hello everybody! just wanted to say that i'm really happy that all of you are really trying your best to fold the 1,000 cranes for rongxuan :) though i think some of the sec2s and most/all of the sec1s might not know who she is, you all still tried to help fold as many cranes as you could and that's something really touching :) i'm sure rongxuan will be very very touched :) we've folded more than 500 cranes today in an hour so its really good! with all your help we'll be able to get 1,000 tomorrow so yay very good :) :) :) i know its quite hard folding the hard white paper but yeah try your best okay! my thumbs are hurting from pressing the paper too hard hahaha. you can also write a small note to her if you want to, we'll include it in the box alright! (or like what amanda pan did which was very very very very very very sweet - she wrote (in chinese) jiayou on every crane she folded! i think. so you can easily tell which ones were the ones she folded :) )

anyway, there's only around 17 days more to jubilate! we can do it okay, don't ever ever ever stop practising! (note to mary-anne: i wrote it with an 's'!!!!!!!!!!!) we're halfway there - at least today most/all of you could memorise already so keep it up! jiayou and don't give up. the people from idontknowwhere will be coming on friday so play your best then! and please start sitting half-chair okay!!!!! we can do it, alllllllllllllll the way!

keep praying for vanessa, i'm sure she can feel our support even from melbourne :)

loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove (times 10^infinity),
cassandra :)

psssssssssssssssss whites and greens please please please let us know if you have difficulty getting the attire ready okay! try by this weekend. thanks :)

Hey juniors, Jana here again...

Would like to ask you to pray for one of your seniors, Vanessa Ong Rong Xuan (Red Badge 2007). She is currently studying in the same school as me in Melbourne. On Thursday, her hostelmates found her unconscious in the bathroom. She was immediately transported to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and has been there since (it's Sunday now). She is very seriously ill and is in the Intensive Care Unit.

It is reported that she has internal bleeding in her brain. Nobody is allowed to visit her yet but I will certainly update you all on her condition ASAP. Please pray for her, I'm really worried.

Jana

Hello all (:

Yes I am back here, again. I hope all of you will go download the recordings of the pieces okay, not cos some naggy senior is asking you to do so, and so you go download it and then chuck it aside somewhere in your computer files and never touch it again.

That's not the point. The point is so that you have a good idea of how the music should sound like, and that kind of sound is what everybody should be working towards. I don't mean that you should blindly attempt to sound exactly like the recording. It should work as a good reference point for everybody.

Some checkpoints for everybody during rehearsal:
1) How is my tone? (ie steady, wavering, scratchy, inconstant etc)
2) Am I following the composer's directions? (ie dynamics, articulation etc. It's amazing how many people overlook this)
3) Do I blend in together with the rest of my section?
4) Am I satisfied with my level of playing? What can I do to improve? (ie phrasing, intonation, mood, tone etc)
5) Do I pay attention to the conductor during rehearsal? Do I respond to him?

These 5 points are the basics that everybody must pay careful attention to. So instead of talking during rehearsal, you can think about these 5 points!

All the way, only 26 days more to Jubilate! (rhymes)

<3 Mary-Anne

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