director of Music qualification from Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Band Service. He graduated from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (Master of Music) and the University of Plymouth (Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours). ME4 Ignatius is also a Fellow of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM) in Music Direction.

ME4 Ignatius studied with Bjørn Sagstad, Chan Tze Law, Clark Rundell, Darrell Ang, Douglas Bostock, Jason Lai, Mark Heron, Nicholas Childs, Tan Beng Wee, Timothy Reynish and Tsung Yeh – in collaboration with renowned groups such as the Argovia Philharmonic, Black Dyke Band, European Union Youth Wind Orchestra, Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.

ME4 Ignatius is the winner of the 2014 Bob Harding Bursary and served as the Young Conductor for the Havant Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, he was selected to represent Singapore at the International Conductors’ Competition at the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Netherlands. ME4 Ignatius also served as assistant to Tsung Yeh in the 2019 ballet production of Don Quixote by the Singapore Dance Theatre.

As a guest conductor, ME4 Ignatius has conducted several groups in Singapore and Europe, including the Singapore Wind Symphony, The Philharmonic Winds, Sinfonisches Verbandsblasorchester Markgräflerland and the Benefiz - Musik und Kukltur für andere Orchestra and EVAM Estagio de Verão.

ME4 Ignatius has also been featured regularly at the WBAS Youth Band Festival and the Asia Arts Festival as a clinician and adjudicator. He has led several conducting and music leadership workshops, including the International Brass Band Summer School, and the Music Leaders Camp and Student Conductors’ Workshop for the Arts Education Branch, Ministry of Education. In addition, ME4 Ignatius also serves as a board member of the Wind Bands Association of Singapore.

Corey Koh

Tenor

Corey Koh, 20, started classical voice study at the tender age of six and has since acquired an impressive repertoire. Corey has performed in Prague, Mexico, New York (Carnegie Hall), Tokyo (Suntory Hall), Vienna (Musikverein), Germany, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Having studied voice under the tutelage of Soprano Jeong AeRee, Corey performs with the New Opera Singapore Youth Opera Comique and was a student of the Young Artist Program at National University of Singapore Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music studying under Professor Alan Bennett. He is currently studying with Tenor Jonathan Tay.

Since his breakthrough into public performance, Corey has amassed international experience across a myriad of performance contexts. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, Corey has focused his efforts on charity and fundraisers, where many of his performances serve to raise funds for organisations like ChildAid and the PARC Foundation. With the latter, Corey started and leads a Children’s Choir, hoping to share his passion for music with others. Corey has also appeared on the diplomatic stage, in Mexico City and Chongqing, China in celebration of Singapore’s partnerships with these countries.

Outside of singing, Corey plays the oboe, guitar, and saxophone. His hobbies include Polo, Fencing, and reading.

Symphonia Choralis

A synthesis of the concepts of “symphony” and “choir”, Symphonia Choralis is a festival chorus formed by its music director Chong Wai Lun in 2017. The chorus’ inaugural performance was of Elgar’s The Music Makers with the Orchestra of the Music Makers, alongside the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus. In the following year, they were part of the Singapore Premiere of Bernstein’s Mass in 2018. The collaboration with OMM continued in the form of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast in 2019, when Symphonia Choralis received positive reviews from the critics for their notable performance. Today, the chorus continues to bring together freelance musicians across Singapore for orchestral performances involving large-scale choruses, uniting vocalists from leading choirs to share the joy of choral music making with all. For the purpose of Johan de Meij’s Planet Earth, Symphonia Choralis will be joined by members of the VOS Ladies Choir and VOS Community Chorus from Voices of Singapore supported by VOS Artistic Director, Darius Lim.

Chong Wai Lun Chorus Master

A trumpeter-turned-chorister, Chong Wai Lun’s musical journey led him to his calling as a conductor. Motivated by the desire to serve music and his fellow musicians, he studied music pedagogy at the Kodaly Institute of Liszt Academy and then pursued his Master’s Degree in choral conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales.

Upon returning to Singapore, Chong was appointed as Music Director at the International Festival Chorus of Singapore (IFC). During his tenure with the IFC, he continues to build the choir community, culminating in performances such as Haydn’s The Creation in 2019. His professional assignments as Chorus Master include collaborations with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (MFO) and the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM).

Also a dedicated educator, Chong spends his time teaching choirs at several schools, including Temasek Secondary, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary and Bartley Secondary. He serves as adjunct academic faculty at his alma mater—the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music—where he studied orchestral conducting under the guidance of Jason Lai.

Three Portraits for Symphonic Band

Dr Kelly Tang

I. Fanfare

II. Chorale

III. March

Three Portraits for Symphonic Band is the first Singaporean composition to have been performed by The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines (The Royal Band) in the UK. It was commissioned in 2008 for an Esplanade premiere by SAF Central Band & “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, in commemoration of “50 Years of Military Music Services” in Singapore.

The three movements feature vastly different moods and each of them is meant to complement the others. Suggestions of military regimentation can be heard in the strict rhythms of the first movement, titled Fanfare. The 2nd movement, Chorale, is an ode or love song to Singapore, based on the familiar tune of Singapura. The lyrical mood of the opening is broken by a jaunty folk theme with a drone and the jangle of bells reminiscent of a traditional Indian classical dance. As the key rises, the tune of Singapura is overlaid with the jaunty folk theme. The movement concludes with a surprise harmony. The third movement, March, was inspired by the composer’s admiration of the music of John Williams, in particular the Star Wars film score. The melody and mood of this movement overflows with insuppressible joy and liberation.

Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad

George Butterworth arr. Alexander Oon

I. Loveliest Of

II. When I Was

III. Look Not In My Eyes

IV. Think No More,

V. The Lads In Their Hundreds

VI.

My Team

Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad is a song cycle composed in 1911 by George Butterworth (1885–1916). It consists of settings of six poems from A. E. Housman’s 1896 collection A Shropshire Lad, a collection of 63 poems that eventually became greatly popular among young readers in the early 1900s.

Prominent themes in A Shropshire Lad are youth, the military, war, and dying at a young age. Deeply affected by his mother’s death when he was 12, Housman developed a lifelong preoccupation with death. Although Housman himself never served in the military, armed action formed a backdrop in his life. The soldiers who fought in the Crimean War (1854-1856) are memorialised in A Shropshire Lad, in poems reflecting upon the heroism of the young soldiers, the tragedy of young lives lost, and the futility of war.

The emotive nature of the poems, together with their lyricism and folk qualities, contributed to the popularity of A Shropshire Lad with composers. Composers began setting the poems to music less than ten years after their first appearance: all but eight of the 63 poems have been set to music, with some of the poems in more than ten different settings.

George Butterworth was one of the most promising composers of his generation, best known for The Banks of Green Willow and his settings of poems from A Shropshire Lad. With his lifelong friend Vaughan Williams, Butterworth embarked on a quest to “put British music back on the musical map of Europe”. He went from village pub to village pub, tramping across the Sussex downs, recording the tunes people sang to him, learning folk dances, and incorporated these soundscapes into his own work. At the outbreak of World War I, Butterworth joined the British army with several of his friends and served as a platoon leader. He was shot and killed by a sniper in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was 31. His body, hastily buried in the battlefield, was never recovered.

Originally written for baritone and piano, our rendition of Six Songs is the World Premiere of an arrangement for tenor and wind ensemble by Alexander Oon. In this thoughtful arrangement, delicate instrumentation and transparent wind colours convey the moods of the songs and complement the tenor voice. While clear and light lines accompany the voice, non-vocal sections are enhanced with greater density, depth, and grandeur in the score. Some aspects of piano playing can also be heard in the woodwind writing, where some notes are held on a little longer and fade away gradually, reminiscent of sustained notes on the piano.

Gloriosa — Symphonic Poem for Band

Yasuhide Ito

Oratorio

Cantus

Dies Festus

Gloriosa is inspired by the songs of the Kakure-Kirishitan (Crypto-Christians) of Kyushu who continued to practice their faith surreptitiously after the ban of Christianity, which had been introduced to that southern region in the mid-16th century by Roman Catholic missionary Francisco Xavier. The worship brought with it a variety of western music.

Although Christianity was proscribed in 1612 by the authority of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (today Tokyo), Kakure-Kirishitan continued advocating sermons and disguised songs. Melodies and lyrics such as Gregorian chants were obliged to be “Japanised”. For example, the Latin word “Gloriosa” was changed to “Gururiyoza.” The adaptation of liturgy for survival inspired Ito to write this suite in order to illuminate a unique cultural mystery.

The composer explains: “Nagasaki district in Kyushu region continued to accept foreign culture even during the seclusion period, as Japan’s only window to the outer world. After the proscription of Christianity, the faith was preserved and handed down in secret in the Nagasaki and Shimabara areas of Kyushu region. My interest was piqued by the way in which the Latin words of Gregorian chants were gradually “Japanised” during the 200 years of hidden practice of the Christian faith. That music forms the basis of Gloriosa.”

The Gregorian chant “Gloriosa” begins with the words, “O gloriosa Domina excelsa super sidera qui te creavit provide lactasti sacro ubere.” The first movement Oratorio opens with bells sounding the hymn’s initial phrases. The movement as a whole evokes the suffering and fervent prayers of the CryptoChristians. The second movement, Cantus, showcases a brilliant blend of Gregorian chant and Japanese elements by opening with a solo passage for the ryuteki, a traditional Japanese flute. The theme is based on San Juan-sama no Uta (The Song of Saint John), a 17th-century song commemorating the “Great Martyrdom of Nagasaki”, where a number of Kyushu Christians were killed in 1622. The third and final movement, Dies Festus, takes as its theme the Nagasaki folk song, Nagasaki Bura Bura Bushi, to commemorate the region where many Crypto-Christians lived.

Gloriosa, fusing Gregorian chant and Japanese folk music, displays some of the most sophisticated counterpoint found in any Japanese composition for wind orchestra.

Symphony No. 3 Planet Earth

Johan de Meij

I. Lonely Planet

Earth

Earth

Johan de Meij’s First Symphony The Lord of the Rings was an ode to the trilogy of the same name, and his Second Symphony The Big Apple was conceived as an ode to the city of New York and its many aspects. Symphony No. 3 is also an ode: this time devoted not to a literary work or a city, but to the entire world with its fascinating and multi-faceted beauty.

In Gustav Holst’s The Planets, the composer deals with all of the planets… except for the Earth. In Planet Earth de Meij continues where Holst has stopped, not only in the figurative sense, but also in the literal. In the way The Planets concludes with a six-part choir of female voices and a large orchestra, Planet Earth begins with a similar strength and in the same vein. But that is where the similarities end. In the opening movement titled Lonely Planet, we begin our approach to present time by means of a big bang that launches us into the universe. Comets and planets fly about our ears through loudspeakers on stage.

Sampled sounds form the connections between the three movements of this symphony. In the second movement titled Planet Earth, the cosmic noise of the first part is replaced by a pastoral flock of birds flying over the splendid landscapes of our planet, evoking the energy and spirit of life on Earth. In the final movement of the symphony titled Mother Earth, the composer pays homage to Mother Earth (Gaia in Greek) by borrowing from the old Greek hymns by Homer, in which the beauty and vital energy of the earth are praised. The symphony concludes with a majestic finale: with an endless hymn sung at the top of their voices, the choir sings the original words of Homer from thousands of years ago, “I will chant the Earth, mother of all things!”

Hymn to Gaia

Gaian pammêteiran aeisomai êuthemethlon presbistên, hê pherbei epi chthoni panth’ hopos’ estin;

êmen hosa chtona dian eperchetai, êd’ hosa ponton, êd’ hosa pôtôntai, tade pherbetai ek sethen olbou.

Chaire theôn mêtêr, aloch’ Ouranou asteroentos, prôphrôn d’ant’ ôidês bioton thumêre’ opadze.

Chaire theôn mêtêr, ô Gaia!

Ek seio d’eupaides te kai eukarpoi telethousi potnia, seu d’ echetai dounai bion êd’ aphelesthai.

thnêtois anthrôpoisin, ô Gaia!

CineSymphony Planet Earth

Jed Parker, Director and Editor

Dyan Machan, Executive Producer

Hymn to Gaia

I will sing of well-founded Earth, Mother of all, eldest of all beings.

She feeds all creatures that are in the world; all that go upon the goodly land and all that are in the paths of the seas and all that fly; all these are fed of her store.

Hail mother of the gods, wife of starry Heaven freely bestow upon me for this my song substance that cheers the heart!

Hail mother of the gods, O Gaia! Through you, O queen, men are blessed in their children and blessed in their harvests, and to you it belongs to give means of life to mortal men and to take it away, O Gaia!

Gala

Created to mesh with a live performance of Symphony No. 3 Planet Earth, CineSymphony Planet Earth is a visually-rich, 50-minute film that amplifies the symphony’s message of protecting our planet and invites viewers to witness the earth’s creation journey through time to our present day.

A graceful dancer, cast as a symbolic Gaia, is the film’s protagonist and narrator. She dances the story of our collective past and present with a glimpse of a possible future. Unlike many environmental films, CineSymphony Planet Earth is infused with hope and positivity many audiences are longing for in the uncertain times we currently live in. The film’s message, like the music, is both emotionally charged and uplifting.

CineSymphony Planet Earth was awarded Best Feature Film by the Environmental Film & Screenplay Festival 2022, and has been shown at various film festivals this year. We are honoured to present the Asian Premiere of this award-winning film this evening.

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra

Piccolo Foo Shi Jian

Flute

Darence Leng Gabriel William Liew Hong Ran Miki Wong Sharon Tan Sheng Jia-min Sylvia Seow Shu Feng Udom Kiattivikrai

Ryuteki Sharon Tan Oboe Megan Sim Tay Kai Tze Tian Keyun

Cor Anglais

Priyadarshini

E-flat Clarinet Liang Jia Yi

Clarinet Aaron Chua Amanda Yeo Ang Wei Xiang Azman Shah Cheong Mun Hoe Denver Wong Dominic Koh Elvin Koh Fikri Yeong Kelvin Ang Kennede Sng

Lim Jia Yi Miho Nakajima Ng Bi Qi Oliver Tan Phoong Khang Zhie Ralph Emmanuel Lim * Shie Rui Qi Tay Qin Yan Yap Fangyu

Bass Clarinet Desmond Chow Lim Lip Hua Yiau Daniel Saxophone Elias Arun Jax Chen Pan Jia Qi Samuel Phua Yap Sin Yee Bassoon Koh Swee Jin Sim Kang Rong

Contrabassoon Stephen Mak Trumpet Alvin Quek Aw Ping Hui Chin Jia Wi Jasper Boey Justin Chia Lee Junyoung Puvin William Oo

French Horn

Aidil Syukri

Harsharon Kaur Kartik Alan Jairamin Kenneth Low Lee Yan Liang

Lim Hao Shen Keith Lim Hao Xiang Sean Michelle Lim Nigel Leong Yan Jie Jun

Trombone Edward Chan Lau Jing Lun Ong Han Yang Ong Jiin Joo Ryan Christopher Lim Ming Fu Valerie Gay

Euphonium

Dillon Quek Shawn Lee Tay Wei Yuan Vincent Tan

Tuba Aaron Yong Ben Pei Daniel Kiang Dylan Leong Wong Yin Xuan Cello

Isaac Tah Shern U James Ng Jasmine Sim Mei Xing Tang Ya Yun

Double Bass Kenji Koh Kiang Ee Pan Jiaying

Percussion

Christopher Kong Wai Kin Chua Xing Zhi Gordon Tan Melvin Leong Regina Teo Sng Yiang Shan Wells Chin

Timpani Yeow Ching Shiong Gordon Tan

Piano / Celesta Tey Cheng Shin Aviel Harp

Jana Ang Fries

Organ Yap Wai Hoong

20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

* Concert Master

Women’s Festival Chorus Symphonia Choralis with support from VOS Ladies Choir & VOS Community Chorus

Chorus Master Chong Wai Lun

Soprano 1

Boo Yu Xuean Cassandra Chen Claire Chew Clarissa Chia Diana Narbutaite Dorothy Ng Elizabeth Poey Grace Goh Leanne Lim Lina Lim Lim Wan Lin Loh Wai Sim Patricia Teng Priscilla Lian Rachel Xiong Sindy Keng Stefanie Loh

Soprano 2

Alexandra Dziuba

Boo Belinda Melody Bernadette Cassandra Allicia Sim Cecilia Chong Christine Ho Dionne Chua Jessieca Joplin Jocelyn Tan Kristina Fassi Lee Yeu Shan Lim Cher Hui Lim Jing Xiuan Mok Jia Kang Sharanyaa De Laure Tay Hwee Ling Trinisha Ann Sunil

Alto

Chan Xi Edna Pan Elsie Tan Esther Kwan Germaine Leong Josephine Sim Joyce Ang Lee Kai Wen Leelyn Yap Lim Geok Choo Lois Cheng Melisa Leung Mhackies Fermin Mona Lim Ong Wei Ling Orianna Soon Wen Qian Rachel Poo Yeoh Jeok Eng

Gala

Acknowledgements

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following, without whom this gala concert would not have been possible.

Our Guest of Honour Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport

Supported by:

Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

Our generous donors who have supported this gala concert:

Aaron Chua Chan Soo Chee Lim Meng Tong Ong Soo Ling Stuart Andrew Palmer Victor Ng Yeong Wai Cheong Melvin Leong Jolie Giouw Chye Hoon Pin Peter Foo Choy Meng Yew Tay Kai Tze Sheng Jia-min Danny Leow Koh Chye Hock Richard Harding Kok Tse Wei Arun Mahizhnan Puspanathan K Oliver Tan

Music Elements, Tanjong Katong Secondary School, Orchestra of the Music Makers, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and Singapore Wind Symphony for the loan of instruments

The crew and staff of The Esplanade Co Ltd

MusoSpace and Music Elements for rehearsal venue support

Annie Pek, Athena Tan, Joel Nah, and Vanessa Caneda Tay for their assistance

Our emcee for this evening Karin Lim

Exclusive Recording Partner: Brandon Wong

Photographer: CHRIS P / CHRISPPICS+

Videography Team: Video Production Pandawithacamera

Video Director Tan Zexun Assistant Director Lau Lifeng Camera Operators Wan Zhong Hao Ivan Wong Michael Huang Lim Shao Yong Chan Chen

Our team behind the 20+ Anniversary Commemorative Video, Fikri Yeong and Koh Swee Jin

All past conductors and soloists for sharing their musical experience with us

All individuals and organisations that have in one way or another contributed to the development of Philharmonic Wind Orchestra

Our families, friends, and loved ones for their support and understanding

Planet Earth: 20+ Anniversary Gala Concert

Philharmonic Wind Orchestra

Music Director Leonard Tan Assistant Conductor Lau Lifeng Principal Guest Conductor Timothy Reynish Founding Artistic Director Robert Casteels

Section Coordinators

Flute Darence Leng Hong Ran

Clarinet Dominic Koh Ralph Emmanuel Lim Oboe Priyadarshini Tay Kai Tze

Bassoon Sim Kang Rong Saxophone Breyann Lennard Keith Kok Shan Hwee Trumpet Justin Chia Owen Choy French Horn Lee Yan Liang Nigel Leong

Trombone Lam Bo Xiang Ryan Christopher Lim Ming Fu Euphonium Vincent Tan

Tuba Daniel Kiang Kenrick Quek Tong Jie Double Bass Kenji Koh Kiang Ee Sanche Jagatheesan

Percussion Jeremy Ng Chuan Kai Sng Yiang Shan

Gala Concert

Board of Directors

Chairman Koh Chye Hock Members Choy Meng Yew Brando Tan Lionel Lye

Executive Committee

General Manager Lionel Lye Deputy General Managers Aaron Chua Melvin Leong

Finance Yap Fangyu Fundraising & Partnerships Jolie Giouw Artistic & Programming Tay Kai Tze Creative Production Elvin Koh Orchestra Management Oliver Tan Sheng Jia-min Library Lim Lip Hua Marketing & Design Jax Chen

Committees

Artistic & Programming Tay Kai Tze Kartik Alan Jairamin Samuel Phua Library Lim Lip Hua Matthew Tan Sharon Tan

Marketing & Design Jax Chen Jerry Tan Marcus Teo Sylvia Seow Shu Feng