By Betty Ding (25A01B), Cayla Goh (25A01B) and Isaac Chan (25A01B)
Performers clad in red and black take the stage. They seem almost foreign, yet so familiar.
After an excruciating four-year hiatus, Raffles Institution (Y5-6) Chinese Orchestra (RJCO) at long last fills the walls of the School of the Arts Concert Hall with their sparkling strains. Though held back by the pandemic, RJCO shines, luminant as ever, weaving tapestries of colour and confluent chords at their concert Concord of Colours 2024 on 12 May.
Flying Apsaras (飞天) by Xu Jingxin, Chen Dawei
Introduced by chordal sustains from the huqin section, the first piece of the concert, Flying Apsaras (飞天) by Xu Jingxin and Chen Dawei, begins. With a particularly iridescent semiquaver run from the yangqin, the piece foregrounds a cloudy mystique. Illustrating the changing colours of the sky, the piece is inspired by murals depicting eponymous flying celestial beings in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. As the piece traverses various tempi and dynamics, the various dances of these celestial beings are portrayed, before returning to the initial motif and ending on a whisper, signifying the return of the apsaras to the murals.
The audience sits enraptured by the first piece of the night; As they are brought on a journey of flight, hearts soar with each pluck of the string and each beat played. All of them reach the same collective understanding: they are in for a tantalising treat tonight.
Big Fish (大鱼) by Qian Lei, arr. Kaelen Yap
A familiar melody then stirs the air. Big Fish (大鱼), composed by Qian Lei, is the theme song of the critically acclaimed 2016 animated film “Big Fish and Begonia” (大鱼海棠). The piece explores a sprawling range of emotive scenes, from delicacy to grandeur, through a uniquely Chinese melodic palette.
This particular arrangement, arranged by current RJCO member Kaelen Yap (24S03B), was premiered at Concord of Colours. As an RJCO-exclusive arrangement by our very own schoolmate, this performance feels particularly personal, adding a dimension of intimacy to this presentation of a popular tune.
In a setlist of sectional pieces,《大鱼》was the last to be chosen. Not only bringing out the vibrancy of the bowed string ensemble and the cellobases, Kaelen had taken on the task of featuring a “guest” instrument. At the suggestion of the conductor, the Guzheng was added. He worked closely with the Guzheng players – transcribing their scores and guiding them patiently through the process.
Despite the tireless rehearsal sessions, Kaelen thought of it less like a challenge, but instead a learning opportunity. Being able to work even closer with the people he writes music for was a rewarding experience – he gives credit to the other players for being really nice to work with, communicating with him throughout the whole project.
“It was fun,” he tells us. Being able to put his own spin on a popular song while getting closer to the orchestra helped him kill two birds with one stone. (Or maybe, two fish?)
Kaelen also tried out a musical technique known as ‘word painting’ in his arrangement of this piece. As the lyrics go, ‘“听风起雨落” (“hearing the wind rise and rain fall”), the guzheng accordingly rises, then falls; in “永远停留在这里” (“[you will] stay here forever”), it then lingers on a fixed note. The guzheng later mimics drops of water with staccato notes in “每一滴泪水” (“every teardrop”), breathing new life into the lyrics. With every note, the audience is more compelled to listen. Matching up with the tenderness of the original song, the orchestra embellished it with their own unique performance, leaving audiences aching for more in their wake.
If you want to listen to the orchestra’s full rendition of the piece, click here! 《大鱼》 by Raffles Institution Chinese Orchestra (Y5-6) 2024
Skylark (云雀) by Angheluş Dinicu, arr. Qin Huaisheng
A name like “Angheluş Dinicu” in a Chinese Orchestra concert programme is not a common sight. However, Skylark, arranged for two yangqins by Qin Huaisheng, is indeed (allegedly) composed by Romani-Romanian pan-flute player Dinicu — the piece is based on a Romanian folk tune in the urban lăutarească style of the late 19th century. The tune was then popularised by Dinicu’s grandson, Grigoraș Dinicu, who arranged it for the violin.
The lively, quick tempo and intricate melodies create a sense of joy and playfulness, reminiscent of the carefree nature of a skylark. Skylark takes the audience on a delightful musical journey, culminating in a performance that is both captivating and inspiring.
For this presentation of Qin Huaisheng’s arrangement for yangqin duet, a four-person ensemble performs Skylark, comprising Kaden Lau (24S06E), Lam Eu Ann (24S03B), Paxton Chan (25S06B), and Christina Pan(25S06C).
Colours of Joy (炫彩) by Jun Yi Chow
As the plucked sounds of the tanbo instruments fill the concert hall, the audience gets transported into a world of festivities — high-spirited and bright. Written by Junyi Chow, a composer-in-residence at the Singaporean Chinese Orchestral TENG Company, he weaves compositional techniques from different cultures, such as the vibrant Gamelan music from Indonesia as well as energetic Baroque music from Europe.
Originally written for just the Ruan ensemble, the piece was later adapted for the tanbo ensemble, with cellobass and percussion as well! Plucking the heartstrings of the audience, RJCO’s performance leaves the audience fulfilled, wanting more even as the piece ends.
Snow Mountain (雪山) by Feng Xiaoquan
After a short intermission, RJCO takes to the stage once more to present Snow Mountain (雪山) by Feng Xiaoquan. With this suona and dizi concerto performed by Branson Tan (24S06M) and Ng Zi Xuan (24S03K) respectively, accompanied by the rest of the Orchestra, the piece mimics the soaring soundscapes of eagles in flight. The piece is based on a folksong of the Tajik tribe from the Xinjiang region of China, which treasures song and dance as an integral part of their culture. Depicting the snow that covers mountains, huts, and homes, Snow Mountain paints a picture of Tajik life in the mountains. The orchestra takes the audiences’ hands and leads them through an expedition; Excitement and the sense of discovery immerses the audience even deeper into the piece, as the whole hall ventures through high snow-graced peaks.
Seven Colours of Harmony (七彩之和) by Zhang Zhao
As the concert soon comes to its end, RJCO performs its last piece on the programme, Seven Colours of Harmony (七彩之和) by globally acclaimed Chinese composer Zhang Zhao. This suite depicts Zhang’s idea and vision of harmony through cultural intermingling, demonstrated by the intertwining of various cultural influences in the different movements. While the work has seven movements, RJCO presents the first, sixth, and seventh movements during this concert.
I: Green: Song of The Wind (绿：风之歌)
The first movement, Green: Song of The Wind (绿：风之歌), is inspired by Mongol folk music, beginning with a tranquil section depicting the awakening of the land by the spring wind. With a sudden rupture of energy, the movement gains pace and gusto, illustrating the tenacity and ruggedness of Mongols, braving the challenges of the Mongolian steppe.
The movement even incorporates shouting and singing, which percussionist Lu Shaoying (25A01B) says makes Green: Song of The Wind her favourite piece in tonight’s concert.
“We turned into Chorale for a second,” she quips.
She also remarks that it was a particularly fun piece to perform, also owing to the yangqin’s bowing and little “jumpscares” in its rapid changes in energy.
VI: Purple: Song of The Heavens (紫：天之歌)
The performance then returns to a celestial state of peace in Purple: Song of The Heavens (紫：天之歌), moulding and shaping a sonorous sanctity. Inspired by the style of Tibetan folk music, the movement opens with liberal use of tremolo, or trembling, then giving way to contrapuntal call-and-response and motif repetition between the shengs and winds.
VII: Orange: Song of The Sun (橙：太阳歌）
With no break between movements VI and VII, the Orchestra bursts to life, much like an explosion of colours in the sky at daybreak. Composed in the style of Yi folk music, RJCO’s performance of Seven Colours of Harmony ends off with Orange: Song of The Sun (橙：太阳歌), inviting the audience to bask in the solace of the sun, ending the programme with a passionate expression of joyance and light.
As the final notes of “Orange: Song of The Sun (橙：太阳歌)” resound, the hall is filled with a sense of completion, contentment, and applause. The conductor, Mr Yang Jiwei steps forward with a warm smile on his face. He begins to talk about the significance of the concert, as well as a heartfelt message towards the Year 6s of the orchestra.
“Some of you are quite old already,” he jokes, earning a hearty chuckle from the audience. Some members of the orchestra have been under Mr Yang’s wing long before this concert, with some members even being taught by him since Primary 2. In his speech, Mr Yang emphasizes the importance of character development and values through music, and leaves the Year 6s with one final wish:
“I hope you all don’t stop playing music.”
– Mr Yang Jiwei, conductor
This concert is truly a bittersweet moment for the Year 6s as it marks their last performance with RJCO. For Riona Tan (24S03E), this concert is very meaningful to her because it concludes her 12-year journey in Chinese Orchestra, and the last concert that she will have with all her members, even dating back to primary school.
To show the Orchestra’s appreciation, Kaden and Riona present Mr. Yang with a beautiful bouquet and a playful headband, a gesture that brings a smile to his face and a wave of applause from the audience. It is a touching moment, filled with gratitude and affection, encapsulating the deep bonds formed over the years.
Amidst cheers and shouts of ‘encore’, RJCO gives us a parting gift in the form of an encore, performing a medley of songs from the works of Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. Conducted by a chuckling Maestro Yang struggling to keep his headband on, this is an arrangement that RJCO has been intending to perform, yet was unable to due to COVID-19 and the lack of performance. With music from Studio Ghibli’s most popular works like Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, these familiar tunes take a new form with their ageless melodies chorused by Chinese instruments. A blanket of comfort drapes over the audience, air infused with nostalgia – wrapping up the concert with contented hearts.
As night falls, the concert too, comes to a close. Outside the hall, bouquets are exchanged. Shutters are snapped. Soft smiles adorn the faces of all the audience, as they leave satisfied with the vivid musical odyssey they have experienced.
But for the performers, this concert certainly means something more. Gratitude, fulfilment, and relief fill the air as they leave backstage.
“CCA sessions every Monday and Tuesday extending till 8pm was very tiring,” Riona says. “However, all the effort that the members put in for half a year really shone through in the concert. It was really gan dong!” she quips, using the Chinese word for ‘emotional’.
To his fellow orchestra-mates, yangqin player Paxton says, “Thank you for being by my side during all the storms we have now overcome and for being by my side through this journey of music and love.”
And indeed, after the storm, comes the rainbow of colours.