Post-Pageantry in Wind 2009 report...

14th Feb 2009, Pageantry in Wind 2009, Valentines Day 2009...

Memories of 2009, made so quickly, just at the start of the year, what more to expect?

Strictly speaking, last night was, what can I say? A very Grand experience. All the energies, flowing through the hall... It was just so magnificent.

Although there was a little "problem" backstage before we started, as long as everybody keeps quiet, no one will know what happen....

Now back to the concert: The opening, Concert March, was very light feeling in the air. Although I wasn't playing, I could feel the pressure mounting, was it because I'm having a flu? Too excited? Because I haven't finish my homework? I think it's because of what I was wearing.....

Now, the highlight of the concert: Variations on "Lobe Den Herrn", now in this piece, I really did all I can... And it was Good! haha, I was really satisfied with my playing for the first time playing this song. And whole band did wonderfully as well, The Horn solo was simply beautiful. The best part? Presto! frustration, Maestoso! Climax. Pesante!! Finale, it just all so powerful, I would've cried right on the spot If I weren't playing.

Next: Sea Songs, this particular piece is a playful tune in my opinion. When you hear the song it makes you feel like you want sing along "yadi da yadi da yadidadida yeda dada....". Like the sailors did back in 18th Century. Backstage was humming this tune to myself, it's a very nice song.

Right up: Choral Music, this piece, is full of emotion. At the start, is full of energy. Then it comes to a sudden slow down. We can hear this part as a beautiful harmonic display. Suddenly the tempo changes and becomes full of energy again. But after that, the music again becomes slow. From there on, the Chorale theme of the music builds, the slow flowing melodies. All merging together the melody, reaches to it's point, Bringing in the full emotion of the song, ends with a final beautiful chord. And again, suddenly, the tempo switches to fast whirlwind. Then the Aggressive theme of the Chorale starts playing, coming to a final frustration, building the speed, Ending in a whirlwind climax. We did good XD...

And then: Asuka, starting with a flute solo, deep into the night. Crickets, woodpeckers all the sound of life in then night. The Wind Blowing... And the sudden strike of lightning! thunders - the timpani solo. And builds to an eventual climax. Andante: the rain slows, small drizzles, the sound of the night, in the old ruins of the Asuka empire... Suddenly relived in a dream, Allegro! the start of the nation, the building of an empire, all the citizens booming with activity, the Ruler planning to expand his empire, the plot unfolds!Climax! the empire goes to war! But, the music comes to a slowdown, the fall of the empire. back into the ruins. The Horn solo, the agony of the fall! timpani solo, the last glimpse of the ruins.... The song was good.

Next: Csardas for band and Marimba solo, soloist: Ms Tan Su Yin. In this piece, is a traditional Hungarian dance. Su Yin managed to play this, with full of expression and emotion. The band accompanying the playing. Trough out? Is Good, well received by the audience.

Intermission....

Following: Macarena, this piece? I screwed up... but luckily, the band didn't... We manage depict a real bull fight scene. In fact, while we played, I could feel the Aura of the bull of Spain. And our trumpet soloist? Mr Tan Qin Wei, what to expect from Spanish trumpets? Bright and high notes, that's all I can say.

Then: Meditation from "Thais" flute solo, in this piece, we are very lucky to have Mr Ho to be our soloist that night. Meditation from "Thais" as Mr Ho mentioned before, is a song full of hope, of optimism, of all the possibilities. This song is, by the respond of the crowd, very well received.

Right up: Terhepsody, followed by Goodbye my Love, in this medley of Teresa Teng songs, we done a great job. Starting with a very interesting bass solo, many of the spectators would be surprised that this is actually Teresa Teng's song if no one told them so. After the introduction, the song starts to build, by then, most of the people would know what song is this. When reach the chorus, it was very nice to listen. Then the next song within the medley, Is the form 3 Chinese poem we learned, tee hee... Followed by the famous, "Ye Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xing".... seconds after the trombone solo starts, the crowd suddenly started cheering, I guess our soloist Ms Yong Sook Fong was too good to resist. Right after that, Goodbye my Love, also a favorite classic.

Next: The Great Wall, Songs of China, Starting with the Gong solo, that's me XD.... Well than it's the trumpet solo.. Well nothing spacial about this song, except that we done good, again, hehe...

The Finale: Young Man YMCA, now this song, the crowd went wild. And we also did great, this is also the song I manage play my best, and we manage to bring up the energy of the song... the part I like? When we raised the |Y|M|C|A| boards, haha, I tought I heard some of them singing at the climax. that was fun.

Did I hear someone shout encore?

And so we did Encore, haha.

African Symphony: We all turned to animals, I also manage play a satisfying finish with the Chimes, no tempo problem this round.

Gallop: the final, last, ending song, a playful tune depicting a galloping horse. and the spectators were on their feet.

That brings the end of Pageantry in Wind 2009, I probably won't have the chance to perform again, unless they have one where I can come back and be a guest player...

But... I was dam tired by the experience... Behind the scene, we literary moved the whole band room to the Bangunan Perak....