OH NO!!!
$11 and $16 tickets sold out.
Two seats left for the $26 category. And they are located on the gallery, beside the stage, just behind the violins.
Not worth paying $19.50 (NSF discount) for such seats.
But they are playing my favourite programmes.
Elgar's Cello Concerto.
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.
Damn. For the second time I have to miss Scheherazade again!
Do come down and support us! I extract from our event's website (includes information on the last audition on 24 April and the Synopsis of the musicals):
From http://www.musicals.org.sg/castingcall/:
Can you sing and act?
If so, you may be the one we're looking for.
You are invited to audition for Five Exciting Original Musicals to be staged from 24-26 June 2005 under the National Arts Council Singapore Festival of the Arts fringe. We need about 20 volunteers to perform in these five musicals. Performers will rehearse 2 SHOWS, and perform them back-to-back on ONE night only.
Interested parties may walk in for an audition. If you would like to confirm your schedule, please contact Paul Hannon at 94373237 or email phannon@singnet.com.sg
DATE : Saturday 16 April
Sunday 17 th April
Sunday 24 th April
TIME : 2:00 to 6:00 pm
PLACE : The Avalon, UAN Building ,
12 Devonshire Road . (See Map)
NEAREST MRT : Somerset (3 mins walk)
Please prepare TWO SONGS (One slow/ One Fast) to be sung acapella or accompanied by your own minus one. Bring along a photograph (any photo will do) and your bio-data/resume if possible.
Auditioning SATURDAY APRIL 16 TH
LOST IN TRANSIT
Village girl Mia goes to the city to become a singer, and as a result, she breaks up with her fiancé, Sam. Sleazy promoter Robert entraps her into a life of vice. Her grandmother laments that Mia was "Lost in Transit." Sam tries to rescue her and ends up committing violent crimes. Will the story end in tragedy? Is there hope that the lovers will eventually unite?
Characters:
Mia 20 - 25, Female.
Innocent village girl. Naïve and romantic, and easily attracted by lure of glamour and luxury.
Ummah 50 - 60, Female.
The grandmother. Jolly, earthy and affectionate.
Sam 20 - 30, Male
A village fisherman. Brought up in a stringent creed, he faces inner conflict between intolerance and his love for Mia.
Robert 30 - 50, Male. The sleazy pimp. Ingratiating and pleasing at first sight.
BOOM BABY BOOM!
The birth rate is falling rapidly and in order to fix this problem, the ministry introduces the ultimate Weapon to 3 unique couples. What is the Weapon and how will it increase the flailing birth rate? This sexy comedy promises to be loads of fun for all involved. Entertaining, fast-paced and full of energy, this musical will keep you laughing till the very end. Originally read as a play for TheatreWorks's 2003 Greenhouse Programme, it was the closing performance and crowd-pleaser of the evening.
Characters:
Miss 1, Female.
A young woman. A firecracker and extremely temperamental person who has a harassed look about her most of the time.
Miss 2, Female.
A tall imposing woman who loves to gloat over the misfortunes of others. She seems to float around instead of walking and speaks in a near hypnotic voice.
Doctor Quentin, Male.
The enthusiastic scientist, the eager beaver. Everything to him is a 'eureka moment'. Optimistic in outlook, he is a go-getter, and never one to sit still.
Professor Isabel, Female.
The cold intellectual who delivers her sarcastic lines in a deadpan way. Her face seldom displays emotion.
Pius, Male.
The pale snivelling man who slightly stammers as he speaks. Always in the shadows of others, he shuffles. But there's a lot more to Pius that meets the eye.
Virginia , Female.
The uptight prude covered from head to toe in severe clothes. Stiff as a rod, she displays a 'must-win' attitude that borders on being obsessive.
Coco , Female.
The fashion model trendsetter who speaks in cryptic fashion-speak. The effervescent girl with clothes to match. Life is a big party for her.
O, Male.
The cool dude hunky male model who uses as little words as possible. Slouchy in denim and leather with a "don't-care" rock star attitude.
The Weapon, Male.
The flamboyant professional who makes every moment a moment. Irreverent, and unfeeling to other people's emotions, and larger than life. Even though he is wiry and slight of frame, he fills the stage with presence and flair.
Auditioning SUNDAY APRIL 17 th
DRAGON'S TALE
This family musical is a flamboyant retelling of the Chinese Zodiac. Loong, an outwardly flamboyant but inwardly insecure Dragon, is at the post-race celebration banquet of the Zodiac Race. He is utterly humiliated by the fact that he had actually come in fifth for the Zodiac Race! How did he, mighty Dragon, as well as courageous Tiger and speedy Horse lose out in the Zodiac Race to the miserable Rat? To the horror of Rat, the Emperor accedes to demands for a re-race. Pig, Serpent, Monkey and Dog are desperate to win this time round! Cheating and action galore as the animals plot to outwit one another. Who will win and whose story should we really believe?
Characters:
Loong the Dragon, Male.
Outwardly flamboyant and confident, but insecure.
Zhu the Pig , Male.
Glutton. Ambitious.
Hou the Monkey, Male.
Mischievous and scheming.
Ser the Serpent, Male.
Sneaky and rather creepy.
Gou the Dog, Female.
Friendly, loving and lovable.
Auditioning SUNDAY APRIL 24 th
DON'T SAY I DO
Joyce, a wedding planner, realizes that the next wedding she is planning is for her former lover, Jon and his Fiancée, Rain. That leaves the shocked Joyce less than a week to try to sabotage the wedding and snatch what was rightfully hers. Meanwhile, Joyce's assistant, Calvin, harbours a secret love for her. However, blinded by her own jealousy, Joyce doesn't even notice Calvin's love for her at all! Seeing everything as an outsider, Yor Mama, a plucky bean curd seller auntie decides to take things into her own hands. Will Yor Mama succeed in bringing Joyce and Calvin together? Will Joyce succeed in getting Jon after all? With potential heartbreak waiting in the wings, they will either get what they want or end up paying the price for their actions... This romantic comedy musical on love and revenge will keep you guessing till the very end.
Characters:
Joyce 25 – 30, Female.
A feisty and scheming woman. But beneath that evil persona she puts on, is a lovelorn girl waiting for her prince charming to return to her.
Jon 25 – 35, Male.
Joyce's former lover. Jon is handsome and manly but personality wise, he is B-O-R-I-N-G... boring.
Rain 20 – 25, Female.
A bubbly and giggly sunshine girl who has the innocent charm of a schoolgirl. According to Joyce, she's simply annoyingly perfect.
Calvin 25- 35, Male.
A handsome fit young man who is yet to be polished. He doesn't know how to groom himself properly and ends up looking like a rotten cabbage on a table full of fresh looking veggies.
Yor Mama 35 – 60, Female.
A loud and busybody bean curd seller. She's your typical heartland Auntie with attitude to match. She loves gossiping and mahjong.
The Three Mannequins, One Male/ Two Female
They basically come to life and become back up singers whenever the characters break into songs and dance.
HEARTSTRINGS
Alfred is an aging violinist past his prime who is mocked by his younger and trendier colleagues. He is now reduced to doing commercialized gigs, which is very much as odds with his high artistic ideals. At this lowest point of his life, his ex-lover Sylvia, whom he had irresponsibly given up years ago in favor of pursuing a musical career, returns with a request for Alfred to mentor a promising young violinist, Matthew. As Alfred coaches Matthew, he realizes a startling similarity between the boy and himself – Matthew is about to give up the true love of his life, Justina, in a selfish attempt to devote himself fully to music. Will Alfred, with his ingenuous sidekick, Joshua, be able to prevent Matthew from committing the same blunder? Meanwhile, Sylvia holds a secret from her past with Alfred that she is unwilling to reveal until the very end. Will the characters realize that it's what tugs at the heartstring's that counts?
Characters:
Alfred 40 – 60. Male.
An aging and somewhat disillusioned violinist and teacher. He is clearly from the 'old-world'; he speaks and walks carefully and with dignity. But he values sentiment a lot.
Sylvia 40 – 60, Female.
Alfred's ex-lover. She shows signs of great beauty in her youth on her now withered face. She is a woman with a purpose and has quiet determination. She is however slightly repressed probably due to her thwarted love for Alfred.
Matthew 20 – 25, Male.
A young and aspiring violinist. Idealistic and rash, he is gifted in music but immature in his outlook to life.
Justina 20 – 25, Female.
Matthew's girlfriend. A pretty and bubbly girl who is totally devoted to Matthew.
Joshua 30 – 50, Male.
Alfred's brother and closest confidante. Big, burly and ever resourceful, although he behaves as if he's always drunk.
Conductors 1 and 2
The in-charge of the orchestra (to be played by the same actor). The conductor is cold and pragmatic, more like a hard-nosed businessman rather than a musician.
Concertmaster,
The leader of the orchestra. His view towards life is hedonistic and he turns out to be a sycophant.
I walk into the toilet, take a pee, walk to the sinks... and, oh God, there is shit in the sink.
SHIT.
I stand rooted to the ground, stunned for a few moments.
Jeez, who shit (is there a word known as "shitted"?) into the sink? Which idiot heaved his ass onto the sink and removed his bowels there.
Then I realise, that's ridiculous. Anyway the shit is so small in size.
Come on, it's 5:45am in the morning, my eyesight is hazy, my mind is not right... jeez, I don't even know if I am dreaming.
I think it's cat shit. The freaking cat scrambled up to our bunk. I chase it out of our corridor - instead of going downstairs I think it went upstairs to the specs' bunk.
And so the shit remains there for at least half of the morning, until some unknown person clears it away, or flushes it down the drain. As we walk past the sink on our way in and out of the toilet, we peek at it in disgust from some safe distance. I feel so disgusted that I don't want to brush my teeth...
The toilet cleaners throw all the chemicals that they can find into the sink, and scrub it with a rather long toilet brush. Think safety distance. I think they pour Marinpol, some toilet-cleaning detergent powder... whatever they can get their hands on.
I am not going to use the sink... thinking of the shit makes me... yucks.
Compare the Ren Ci Charity show and the NFK one. In the former, the head of the hospital participates in the stunts to appeal to the public to donate funds to help his charity. People are touched by his sincerity and courage in facing danger to help the less fortunate under his care.
Look at the NKF show. Since when have we seen the top brass of NFK perform daredevil stunts? All they do is fork out and fish out a condominium or a luxury car in front of a - guess what - materialistic public and thus dangle the carrot: hey, you want to own one of these C's? Come, call 1900-blah-blah-blah-blah . . . and you could stand a chance to win one of these!
So, seeing the chance to pick up a free home or car, you call the hotline, not for the kidney patients, but your mind is running: "House/car . . . house/car . . . house/car . . ."
You can say, what's wrong with this? It's a win-win situation. The public is happy and excited about the prizes. They call in. The Foundation and its kidney patients benefit from the donations.
But one incident which my mother tells me greatly irks me and causes me to view the Foundation with wariness.
Her company is about to move premises. They have some old office chairs - aged but nevertheless in rather good condition. What I mean is that they have not lost a wheel here, or the cover is peeled in places. Instead of wasting them (they do not want to move it to the new premises) the company decides to donate the chairs to the NKF.
And what did the NKF say? Sorry, we only accept new equipment.
NEW. Off the shelf.
Hey, what the fuck is this? How can you afford to be so choosey? People have the heart to donate and help your charity - you tell people that you want NEW FURNITURE!? Isn't this going too far?
If charities can behave like this, I don't know why we should help them raise funds. How many school children are happily cheated into helping them to ask for donations so that they can win prizes for themselves while NKF gets richer by the dozen?
Saturday's concert booklet... wonder what's the next instrument they are going to "musicalise"...
Posted by Hello ¶ 4/16/2005 11:27:00 pm 0 comments
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Okko Kamu (conductor)
Vladimir Feltsman (piano)
BEETHOVEN'S EMPEROR CONCERTO
CHARLES IVES
Central Park in the Dark
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor"
I. Allegro
II. Adagio un poco mosso
III. Rondo: allegro
---INTERMISSION---
JEAN SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 82
I. Tempo molto moderato - Allegro moderato - Presto
II. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto
III. Allegro molto
I've been waiting for this concert for ages! Two of my favourite works - the Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and the Fifth Symphony by Sibelius - and a work that arouses my curiosity - Ives' Central Park in the Dark.
I've always wondered about Charles Ives' music. So far I've only listened to his Second Symphony. According to the programme sheet, he is "regarded as the father of American music for his innovative and highly approach to composition". Now, there are many types of American composers. You could have those who look to jazz, like Gershwin and Bernstein; those who wrote about the American landscape and lifestyle like Copland and Grofe and Stephen Foster, who wrote songs like "Camptown Races" and "Oh Susannah"; those who signified American patriotism, like March King Sousa - it is said that his surname stands for "Samuel Osborn - United States of America, i.e. S.O.U.S.A. . . how patriotic can that be?).
So where does Ives stand? Up to the concert I regard him as one who paints the American country and people on the pages of his manuscript. In his Second Symphony he quotes songs by Stephen Foster - themes that we know so well, but are cleverly disguised that you need to be familiar with them in order to spot them out in the score. Throughout, his composition is tonal. Themes and harmony. Easy listening.
Now, here's something. The strings start off, each instrument holding its notes. The entire section forms chords that change upon each beat - a murmuring effect. One by one, the other instruments come in. Some of the themes seem to fit the murmuring strings; others simply run independently. At first it sounds dreary, like . . . the strings are going to play this thing all the way? What is going on? Why does each instrument play, then disappear, then someone plays something that doesn't fit into the piece?
The climax is so comedic. I can't help but chuckle. Now everybody's playing different things. Different rhythms. Yet they are all linked to one conductor and one tempo. The music reaches a summit and -
The strings return to the murmur.
Ives is a genius! Such a creative and near-accurate soundscape! Although I haven't been to Central Park, and I have no idea how Central Park looks like during Ives' times, the work convinces my imaginations.
* * *
Feltsman is one you will truly call a virtuoso maestro.
He plays with such ease as if he were merely chit-chatting with another person. You can tell he is enjoying himself. He enjoys what he is playing. Jeez, if only I can play like that. Every time I take a piece through, I get tense and worried that I do not know what I am playing.
Not he. He doesn't give a damn about notes which he's made mistakes.
I really enjoy the second and third movements. Honestly, I couldn't wait for the first movement to finish. It's long and dry. For the first time, I am really concentrating on the music - besides, I know the piece having listened to it countless times while studying for my music paper. With the exception of the E-flat minor, staccato theme, everything else is as good as a line drawn exceptionally accurately with a ruler.
Yeah . . . I can't believe myself declaring that the first movement is bland. I couldn't wait for it to finish.
The second movement, as always, beautiful. Beethoven writes beautiful melodies. His lyrical slow movements are those that I eagerly anticipate listening to. To me there aren't a lot of slow movements that can really capture your heart and not make you doze off, waking up during the rondo or the scherzo to find that your shirt is wet from salivation. Of course, I'm trying to discover more slow movements. I usually get apprehensive when I have to listen to the slow movement of a piece of music that I've never come across before. Admit it: we are always driven to excitement by fast movements. Slow movements can be contemplative to the player, but boring to the listener who has to endure God knows how many minutes of it before WHEW! We're at the fast section.
Feltsman exalts the third movement with so much ecstasy that it is impossible not to tap your feet to the music. For me, this is the second-most-exciting Rondo I've heard by the SSO. The best was the performance of Brahm's First Piano Concerto. Arthur Pizarro went so fast that he took us all on a whirlwind ride of what heroin would have been to a drug addict. His performance ended on such a high note that all of us gave him a few curtain calls. During one of them, he links arms with conductor Okko Kamu and they skipped onto the stage in time, like a pair of kids. The audience roars with delight.
Alas, no encore. Concertmaster Alexander Souptel has to wave the orchestra off the stage.
* * *
I do not know how to describe Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 in words. I've thought hard about it. To really convince you my enthusiasm for the piece, you must listen to it yourself.
The second movement is unique: it has the kind of Italian song feeling to it. In fact, one of the themes sounds like the opening notes of "O Sole Mio". You might think the movement ought to be in a scherzo. That's what I think: an adagio-scherzo.
The final movement has always been my favourite, especially the when the horns sound off the "pom-pom-pom" theme of theirs. OMG . . . it's just so stunning! Like you're standing on top of the mountain and the world awakens! It's so beautiful I can just die there a happy man.
* * *
Some idiots sitting behind us (Kan Kan, Emily, Jessica, Zhang Yi and I) started tearing titbit or sweet wrappers when the middle movement of the Emperor Concerto begins. For God's sake, can you people choose a better time to open your packet? At least during the first tutti in the Rondo: where the orchestra plays loud enough to excite the senses and to cover up your irritating action. Not when the strings are playing the loving and hymn-like theme!
* * *
I see a lot of people I know.
Loh Wei and Wangui (with her mum) are there. Surprisingly Loh Wei is sitting in the same row (DD) as we are, with his friend. When we met before going into the concert hall (I ran ahead of the others to hand him the Harry Potter book first) he asked which row I was sitting. I replied I didn't know as I hadn't received the tickets yet. He said something about Circle-don't-know-what, and then we part.
1. Practice sessions with Wilfred - to prepare ourselves before we go out to play at bars and lounges
2. Soracco Musical Group - and now the kid's performance on the same day as the adult's choir at Ngee Ann City (come and watch us: 14 and 15 May).
3. Arrangements of some new-age music for piano - to be released commercially
4. Five-Foot Broadway: I'm arranging two musicals
5. Planning and running the Music Incubation Programme at UAN
6. Studying for my Theory Grade 8 exam
7. Planning and preparing my portfolio for Yong Siew Toh Conservatory
8. Coping with social problems in camp . . .
Jeez . . . this is punishing . . . with so many people to meet I don't even know how to organise my schedule . . . I look forward to and DON'T look forward to book-outs.
 | You scored as Musical/Rhythmic. You are sensitive to sounds in your environment, enjoy music and prefer listening to music when you study or read. You learn best through melody and music. People like you include singers, conductors, composers, and others who appreciate the various elements of music.
The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences created with QuizFarm.com |
Musical/Rhythmic
100%
Intrapersonal
89%
Verbal/Linguistic
86%
Visual/Spatial
75%
Interpersonal
46%
Bodily/Kinesthetic
25%
Logical/Mathematical
25%
The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences created with QuizFarm.com
TERRI SCHIAVO IS DEAD.
From today's Straits Times (Pg. 3)
"Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman at the heart of a bitter legal dispute in the United States, has died, said a spokesman for her parents.
"Ms Schiavo, 41, died yesterday, soon after entering her 14th day with no nutrition or hydration. Her feeding tube was removed on March 18 after a court order.
"Her parents had fought in US courts to keep their daughter alive."
* * *
Back to the question: should euthanasia be allowed?
It should be enforced that such legalised killing should only go ahead if the terminally-ill or disabled patient says yes, because he/she is worried that his/her condition requires a lot of care and is raining problems upon her caretakers: physically, mentally and financially.
I quote from the today's copy of the Straits Times, Pg. 26:
"Courts had long sided with her husband and legal guardian, Mr Michael Schiavo, in ruling she would not have wanted to live in that condition and that she should be allowed to die."
SHE WOULD NOT. She is brain-damaged - she can't talk, so do you have the fucking right to decide whether she wants to live or not? What gives the state to control a person's life, it he/she hasn't done anything wrong? Of course, if you're a murderer, then you should be condemned to the gallows if you killed out of bloodshed.
What if she had wanted to live?
And the fact that it brings trouble to her family can be dispersed: her parents want her to live, which means they will gladly take care of their daughter as far as they can. If the husband doesn't want to care for his own wife, what gives him the thought that he should end her life so that it takes a weight off his chest? What kind of husband is this?
But she's dead now - what more can we argue about? The parents are grieving . . . I don't now how the husband and the courts feel.
--- II ---
Today's Straits Times, Page 26:
U.S. SPIES "DEAD WRONG" ON IRAQ
WASHINGTON: US intelligence on Iraq was "dead wrong", dealing a blow to American credibility that will take years to undo, and spymasters still know disturbingly little about nuclear programmes in countries like Iran and North Korea, a presidential commission reported yesterday.
The blunt report, based on over a year's investigation, gave a damning assessment of the intelligence that President George W. Bush used to launch the Iraq war and warned that flaws are still all too common throughout spy agencies.
"We conclude that the intelligence community was dead wrong in almost all of its pre-war judgements about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction," the commissioners wrote. --- REUTERS.
Ho-ho-ho… Hong Kan liao. False information. If there was a world authority, or a world court, Bush should be court-marshalled and his title of President of the United States stripped.
And so should the CIA. Fucked-up, understand? Fucked-up!
