Even though we are confined to Singapore at the moment, that doesn’t stop us from travelling virtually. With the help of more than 350 musicians, Tanglin Trust School‘s Senior Ensembles Music Around the World online concert takes a fascinating musical journey across the globe, with student presenters as tour guides. To view the concert, check out the video below:
Stopping first at Hungary, with the Chamber Orchestra performing Beethovan’s Rondo a Capriccio, the performances travel through South Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean before arriving back in Singapore for a beautiful solo vocal performance of Majulah Singapura from Felix Gulston.
Interspersed between mixed-year Senior Ensembles – including two choirs and two orchestras as well as a Sinfonietta, Guitar Group and Big Band – are Year 7 class ensembles whose performances are a culmination of their world music unit from the first half of Term 1. In this short space of time, each Year 7 class worked together on a piece that involved world music instruments, such as the Javanese gamelan or Jamaican steel pans, and world music styles, such as the body percussion piece originally created for the BBC proms.
“The concert was very much a team effort with staff from many different areas of the school helping out,” comments Helen. “The Music Department worked very closely together every step of the way, from the initial concept planning and choice of music, to drawing up rehearsal and recording schedules – everything had to be meticulously planned.”
With so many aspects of the concert impacted by this year’s restrictions, the team had to come up with alternatives to the usual ways of performing, as Helen explains: “Junior School members of the new Sinfonietta ensemble recorded their parts individually to include in the performance later, choir students had to rehearse online and also record parts separately – not an easy task! From the Year 7s to the Year 13s, they have shown great resilience and perseverance, pulling together to produce highly enjoyable performances in difficult circumstances.”
For more information about Tanglin Trust School and its music programs, visit its website.