Celebration Overture | Composed by Zhao Jiping
Composed in September 1989, Celebration Overture is a vibrant and evocative work by renowned Chinese composer Zhao Jiping. The piece opens with explosive energy, driven by rapid musical phrases and the bold, bright sounds of the suona and percussion. Together, they vividly depict the joyful atmosphere of a festival celebration. A contrasting middle section offers a lyrical adagio, painting a musical picture of harmony and prosperity. The festive mood returns in the final section, with the overture concluding with a sense of exuberance and triumph.
A Singapore Story | Rearranged by Tan Bing Liang
This medley is arranged by local young musician Tan Bing Liang. Opening with the classic Singapura, the music is set against the rhythmic rolls of percussion, evoking images of Singapore as a beautiful island surrounded by the sea. The medley then cruises through a series of familiar National Day Parade theme songs, including Home, which reflects how our forefathers made colonial Singapore their home; Rasa Sayang, celebrating the kampong spirit and warmth of everyday life; and What Do You See as well as Reach Out for the Skies, which express the hopes and dreams of a nation looking toward the future.
Four Gamelan Pieces | Composed by Qian Dong Heng
Written for the Vanda Yangqin Quartet for their Cimbalom World Association Congress 2024 debut in Korea. The work takes inspiration from various forms of Javanese gamelan musical forms and consists of four movements:
1. Carabalen:
Gamelan carabalen (meaning ‘in the manner of Bali’) is traditionally used by the Surakarta court to welcome guests or accompany important processions. This movement explores the juxtaposition of the carabalen bonang playing “Kodok Ngorek” as a background against a simple melodic motif showcasing balungan techniques such as neceg (playing damped notes) and imbal (interlocking melodic patterns).
2. Wayangan:
This movement is inspired by a typical suite of pieces used in wayang:
Ayak-ayak —> Srepeg —> Palaran —> Srepeg —> Sampak.
The Ayak-ayak, Srepeg and Sampak sections, in order of increasing tempo and decreasing melodic elaboration, are typically used to accompany narrative or action-packed sections. The Palaran section, where a poem is sung in relatively free time, serves as a melodic interlude in the middle of the Srepeg. In this movement, one yangqin performs the role similar to that of the drummer, who provides signals for sudden tempo changes, special effects and section transitions.
3. Langgam:
Langgam is the Javanese gamelan version of kroncong, a popular music style developed in the 1920s drawing inspiration from Portuguese music. The drums of the langgam imitates the pizzicato cello of the kroncong, which in turn imitates the drums of the gamelan.
In this movement, the langgam section concludes with a free singing section known as pathetan, which is traditionally accompanied by soft instruments such as the gender and suling.
4. Dangdut:
Dangdut is a popular music style that emerged in the 1960s. Characteristic to Dangdut for the Javanese gamelan is the interlocking klenengan playing of the bonang, the fast and lively gong and kempul rhythm and the starting drum rhythmic pattern.
The Surging of Messy Clouds | Arranged by Peng Xiuwen
“The Surging of Messy Clouds” (Chinese Orchestral Music, excerpt from the modern Peking opera Dujuan Mountain) is a major aria from the modern Peking opera Dujuan Mountain. Composed in a structured banqiang style, it vividly conveys the complex and fluctuating emotions of the characters in the opera, fully showcasing the unique characteristics of Peking opera vocal techniques. When adapted into an instrumental ensemble for Chinese traditional music, the piece retains its expressive depth, with the orchestra delivering a performance that is both intricate and profoundly moving, leaving the audience deeply stirred.
Night of the Torch Festival | Composed by Wu Junsheng
The entire piece unfolds with graceful and lyrical melodies, exuberant and spirited rhythms, and vivid, resplendent colours, evoking the enchanting atmosphere of the Yi ethnic group's Torch Festival night. It vividly portrays a grand scene of young men and women singing and dancing in joyous celebration. Originally composed for the pipa, its adaptation for the ruan brings forth a fresh and captivating interpretation.
Childhood Memories | Composed by Lo Leung-Fai
Composed by Lo Leung Fai under the commission of the Republic of China Ministry of Culture, this piece employs a sweet yet simple melodic motif to portray the happiness and innocence of childhood. The piece opens nostalgically with the glockenspiel followed by the triangle. As the erhu and dizi slowly join the orchestra playing the same phrase, the audience are brought back to their childhood times. After the allegro, the dizi leads the piece into the second theme as a scene of scout training is portrayed using various erhu, pipa and snare drum techniques. The ending brings forth the melodic motif again through the use of tremolo to signal a child drifting off to dreamland, bringing the piece to a quiet close.
Singapore Drama Theme Songs Classic | Arranged by Law Wai Lun
This medley was arranged by composer Luo Wei Lun and is based on several well-known television drama theme songs familiar to many. The featured themes include The Struggle (from The Awakening), Good Morning, Teacher! (from Good Morning, Sir!), Connection of Emotions (from Kopi-O), and I Can Endure Hardship (from Stepping Out).
Drums in Celebration of a Bumper Harvest | Composed by Peng Xiuwen & Cai Huiquan
Composed in 1972, this piece vividly portrays scenes of a bumper harvest celebration in the countryside. The music brims with vitality and energy, capturing the joy of farmers at work as well as the beauty of fields laden with ripe crops. Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese wind and percussion music, the piece showcases their rich and varied textures, amalgamating traditional Chinese music with modern elements.
