Da Capo 2008

its been over 24 hours since the concert, and yet, i'm still feeling the music that we created, not played because it all came from our hearts.

"you don't have to think too much about playing it right, because you just know when you do, and the audience knows it too" - Maestro Leonard Tan

Just hearing that, and playing during the concert, it really didn't matter how many squeaks, wrong notes, whatever that we played during the concert, because we played it right, and the audience knows it too, because we played from our hearts, we played as one band, one ensemble, one heart. that was the key that unlocked the music that flowed from our soul, from our very core being, where every note just came from deep within and linked all 115 people on stage to be as one.

"the music is in between the notes"
the silence was truly golden, even after the last note of Its a Small World, there was this silence that I only wished that it would just continue on and never will end, because I knew once the applause started, it would signal the end of the most emotional night of my life thus far. The last note was held as long as I could, I didn't know that I could hold a note for that long, until that last night where I just kept on going and going and going, not wanting that last note to stop ringing throughout the hall, where the moment could just freeze. Alas, time will still flow, but "the memories will always stay in all our hearts"

It has been a really really wonderful 5 semesters. I thought of leaving the band so many times, but still, I kept on coming back for the music, the friendships that I had forged over the 5 semesters.

Our first concert together:
Da Capo 2006, the first concert with Mr Tan.

Kirkpatrick Fanfare
Fantasia (On Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair)
Sea Songs
Hymn to the infinite Sky
Saxophone ensemble
Danse Diabolique
Miss Saigon
Bayou Breakdown

It was a challenge for us, and we grew that one little step towards who we have all grown into today. We started with Do Re Mi, the first three notes of the C Major scale which rooted us together. We learnt so much about listening, feeling, understanding, interacting with each and every one in the ensemble. Whether we saw each other, it was not important at all. Whether we felt each other's heartbeat, that really made the difference.

InTempo 2007

Merry Wives of Winsor
Immer Kleiner, "Always Smaller"
Sound of Music
Soaring Over the Ridges - the Impression of the North Alps
Silver Screen
Poema Alpestre

Ian's solo, scaling the Japanese Alps, scaling the European Alps (which we got to see during our trip to Besana), how can we ever forget the times, the grit and the growth that we had? No matter how busy or tired we were, just coming for band practice would refresh us, because we knew that the music would heal and comfort. Ruixiang said that he enjoyed every practice, even though he came down all the way from Punggol. That really made a difference in my own attitude towards practice.

Besana in Brianza, Italy
Standing ovations, the food, gelato, the tours, the people. It was really a logistical nightmare because we never expected 50 people to want to go, and having the entire ex-co work together, knowing the Zijun didn't go for his career just to plan the trip, really made a difference. The last minute sponsorship from Hong Leong really lit up my day then, knowing that with that bit of money, at least one more people would be able to join in the experience. We went there, and we came back as one. "One band, one sound" - Drumline (The Movie) I really felt that we accomplished that there.

Da Capo 2007

Nitro
No Shadow of Turning
"Elisabeth" The Musical
Slavonic March in B Flat Minor, Op. 31 "Marche Slave"
Classical Suite
Second Suite in F
Auf Einem Persischen Markt (In a Persian Market)
Star Wars Trilogy

A really tough challenge, where our technical capabilities were pushed to the max. It was a night to remember, where we soared to outer space. Little did we know that it would only be the beginning of the painting of the canvass for our next major work, Planet Earth, where we returned to our mother, Earth.

InTempo 2008

Crescent and Stars
English Folk Song Suite
Finlandia
Cartoon
Symphony No. 3 Planet Earth

Planet Earth, Hymn to Gaia.. feeling of the accomplishment of playing the piece with so many people on stage. Having the strong support of our alumni, our friends who made their way down to UCC (which isn't very convenient) made the night a totally different night. We played our hearts, our souls, feeling empty after the concert, because we all wondered, "What's next?"

I still remember talking with Mr Tan after the concert, where I thanked him for giving us the chance to play Planet Earth, and that we would play it again one day in a place where it will do justice to the Piece that Johan De Meij had written.

Da Capo 2008

King Cotton March
GR Selections
Children's March
Pictures at an Exhibition
Percussion Ensemble
October
Indiana Jones Selections
Sleepers, Awake!
Extreme Makeover

In more ways than one, this really was a make over for the band, and for ourselves, as we look back on the past 2 and a half years, where we shared so much joys, laughter, tears, frustration, learning, growth, encouragement, support and most important of all, love for music. We will continue to grow as musicians, even though it would be the last time for some people for some time that we will be able to perform together. No matter what, the memories will always remain in our hearts, and no one can take that away. What we have learnt, makes us who we are and that is one thing that cannot be changed.

During the medley that we played for Mr Tan, we truly played with our hearts, because there were so many of us that didn't even open our eyes, for they were blurred with the tears of sadness and joy that we felt for Mr Tan, who is our teacher, our music director, our conductor and also our friend. Playing the pieces as we transitioned from one to the other, the memories just flooded back. From Poema, where we scaled the mountain, to Hymn to the Infinite Sky where we soared like birds, to Star Wars, where we went space age, to Planet Earth where we honoured Gaia, to Merry Widow, of the standing ovation. Each and every piece holds a special place in my heart. These pieces will never remain in my muscle memory because they just wouldn't be the same if it was so, and I never will let them be just muscle memory playing because they hold a place in my heart and playing from my heart, I know, I believe that it is what music is truly about. I have never cried during a concert throughout my performing life of 10 years until now, and I have to say that I really really enjoyed the music making with all the people of NUSWS, past and present. The memories will stay with us forever, linking this little part of our lives with each and every one of us till the day we return to the Lord.

Thank you Lord, for bringing all of us together.
Thank you Lord, for giving us the music that speaks all the words that are unspoken but yet understood
Thank you Lord, for blessing us with the wonderful weather on that night
Thank you Lord, for blessing each and everyone with the health that let us play our hearts out
Thank you Lord, for blessing everyone and their friends with safety to the concert and back home
Thank you Lord, for blessing Maestro Leonard Tan with the knowledge and wisdom that he so willingly shared with all of us

Thank you NUSWS, for the memories, friendships, and support that we have all gone through. No amount of words can really describe in full what we have walked through together and become, though all I can say is Thank You.