Encore

Antidote to pandemic's doom and gloom

In this weekly review feature, The Straits Times chronicles the recovery of Singapore's performing arts industry - whether through digital innovation or cautious reopening - after months in the dark due to the Covid-19 pandemic

CONCERT

AWFULLY JOYFUL

Singapore Chinese Orchestra

Singapore Conference Hall

Last Friday

The title of the latest live concert by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) sounds like a misnomer.

How could the feeling of joy be described as awful? Unless one applies the colloquial use of the word, such as in "awfully good" or "awfully nice", it makes no sense.

Nonetheless, this chamber concert, attended by a socially distanced audience now expanded to 100, was just the right antidote to the doom and gloom cast by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Every piece of music performed was simple in conception, light-hearted, happy or a combination of all three. There was no need for the plumbing of depths or profound thoughts here.

Opening with Li Nixia's Raindrops, bits of tones issued from four dizi players, seemingly random in sequence, but soon coalescing into a drizzle and, later, a torrential downpour. The illusion of counterpoint was quite a clever one; such is the nature of falling rain.

Local composer Wang Chenwei's Childhood for six sheng players was a transcription of a work from his teenage years. Like a sage recounting the joys of simpler times, its catchy themes and fast-slow-fast form were easy to follow, thus making for a lasting impression.

  • AWFULLY JOYFUL: DIGITAL LIVESTREAM

  • WHERE Sistic Live

    WHEN Till Nov 29, 8pm

    ADMISSION $15 via Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)

    INFO www.sco.com.sg

Li Bochan's Bows And Strings, for three erhus and three zhonghus, was a soothing serenade, with Ling Hock Siang's erhu carrying the melodic line. It ended quietly with all strings communing in hushed and beatific unison.

Similarly, Bai Haoyu's Reminiscence for plucked and strummed strings (pipa, ruan, liuqin and yangqin) was a sentimental love song, one imbued with the sensibilities of pop songs and romantic film music.

Jiang Ying's very popular Dunhuang, for a mixed ensemble of eight players, was led by SCO resident conductor Quek Ling Kiong, who also doubled on drum and cymbals. This rhapsodic number was Central Asian in flavour, working its way from a slow beginning to a fast and raucous dance-like conclusion.

On a quieter but similarly exhilarating note was Liu Xing's Tuesday Gatherings, an evocation of nostalgia and camaraderie. This elegant work possessed the quality of eloquent conversation between long-time friends, with the dizi as the protagonist.

To close was Zhang Yima's Bu Yi Le Hu (Delight), performed by a tutti ensemble with instructors and alumni of the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra joining in.

By now, one might have realised this to be the Chinese title of the concert. It also aptly described a happy-go-lucky, hang-loose kind of piece accompanied by finger-snapping by the audience, providing a satisfying end to an enjoyable evening.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 25, 2020, with the headline Antidote to pandemic's doom and gloom. Subscribe