A quick update on beginning of semester events- Penang Symphony Orchestra and The Oundle School Chamber Orchestra 7th July 2008, Dewan Budaya.

T’was the first day of school and after settling several matters of registration I went walking down the bus stop where I saw the banner on the event. The program sounds interesting till I saw the date….7th July? Isn’t it today? So I quickly called the number and then the person directed me to the person in charged. After negotiating the invitation because it was quite full house the organizer managed to get me a invitation after all. So on I went that night.

The program started at about 8.45 9-ish but you have to go in before the VIP’s so I came early and waited till they opened the door. So I saw the seating position and decided to seat in front of the VIP’s so I sat in the last two last rows of the 1st section. The seats were filling up and I kinda felt weird. Something is not right. Then I realized. I think I’m seating in the VIP seating. Oh gosh! I was seating in the middle and if I kena bom it will be a total embarrassment. You know why? Because Mr. Johan was one of the VIP and I’m alone here. My ass was too heavy to move. Oh god, please start already!!! As I was praying, the lights went low and the opening speeches started. *saved*

Performance was great. Good thing I was in luck with the invitations.

The first piece that they performed that night was the concerto for two violins by Vivaldi. You might recognize the piece from the Music of the Heart movie the ending where they played at Carnegie hall. It is also available in Suzuki book 5 I think. Next were few selections of Arias sung buy a solo soprano singer and Vivaldi’s four seasons’. I guess she was nervous. Can’t really hear what she’s singing. Trust me, if I were on that stage at that moment I might sing the first phrase shaky. Hehe. For the four seasons that they played was my favorite, summer and winter. Spring is too common for me. The soloists were actually good and I do enjoy the performance. Then they performed a piece I’ve never heard called Eclogue by G. Finzi. I really enjoyed the piece. Simple and nice, I hope I can find the recording of the piece somewhere. Last piece for the first part is Simple Symphony.

The next part the Oundle school was joined by the PSO members and they Purcell’s Chacony in G minor, A.L. Webber’s famous The Phantom of the Opera. Nice, I really enjoyed this one because the sound was really full and the texture was also great. The next piece was Tribal Dance from Yao and the last was Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1. This piece reminds me of graduation, and that I’ll not be graduating with my friends. Sad but I’m the one who made the choice.

Bravo! Bravo! Go on and take a bow.....

All the soloist and conductors get a bouquet to bring home... a token of their oustanding hard work. The singer couldn't be located at this time...to give the flowers.

Overall I felt that I enjoyed the performance, it was an honest performance because it felt like people at my own level of playing. They do make mistakes, and even if I play also there sure will be mistakes and it’s normal. Not everybody can be Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, or Joshua Bell. People like Isaac Stern had to slowly make it big. So I guess I too should make my way up slowly but surely.