A Little Raffles Winds Recital
200810 – Of Voices and Winds | reviewed by Gary Lim, photos by Goh Chee Yong
Tired of listening to band concerts all the time like me? Try something a little different; Chamber music are the all the rage now. One such example was Of Voices and Winds, a chamber recital organized by members of Raffles Winds, a wind band comprising alumni of the RGS, RI, and RJC bands.
Held at the YMS Auditorium on the 20th of August, the group managed to gather a near full-house of families, friends, and other supporters.
The concert began with a voice and piano segment, featuring Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis, op. 24. As the name suggests, the piece is a cycle of ‘Lieder’, (art songs, usually having a poetic setting). Based on poems by Heinrich Heine, the nine songs in this cycle alternate between major and minor keys, finally ending with a bright and firm resolution.
The vocalist Lai Quan Hui gave a marvellous and inspirational performance and was able to emote each of the poems perfectly.
For those who felt the first piece was a tad too long, their moods changed as the Saxophone Quartet, a regular feature in Raffles Winds concerts, appeared on stage.
The ensemble performed three pieces; Close Your Eyes and Listen by the well-known composer of the Libertango, Astor Piazzolla, the world premiere of Berceuse by fellow performer Lee Jinjun, and Yakety Sax by James Q. “Spider” Rich.
The quartet led the excited audience back to different periods in the 60s and 70s with the cool, jazzy baritone and the dark and distinct tone of the soprano. All the musicians displayed technical proficiency and ensemble skills, able to be all lovey-dovey yet fun and loose, ending their segment with a rousing applause from the crowd.
After a quick intermission, the trumpet soloist Lee Jinjun came up with his piano accompanist. A powerful start jolts the audience back into the concert with Alexander Goedicke’s Concert Etude. This magnificent work requires a lot from the trumpeter, but with meticulous technicals and a beautiful flow of notes, the soloist definitely caught many eyes.
Next up was Ballade by Pascal Proust. With a wonderful lyrical opening, the flow of the piece made me want to move along as well. The trumpet’s perfectly clean chops paired with a bright tone really impressed me.
Last up for the trumpet-piano segment is Leonard Bernstein’s The Red, Whites and Blues from his last broadway. This jazzy number takes the audience on a slow cruise along 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Then, it’s back to voice and piano as they took the audience through opera arias of various languages. First up was Czech with Jirka’s Song from Cert a Kaca (The Devil and Kate) by Antonin Dvorak. The piece gives an impression of a folksong.
Air “Un ruisselet bien cliar; bien net” from La rencontre imprevue (The Unexpected Encounter or The Pilgrims to Mecca) was in French. This aria from the comic opera is child-like as if rejoicing. The last piece for the segment was Winterstürme, Siegmund’s Aria from Die Walküre (The Valkyries) in German.
Compared to the earlier two arias, this one was heavier and more heroic. The audience enjoyed it nevertheless and ended the voice-piano segment with another rousing applause.
If you think tuba and piano make an odd couple, think again. Soloist Luke Lim performed Legend by Philip Catelinet and Mazurka from Tuba Suite by Gordon Jacob. A nice tuba sound, good projection, and the wide use of vibrato led to a very soulful performance.
Last up for the day was the Brass Quintet with Victor Ewald’s 3rd Movement from Brass Quintet No. 1 and George Gershwin’s Four Hits for Five, by George!
The first piece has a light hearted intro and a wide range of dynamics and colours, while the second has a very jazzy feel, as expected from George Gershwin. This was my favorite part of the whole recital with its fast-paced and joyful mood.
All in all, this concert was very well put together. Let’s hope Of Voices and Winds will become a regular series in the Raffles Wind’s future plans.
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