I've put up the recordings for String Serenade, and the Bach double concerto. The first movement [the one we're playing] is 04, but I've put up the second and third movements as well [05 and 06] for anybody who's interested in them.

Please go download and listen to them! The standard of the string serenade is what everybody should be aiming for, [Like for eg, the cello solo -ahem- :D ] apart from the place where violin2s take over the semiquavers from violin1s. Go listen. You'll get what I mean.

And the Bach. There is energy; it is vivacious, yes? And yes the soloist is damn imba cos she's HILARY HAHN. If you don't know who Hilary Hahn is you deserve a knock on the head.

Gogogo! We have about 5 more weeks only! Jiayou! SNSO is capable of a much higher standard than what it is now, if only everybody plays their part (:

Oh and you might want to go listen to The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba too. It's something that I think should be tried one day, post-Jubilate :D [there's a score for just string orchestra - without harpsichord and oboes]

http://mediafire.com/

Please ask me for the email and password. Thanks(:

-- Mary-Anne

Exactly a year ago, SNSO achieved GWH at the SYF'07. Tears were shed; but they were tears of joy and elation.

Let's all make our upcoming concerts a similar experience, okay? We can pull through this together.

<3 from You-Know-Who

Hey Juniors... Jana here.

Heard you all today and well.. Bach sounded okay. But okay isn't enough. Okay is not an SNSO standard. It is something that many other orchestras can reach as well. So, I would like to address some things (this is in the best interests of the entire orchestra k! :) so listennnn)

1. POSTURE.

Yes. It was only the BEGINNING of the practice and I could see MANY people slouching off. Sectional leaders and front desk-ers (I don't want to name who), you have a responsibility to show your juniors and section what GOOD POSTURE IS. And that means, NOT SLOUCHING and HUNCHING, no flopping into your seat like its a squishy, comfortable pillow and I KNOW IT GETS VERY TIRING. But AT LEAST, keep your back STRAIGHT (lean it AGAINST the chair if you need to). If your seniors can do it, SO CAN YOU! -make it work!- :)

2. INTONATION

Sectional Leaders: PLEASE GET YOUR SECTIONS TOGETHER TO CLEAR UP INTONATION. Bach is ALL about intonation and clarity. Having such a small orchestra play Bach, literally every single player can be heard. Some were sharper than the rest, others were flat, and some were okay. So it ends up being this cacophony of sounds - it has to sound like a LOVELY MELODIC TUNEEEE.

3. TOGETHERNESS.

Basically, it sounds pretty OKAY as a section (yes, OKAY again) but it does not sound TOGETHER! Yes, reverberating about the 'Intonation' part, once your section is done with the intonation, it is time to GET the section together. Remember how we practiced so much as a section for SYF? Assimilating, blending in and bonding with your section is very important for you all to play as ONE sound, ONE section, ONE orchestra.

4. SOFT TONES

I have said this many times before (hope I don't sound to bossy! :S but I reeeaally gotta say this), when the dynamic says 'p' or 'pp', it does NOT give you the excuse to play in wispy, airy fairy, light tones (unless stated otherwise - like a HARMONIC or something). There still can be character and punch in a 'p' or 'pp' phrase. DIG IN! But still stay soft at the same time (remember SHOSTA?? Our SUPER SOFT phrase??).

5. SECTION LEADERS

SNSO needs to see more passion, more hunger for good quality, good playing and producing a good section. Be overly concerned, approach your section members and ask if they need help. Be patient. It is only with competent section leaders that an orchestra and truly progress and improve. I have faith in you SLs!

___________________________
I'm only commenting about Bach because I only heard that piece. I have faith in you guys. I have absolute faith and I KNOW you all will be able to pull it off and play EXCELLENTLY in Jubilate. Though I can't be there in person to watch you all play 3 wonderful pieces (you all better do!), I will be cheering you all on from Australia ok!

I KNOW ALL OF YOU CAN DO IT. DON'T GIVE UP COS I'VE NEVER GIVEN UP ON YOU ALL :)

<3

GO STRINGERS YOU ALL CAN DEFINITELY DO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW ALRIGHT! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD, AND WE'LL ALL BE HAPPY STRINGERS ON BOTH NIGHTS OF JUBILATE, AND EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHAT SNSTRING CAN TRULY DO! JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU JIAYOU!

RED BADGES LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY TICKETS FOR JUBILATE SO WE CAN TRY TO GIVE Y'ALL GOOD SEATS!

<3 from Dumbledore (but You-Know-Who is my very good friend, not arch enemy...)

Hello all, please continue practising hard for all those who are doing so! For those who are not, you better do so or you will find me behind you one day with a saucepan raised over your head. Hahaha kidding BUT PLEASE PRACTISE! DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT.

So that:
1) Rehearsals will not be spent correcting intonation (ahem)
2) Rehearsals will not be spent getting the rhythm right
3) Rehearsals will not be spent with your SLs telling you to REMEMBER THE DYNAMICS
4) Rehearsals can be spent coordinating all sections together so that we sound like a single unit, instead of several sections made of several people. So that we can actually focus on the music.

If any of you are not sure about anything about the pieces, you can go bug your SLs who will be most happy to answer your questions.

Jiayou!

<3 from You-Know-Who

Hello all :)

Your lovely senior Jana is back to update this stale pretty blog! And since I haven't loaded my share of SOME Japan trip photos, I shall take this chance to do so too (as I am, obviously, very bored as well) :D

So, this is Mt. Fuji! I tried my best to photoshop it so the mountain looks, at least, visible in lieu of the bright, very eye glaring sunlight.

The Yellows at the toilet stop JUST before the ascent to Mt. Fuji (where handsome Japanese soldiers were aplenty)

Disneyland! Beside Alice's Teaparty a.k.a the spinning teacups.

The BEST SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM YOU CAN EVER GET - in flavours of Vanilla, Peach, Lavender and one more which I forgot.

Tada. A hint of the ancient Japanese civilization in a SHOPPING MALL! Yes, a shopping mall.

The place where we had some really good hotplate beefy thing AND had those paddly kind of goose/duck boats kind of thing which we were so, so tempted to sit.

And this, my dears, is a Bullet Train station. Not a Subway Station, a Bullet Train station (SNSO girls are a classy bunch indeed) hahahaha.

And there you go, the funniest thing in a century. Hot, warm Corn Soup straight from a vending machine at once again, the Bullet Train station! For only 120Yen, it is indeed good stuff.

AHHHAAAAA NYEH NYEH we had Japanese BBQ! Drool.

Another beautiful, picturesque view of Disneyland.

The hamsum bus driver that everybody loves! Kawaii neh! (The one on the left, of course)

And check out the gorrrrgeouuuuus view of the sunset from the hotel room. Land of both the rising and the setting suns!

Tada, the Tokyo Tower. Where they sold many, many SUPER ADORABLE stationery and we, as usual, were too distracted by all those kawaii stuff that we didn't even stop to marvel at the wonder of this pretty tower. But I did! Hahahahaha.

And to all jealous fans out there: This, is an arcade. Yes. Rows and rows and rows and rows of enchanting games. How pretty indeed!

And to top this amazing trip, a photo of an electronic toilet map. Yup, a TOILET MAP that actually tells you what KIND of toilet it is (squat, sit, with baby facilities, yada yada) and where the cubicle is OCCUPIED or not. Talk about amazing, eh.

Anyways, guess I'm done here! The other photos are either very, very irrelevant, or too *eh hem* private for this public blog right here. Ciao juniors!

P.S Practice hard! (yes, I know I do nag - a lot)

<3>

Lightsabers and Spitfires

Anglo Chinese School (Independent) Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Maestro Chan Tze Law

Venue: The Republic Cultural Centre
Date: 6th January 2008, Sunday
Time: 5pm
Ticketing: $16 (stalls), $13 (circle)

Programme-
William Walton- Prelude and Fugue 'Spitfire'
George Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue (Soloist: Albert Lin)
John Williams- Star Wars Suite


Please do let me know if anyone wants to go by Saturday night! Notify me of any other orders after Saturday via email k (:

<3Claud

hi i haven't been here in a long long long time! hahahaha anyway i hope you all had fun at the day camp today with RVSE (i hope its not wrong, sorry if it is!). i think we all enjoyed ourselves during the games session right! especially the uh butt exercising game hahahaha. good job organising the games blue badges :) was really happy to see you all enjoy yourself (yingtong was very good doing the charades of 'hua mulan' hahahahaha!) hopefully we'll get to do such stuff next year, pray hard! here are the group pictures:



yeeeep.

anyway i miss japan :(

you'd never find this sort of scenery in singapore!

stringers at mount fuji! (koped from claudice)

anyway there's no more string practice for the yearrrrrr, i hope you all will have a good holiday and enjoy yourself! :)

blue badges remember to do the banner okay! has to be up by 14th dec. i think you all should be able to do a good job :) go go go!

green badges remember to come up with the ideas for the souvenir! something creative and nice :)

enjoy your holidays everybody! take care :)

<3 cassandra :)