Symphonic Overture by Wong Kah Chun

Full Synopsis:

The “Symphonic Overture” for band is written in celebration of the opening of the NOMAD Festival 2008. The composer has collaborated with the Ang Mo Kio Symphonic Band earlier in the year, and have created this work as a homage to the technical proficiency of the student musicians.

A mysterious beginning leads full flight into a tumulteous flurry of notes in the woodwinds, and modulates from key to key, before plunging into the actual first section of the work. Here, a heroic theme marches through rhythmic punctuation before reaching a more sombre lyrical passage, and then returns once more.

 

Artiste Profile: Ng Tian Hui

Ng Tian Hui graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK in 2001 where he studied Composition with Vic Hoyland and Jonty Harrison, and Conducting with Andrew Constantine.

He led the University Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia, the Conductors’ Vocal Ensemble as conductor and as music director for a production of Stravinsky’s Opera The Rake’s Progress in the 2001 Birmingham University Summer Festival of Music. Moreover, Tian Hui was the music director for the Keele University Concert Band from 1999 to 2001.

Since his return to Singapore, Tian Hui has sung with the leading choirs in Singapore, including the Singapore Youth Choir, the Singers and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir among many other groups. His 2007 rendition of Grieg’s Fire Salme at the Esplanade Recital Studio, was described by the national paper, the Straits Times as a ‘fine Performance, exuding warmth and Nordic largesse’.

 

Artiste Profile: Kenneth De Souza

Kenneth started playing the saxophone at the age of 12 when he joined the St Patrick’s Military Band. He first picked up the tenor saxophone then gradually learned the baritone, alto and soprano saxophones. He learned a great deal about music from his resident conductor Mr. David Glosz & his then assistants Mr. Jason De Hamel & Mr. Brando Tan. During these years in secondary school, he was appointed the Saxophone Section Leader and Quarter Master.

After his secondary school education, he enlisted in the army and joined the SAF Bands. He worked under Captain Johnson Lee in SAF Band A and Major Philip Tng in SAF Central Band for WASBE 2005. He learned a great deal of saxophone playing from the saxophone players which improved him greatly in the SAF bands. He began official saxophone lessons from Teo Boon Chye in 2004 and also under Timothy O’Dwyer

 

Artiste Profile: Brando Tan

A vibrant and charismatic Singaporean conductor, MR BRANDO TAN HENG PONG, is a versatile musician who is well-versed in Band Directing and Brass playing.

Music has become part of his life since his participation in Saint Patrick’s School Military Band in the year 1990. He started with the euphonium before switching to the Trombone section at a later stage. The band was then under the baton of Mr. David Anthony Glosz.

His enthusiasm towards music did not end after his secondary school years but went on to Saint Andrew’s Junior College Concert Band where he was appointed as Section Leader of the Trombone Section. Two years later, he was selected through a series of audition to join The Singapore Armed Forces Central Band and became the principal Bass Trombonist during his National Service.

 

NOMAD 2008 Music Elements

I’ve included a list of music performances, including the contributions from the Band, Choir and Rock bands.

As with the drama elements, more information will follow with updates indicated here.

Meanwhile, for all those interested, please follow this link:

http://amkssnomad.wordpress.com/performancesmusic/

 

Site Photographs: Ang Mo Kio Centre Stage

here are the site photos for Ang Mo Kio Centre Stage which will be the venue for a Fringe Festival performance featuring the Band and the Choir on the 14th of June.

 

Artist Profile: Angelina Sassarak

Angelina comes with a 26 year background in choral performance, and more recently in the past 10 years, in contemporary a cappella performance and directing as well as choral directing. The Founder and President of The A Cappella Society has been working tirelessly with singers and enthusiasts to propel Singapore’s a cappella scene onto the International arena.

 

She has performed with school and private choirs from the age of 6 in 1980, including the Yamaha Children’s Choir, People’s Association Junior Choir and Singapore Youth Choir. Her experiences in performance have ranged from school performances, to private functions, choral festivals overseas to the Singapore Arts Festival, A Cappella Concerts, National Arts Council ArtREach Programmes and most recently, at the Asean Rocks Festival.  She has also been performing in, directing and managing contemporary a cappella groups since 1991. She currently performs and manages Singapore’s only female a cappella vocal band, nanu and they have performed to audiences all over the world including Jakarta, Boston and Tilburg in the Netherlands. This year, they have been invited to Jakarta and Korea for performances. The group also tours the local schools with an a cappella outreach programme.

 

Angelina is also a sort-after vocal trainer to people of all ages from 8 to 65 and has worked to train local celebrities in honing their passion for vocal music.  

 

She has a Diploma in Speech and Drama (Practical) from the Australian Guild and will receive her Diploma in Speech and Drama (Theory in May this year). She also has a Grade 6 in Vocal Performance under the Australian Guild and continues to pursue her studies in voice and Teaching Diplomas for Speech & Drama and Vocal Performance under Professor Andrew Wilkinson.

 

Artist Profile: Wong Kah Chun

Born in 1986, Wong Kah Chun has recently made his conducting debut
with the First-Year Orchestra, an extra-curricular philharmonic
activity which he has founded at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of
Music. Other musical groups he has worked with includes the
St.Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Mus’Art Wind Orchestra.

Teachers he has studied with include well-known local composer Phoon
Yew Tien, Leif Segerstam (Chief Conductor, Helsinki Philharmonic),
Alexander Polishuk (St.Petersburg State Conservatory), Gunther Herbig
(Weimar Masterclasses) and Leonid Korchmar (Kirov Opera).

At the age of 17, his first composition, the Zaqaedor Symphony, was
performed to critical acclaim by the Raffles Junior College Orchestra
at the Esplanade Concert Hall, leading to a series of publications by
Tierolffmuzieke Centrale, a printing house based in The Netherlands.
His recent work, “Pecos Pueblo”, has been recorded by the Royal
Belgium Navy Band, and will receive a high profile performance at the
highly renowned Musikverein concert hall in Vienna this coming summer.

A keen advocate of education, Wong Kah Chun has been invited to coach
the Millenia Institute Symphonic Band, where his knowledge as a
composer and conductor injects a highly charged personality into the
student musicians. He has been commissioned by schools such as the Ang
Mo Kio Secondary School, the Catholic Junior College and Anderson
Junior College Symphonic Bands, as well as the Singapore International
Storytelling Festival 2007 for a soundtrack to SAYANG SINGAPORE.

Wong Kah Chun is the recipient of the World Association of Symphonic
Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Special Scholarship, the Kripalani
Challenge Trophy and the Creative Arts Award by Raffles Junior College
for oustanding contributions to the arts.

He is currently pursuing his degree in composition at the Yong Siew
Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, where he studies with Ho Chee
Kong, as well as augmenting his training in conducting with Music
Director Wang Ya-Hui.

 

Artist Profile: Sandra Chen

Sandra graduated from King’s College (London ) in 2005 with a degree in Music. Having completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in the National Institute of Education (NIE), she joined the AMKSS family in 2006. She currently teaches Music as a subject in both the Integrated Arts Program (IAP) and the ‘O’ Level Music Program. 

A keyboardist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Sandra aims to stimulate and nurture the love, understanding and practice of music in young people. Nothing excites her more than seeing her students expressing themselves through music without inhibition. Besides music, Sandra is also passionate about imparting good and right values to her students.

 

NOMAD - Travelling

To help everyone better understand how NOMAD used to look like in 2005, I have updated the “About NOMAD” page with a video of the trailer we created for the DVD of NOMAD-Travelling, our production in 2005.

Please follow the link on the right for About NOMAD or follow this link:

http://amkssnomad.wordpress.com/about/