Published by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Printed by Ngai Heng Pte. Ltd.

Classics in the Park:SSO @ Botanic GardensSat, 11 Jul 15, 6pmShaw Foundation Symphony Stage

Joshua Tan conductor

August........................................Pre-Concert Talk: Fri, 14 Aug 15, 6.30pmVictoria Concert Hall Music Studio

Thu & Fri, 27 & 28 Aug 15, 6.30pmVictoria Concert Hall Music Studio

Post-Concert Symphony Chat: Fri, 28 Aug 15Victoria Concert HallOpen to members of the concert audience

September........................................Pre-Concert Talks: Wed, 02 Sep 15, 6.30pmVenue to be announced

Sat, 05 Sep 15, 6.30pmlibrary@esplanade

Thu, 10 Sep 15, 6.30pmlibrary@esplanade

Fri & Sat, 25 & 26 Sep 15, 6.30pmVictoria Concert Hall Music Studio

Open Rehearsal:Sat, 5 Sep 15, 9.30am – 12pmEsplanade Concert Hall

Holst & The Planets! p.6

Getting To Know You – Lynnette Seah p.8

Information correct at time of print and is subject to change.

........................................All pre-concert talks are open to the public.

For more information, please visit us at www.sso.org.sg or email: vanessa@sso.org.sg

All SSO events are endorsed by the National Arts Council and local schools are eligible for up to 50% claim/subsidy from Totalisator Board Arts Grant.

Singapore Symphonia Co Ltd 11 Empress Place, #01-02Victoria Concert HallSingapore 179558Tel: 6602 4200Fax: 6602 4222Email: corporate@sso.org.sg

uPCoMINg EvENTS

July........................................Pre-Concert Talks: Thu, 2 Jul 15, 6.30pm Victoria Concert Hall Music Studio

Fri, 17 Jul 15, 6.30pmVenue to be announced

Thu & Fri, 23 & 24 Jul 15, 6.30pmVictoria Concert Hall Music Studio

Fri, 31 Jul 15, 6.30pmlibrary@esplanade

Post-Concert Symphony Chat:Fri, 17 Jul 15Victoria Concert HallOpen to members of the concert audience

SSO Lunchtime Concert Thu, 9 Jul 15, 12.30pmVictoria Concert Hall

Joshua Tan conductor

SSO on Campus @ Victoria Junior CollegeFri, 10 Jul 15, 7.30pmVictoria Junior College Performance Theatre

Joshua Tan conductor

Concerts for Children:Roald Dahl’s Jack & the BeanstalkSat & Sun, 12 & 13 Sep 15, 2pm & 4pmVictoria Concert Hall

Joshua Tan conductorDandi Productions artistes

MICA (P) No. 126/07/2014Newsletter of the SSO Community Outreach Department

May - Aug 2015

www.sso.org.sg

Editor’s Note Dear Readers,

Did you know that there are movements of an Orchestral Suite that are named after each Planet? Read more about Holst’s The Planets in our Classipedia section! In this issue, we also featured our children’s concert, Adventures in the Magical Kingdom as our Cover Story, and our last Lunchtime Concert and Open Rehearsal in our Recent Happenings section.

Look forward to the next few months as we bring to you outdoor performances at the Istana & Botanic Gardens, as well as a whole new season come July! With the impending start of the new season, we hope to bring to you more exciting stories, articles and updates!

Yours Truly, Kathleen & Vanessa

ContentsCover Story 3Classipedia 6Getting To Know You 8Fun & Games 10Recent Happenings 12Ask Auntie Melody 14Fun Facts 15Upcoming Events 16

Editorial TeamEditor & Coordinator:Vanessa LeeKathleen Tan

Contributors:Mona Lim

Senior Manager, Programmes:Kua Li Leng

This concert-story, based on Dahl’s Revolting Rhyme, features a cast of four actors, outrageous puppets and a stunning 60-foot beanstalk, which rises from the stage to the ceiling in a matter of seconds. With a full-orchestra score, this wildly entertaining concert-story provides for plenty of unexpected twists, and a constant parade of inspired theatrics.

In celebration of their 9th Anniversary, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir joins conductors Wong Lai Foon and Darius Lim in presenting a myriad of uplifting songs such as John Rutter’s Give Me Wings, Spells by Bob Chilcott, Paul Read’s Birdsong and The Puppet’s Dream, a work written by conductor Darius Lim. Join us and experience a musical evening of beautiful voices!

The King of the Magical Kingdom of Far, Far Away is

in town with his Jester who invites the audience to

accompany them back home where a Grand Ball was about to take place. As the guests begin to

arrive, they are introduced by the jester to the audience through

music. Adventures in the Magical Kingdom was brought to

the Victoria Concert Hall on 21 March by the SSO, Alasdair Malloy (Jester) and Joshua Tan (King & Conductor). The programme was a hit with both

children and parents alike, thanks to the familiar Disney tunes

(mostly arranged by the talented Alasdair himself!) featured!

Children’s Choir concert

Concerts for Children:Roald Dahl’s Jack and the Beanstalk

Fri, 5 June 2015, 7.30pmVictoria Concert Hall

Sat & Sun, 12 & 13 Sep 20152pm & 4pmVictoria Concert Hall

Joshua Tan, conductor Dandi Productions, artistes

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CovEr STory

Starting the performance on a lively note, the audience was

asked to follow Alasdair in doing some movements and sounds related to

the music that was going to be played in the first two pieces. Ranging from purring like a

cat and shooting imaginary arrows from bows with a whoosh!, the audience

participated playfully as the SSO played Anderson’s Waltzing

Cat and the March of the Bowmen from Curzon’s

Robin Hood Suite.

Next up on the programme was the Cunningly Conceived Concealed Character Cartoon Quiz where musicians moved to the front of the stage to play excerpts from favourite Disney songs. The young audiences recognised pieces such as Heigh Ho from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Can You Feel the Love Tonight from Lion King and You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story within the first few seconds and shouted

the answers out eagerly!

The next guests to arrive were royal siblings Elsa & Anna as the SSO performed

A Frozen Fantasy by Fjellheim, Anderson-Lopez & Lopez. Everyone sang along to the

Frozen medley which included songs such as Do You Want to Build a Snowman, Let It Go

and For the First Time in Forever – it almost sounded like a sing-a-long session in the

Victoria Concert Hall!

Surprising everyone, these next guests were not expected as this song was not published in our programme. As the Marimba and the Xylophone were pushed out to the front of the stage, our very own percussionists Lim Meng Keh, Mark D’Souza and Jonathan Fox followed shortly after donning different coloured Angry Birds hats! Alasdair also joined in the party at the front as all four of them played on the percussion instruments.

Now that all the guests were present at the ball, the SSO played Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz and everyone was asked to imagine all the characters introduced dancing along to the song. And finally, a party for all the guests and the audience followed as the orchestra performed A Fairytale Ending – A medley comprising of upbeat songs such as YMCA, Who Let the Dogs Out and Stayin’ Alive!

It was a show filled with fun and delight as everyone enjoyed the tunes, singing and clapping along with the music. As Alasdair greeted the audience after each of the three performances that day, the crowds surrounded him asking to take photos with them and were full of praise for him and the SSO. It was a concert not only for children, but for everyone present in the concert hall as they left wanting more.

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With a name like Holst, one would think I was a planet in the universe out there! Well, I’m not, although

I wish I were (*twinkle in eye*) I was born in Cheltenham, England, on 21 September 1874.

I was an oversensitive and somewhat miserable child. My eyes were weak, but no one realised I had to wear spectacles! My chest was also weak, and again no one bothered much with my asthma. I also suffered from neuritis in my hands, making my long hours of piano practice a severe strain.

When I was older, I became the organist and choirmaster of the choral society at Bourton-on-the-Water. Choral music and the choral tradition in England would remain important throughout the rest of my life.

Inspired by the music of Arthur Sullivan, I composed a two-act operetta, called Lansdown Castle in 1892. The performance was a great success with the critics and the audience. Father was sufficiently impressed to borrow money to send me to the Royal College of Music under regular admission.

I turned my hand to composition, learnt from Berlioz’s famous treatise on orchestration and started work on The Planets. Once completed, it hit the British music scene like a thunderbolt, turning me into a national celebrity.

Ms Mona Lim is a music consultant, educator and composer. She also manages and develops talents and writes curriculums for music education.

It seems that from its premiere to the present day, the suite has been enduringly popular, influential, widely performed and frequently recorded.

Although The Planets remains my most popular work, I do not count it among my best creations. I think that its popularity had completely surpassed my other works. However, I am quite partial to my favourite movement, Saturn. Pluto was discovered in 1930, four years before my death, and was hailed by astronomers as the ninth planet. I expressed no interest in writing a movement for the new planet as I had become disillusioned by the popularity of the suite. I think it took too much attention away from my other works!

In early 1923, I was conducting a rehearsal at University College, Reading, when I slipped off the platform and fell back on my head. The concussion was fairly slight but it happened at an unfortunate time when I was already feeling depressed and overworked. The damage was deadlier than I realized at the time and it was many years before I recovered from the aftereffects.

At the end of 1933, I entered a nursing-home and had to make a decision to consider a minor operation and a restricted life afterwards, or a major operation and the freedom to do what I liked. I chose the latter. The operation, in May 1934, was successful but my heart couldn’t take the strain. I died two days later on 25 May 1934. My ashes are buried in the Cathedral in Chichester.

CLASSIPEDIA

GuStav HolSt & HiSPlanEtS By MoNA LIM

I. Mars, the Bringer of War

II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace

III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger

IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age

VI. Uranus, the Magician

VII. Neptune, the Mystic

The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character. The concept of the work is astrological rather than astronomical, which is why I didn’t include Earth. Each movement is intended to convey ideas and emotions associated with the influence of the planets on the psyche, not the Roman deities.

Anyway, these are the seven movements listed below:

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lynnette SeahViolin

What are your thoughts on mentorship and who inspires you the most as a musician?I would say that that would be my mother. She brought me to violin lessons when I was six, and encouraged me to practise my violin everyday as child. As she was a concert pianist herself, she personally gave me piano lesson from when I was five.

On mentorship, I am very lucky to have had very good music teachers. All my teachers were an inspiration to me during my formative years. I am particularly fond of a Czech professor named Karel Sneberger, who was really fatherly and patient while I was studying the violin. I used to go to Sweden, where he taught, to take masterclasses from him.

gETTINg To kNow you

Apart from music and performing, what else are you doing now?I love cooking for my friends from the orchestra and outside the orchestra. I currently run a culinary events website that caters for private dinners and dinner parties. It is a side project that I’m doing right now, as I have a real passion for cooking, and I decided to extend this love to friends, or friends of friends, who might want have private dinners catered by me at my place. You can visit http://www.lynnetteskitchen.com for more details!

How do you de-stress after a long day at work?On weekends when I’m free, I’m usually cooking! I try to keep my weekends free for relaxation, but I do have a few students whom I teach over weekends. I find it a real joy to be able to impart knowledge to the young ones, so it is actually an enjoyable task that I look forward to.

You have premiered many Asian works with the SSO. What do you think is the importance of new repertoire in the classical music canon of works?I think it is important to support new works, because they are the future of classical music. We have to keep encouraging new composers by playing and premiering these works, so that the new composers are able to hear their new works as performed by a professional orchestra in the setting of a concert hall.

Any advice for young aspiring musicians?The most important things they must have besides talent is passion and discipline. Passion will inspire them to become better musicians, and to keep improving themselves. Discipline is important as a musician has to practice a lot to get anywhere. The practising has to be a daily practice – and I believe that even younger children should practise at least one hour a day.

For professionals, a regular session of practice can be anywhere between 3-5 hours! When I was a student in Hanover, Germany I practised eight hours a day! It is necessary to instil a sense of discipline to grow into a mature musician.

I strongly believe in giving back to the young, and so I have been coaching the Singapore National Youth Orchestra’s First Violin section for many years. I do think it is important for young players to be coached by someone with professional experience of being both a soloist and an ensemble player, especially since ensemble playing can be very different from solo performance, with many

intricacies that a musician has to be aware of.

What do you think is the importance of music and of drawing

inspiration from music other than classical music?

Classical music is very special to me. Personally, I believe that it has to

remain pure and untouched by the influences of other

genres of music such as fusion or

pop. I don’t really draw

inspiration from outside

classical music in my

playing, as I believe that classical music should

remain unadulterated. I mostly get inspired from my life

experiences, in my interaction with nature on my long walks, during my travels around the world and my life’s journey.

Lynnette’s Stir-fried Prawns with Homemade Spicy

Dried Shrimps, Chili and Lime Juice!

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notes & lettersNotes are the building blocks of music, just like letters

are to words and sentences. By matching each note to its

corresponding letter, can you figure out the words below?

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Answers to be revealed in the next issue!

The answers will be revealed in the next issue. In the meantime, try it yourself! Form more words and melodies.

Example:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

Answer:

B

1

2

3

4

C

A

D F G A B C

G

E

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fuN & gAMES

Here are the answers to last issue’s Decipher the Codes!

1. SCHOENBERG 4. BEETHOVEN 7. TROMBONE2. BASSOON 5. STACCATO 8. SYMPHONY 3. CYMBALS 6. CONCERTO

open rehearsal: ode to Joy Lunchtime Concert11 March 18 March

As part of our 36th anniversary, the Singapore Symphony Chorus, BBC Singers and soloists Erin Wall, Allison Cook, Barry Banks and Derek Welton, joined in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the SSO at the Victoria Concert Hall over three nights. On 11 March, a day before the first concert, we gave Friends of the SSO, subscribers, ticket holders and registered school groups an exclusive glimpse of the preparation process with an Open Rehearsal conducted by our Music Director, Lan Shui.

The audience saw first-hand how such a big work with more than a hundred musicians was put together. Before having a full rehearsal with all the performers, Maestro Lan Shui conducted the rehearsal with different groups, such as an ensemble of wind players, and orchestra with only the soloists. The Open Rehearsal for Ode to Joy was a rare treat for all present to see a casual side of the performers as well as to witness the hard work each person puts in to help make every concert a success.

Recent Happenings

hear. The SSO performed the first movement from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, based on the widely known tragic story by Shakespeare, as well as excerpts from works such as Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. With each phrase and melody, the audience was taken on a musical adventure as their imagination was stirred and enriched with images from these stories throughout the performance.

The SSO brought fairy tales and stories through music to the public at a fully subscribed Lunchtime Concert on 18 March at the Victoria Concert Hall. The concert drew crowds that consisted of working adults, families and school groups eager to hear an afternoon of music.

Before each piece, Associate Conductor Jason Lai recounted each familiar story to the audience to help them gain a better understanding of what they were about to

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Dear Vicky, Similar to athletes who do stretches and warm ups before their big game, musicians also need to warm up and focus their concentration before a concert begins. You may see and hear some of the musicians warming up to some scales or arpeggios, working on difficult passages, practising their solos or flipping through their music scores – these are all in preparation for the concert so that they will be in their best form to perform.

Dear Jerome, In general, string instruments are less loud than the other instruments and hence the best position for them would be at the front of the orchestra. Imagine if the string instruments are placed at the back, the audience would have a hard time trying to hear the melodies and notes being played! The different positions of the various instruments help the orchestra achieve a good balance where the softer instruments are placed at the front and louder instruments such as the brasses at the back.

Dear auntie Melody,Why do musicians play onstage before the concert begins? – vicky

Dear auntie Melody,Why are string instruments placed at the front of an orchestra? – Jerome

Email your questions to vanessa@sso.org.sg

or snail mail them to: SSo Community outreach Department, 11 Empress Place

#01-02, victoria Concert Hall, Singapore 179558

Don’t forget to include your name, birth date, identification number, address

and contact number!

Winners will be notified by phone or post

*All questions are subject to

editing for clarity.

Do you have any burning questions about music? Auntie Melody is here to help! If your

question is featured, you will win a surprise gift!

Think you know all about the Singapore Symphony Orchestra? Here are 10 interesting facts that you

may not have known about us!

2) The orches t ra s tarted out

with only 33 members.

Today, we have almos t t ripled

in size at 96 members!

7) Many of t he SSO s t ring

musicians play rare ins t ruments

t hat are almos t 300 years old!

6) The orches t ra has featured impressive internat ional art is ts such as Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Sarah Chang and Anne-Sophie Mut ter, Luciano Pavarot t i and José Carrerras, among many others.

5) The orches t ra season s tarts in July

and ends in June each year.

3) The Victoria Memorial Hall has been

t he home of t he SSO since 1980.

4) The SSO has performed widely

overseas in countries such as London,

Germany, China, Japan, Cambodia,

Malaysia, Egypt, Taiwan, Korea &

many more!

8) The SSO has premiered many new works by Asian composers

such as Chen Yi, Bright Sheng, Zhou Long and Bernard Tan.

9) SSO’s music director Lan Shui was a violinis t before he took up conduct ing as a profession.

10) We held close to 80 concerts in t he year 2014!

Singapore Symphony orcheStra

1) We were founded in the year 1979 and gave our

first performance on

24 Jan 1979.

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