Concerts

The year end school holidays usually mean that there will be lots of concerts to take advantage of the children's free time. It's a good and healthy way for them to occupy their time. They get to expand their knowledge and savour new experiences.

Part of the crowd at the mini concert

Recently, some of my students at the music school got to experience performing in public. The students' mini concert held at the school allowed them to show off their talent and at the same time, parents are able to see their children's progress. Most of them were playing to a big crowd for the first time and understandably, "butterflies in the stomach" and jittery hands and feet were the order of the day. A few though, took it all in their stride and performed like "old-timers".

One of my young students, 9-year-old Cheng Yen, played the song "Sing" beautifully and I thought I'd share this with you. I absolutely love this song and I can almost hear the Carpenters version reverberate in my head even as I watch this video.





If you're in the mood for something "heavier", then let Benjamin entertain you with the fusion rock piece "Night Rider". Definitely concert material with lots of effects created to give it that ooomph... with a touch of attitude thrown in!






They are young, talented and passionate. And they are called The KLPac Sinfonietta.

"Great Themes from Film & Stage" was what they presented just hours ago in the final performance of their 4-day run. It was a delightful concert performed with gusto. As expected, they have improved much since their inaugural concert a year ago. Under the capable hands of Music Director/Conductor Brian Tan, they are poised to be one of the best home-grown orchestras.

Warming up before the performance

It was 1½ hours of non-stop entertainment from this young orchestra as they served up a full ten-course meal. From Broadway showstoppers to selections from the movies and finally ending with "Sleigh Ride" as the encore.

The programme

If you were not there, this is what you missed. Here's a very short video clip of the first 44 seconds of the "Mission Impossible" theme song.




Kudos to Brian Tan and the KLPac Sinfonietta! Great show. Looking forward to next year's performances.

Orchestra or puppets?

Hmmm... choices, choices! Why not go for both?

The orchestra I'm referring to is the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) Sinfonietta.

I was at their inaugural concert last year themed "Candlelight Christmas". For a young orchestra, I think they performed pretty well. Since the theme was Christmas, they played mostly carols and favourites from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The finale was the powerful "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah", performed with the 30-member guest youth choir "La Voce". They received a well deserved standing ovation at the end. I'm sure they would have gotten even better since then and I'm looking forward to next month's concert. This time around, they'll be playing music from blockbuster musicals and movie themes.

Click the pic below or go here for more info.




Then there's something a little different from the Gardner & Wife Theatre. More for the kids... or the kids at heart :-).

Interested? Click the picture for details.

Sasaki & friends jazz it up!

The Akio Sasaki Jazz Organ Trio was another great concert organised by Roland. It was a memorable night for jazz organ fans (and of course, fans of Sasaki san). Most of us who play the organ would have, at some point in time, played Mr. Sasaki's jazz arrangements. He has published quite a few books of his numerous arrangements of popular jazz compositions.

So, we finally got to see and listen to the man himself. Still in his element though in his late 50's, he thrilled us with his ad libs and improvisational style.


Teaming up with Mr. Sasaki was jazz guitarist Tatsushi Shibata and drummer Hisanori Tsunekawa. Mr. Tatsushi was not only adept at playing the guitar, he took the limelight on two songs playing the harmonica. Not to be left out, Mr. Hisanori showed us his skill by performing a couple of solos on the TD-20K Roland digital drum kit.


The concert ended with "Take the 'A' Train" as the encore. Mr. Sasaki used the jazz scat voice (real human voices) to play this piece. The voices are so amazingly real and the organ intelligently "scat sings" the correct syllables according to the touch (pressure on the keys). Earlier, he also used it on "Satin Doll". Listen to a sample of the jazz scat voice here.


Now, if you're hoping to watch videos of the concert, I'll have to disappoint you because I did not shoot any. This time, I just wanted to enjoy the concert. I did not want to keep staring at the camera LCD screen all the time. And it ain't easy trying to keep the camera steady as your arms start to tire after 15mins or so.

Thanks to Roland again for all the great concerts so far. They've promised more goodies next year. One of them would be in the person of Hector Olivera. He is considered one of the world's greatest organists. Who wouldn't be, if you are able to play "Flight of the Bumblebee" with your feet! It would be a real coup if Roland is able to bring him to this part of the world.

Akio Sasaki Jazz Trio

Jazz organ music enthusiasts please take note. Roland will be bringing the Akio Sasaki Jazz Trio to Kuala Lumpur next month. Tickets are priced at only RM30.

They will be performing at the KLCC Plenary Theatre on the 9th of November at 8pm.

Anyone keen on attending this concert may purchase the tickets through me.

Leggy models

I'm talking about those of the six-legged kind. Somehow, windows are one of the favourite "rest stops" of birds, insects and what-have-you. They too, I guess, need to break journey and rest their wings from the long trip to wherever they are going.

Recently, "Mr Bee" stopped by and was busily inspecting my window. I quickly grabbed my camera and went up really close to snap a picture of it. Rather than flying away, it actually stayed long enough for me to shoot a few more photos. Was it too "preoccupied" to notice I was just a hair's-breadth away or was it posing for the camera?

A few days ago, another visitor decided to drop by and this time it was "Mr Fly". Sticking to the window like Garfield on your windscreen, it too, like Mr Bee, did not fly away even when I got really close. My camera lens barrel was touching the glass pane and it would have felt the vibration from the shutter. Even if it didn't, the compound eyes would have easily detected my presence. But no, it decided to pose for the camera.

A stroll @ The Gardens

The Gardens @ Mid Valley, that is. This new mall opened today and I decided to pop over after gym to check it out. So, here are the very first impressions of KL's newest shopping landmark.

This was what greeted me the moment I stepped into The Gardens. Loose wiring hanging everywhere. Exposed fluorescent light tubes still without their panel covers. Doesn't look like they're ready for business as there are still a lot of renovations going on everywhere. Sounds of hammering, soldering and nail guns firing can be heard all over the mall.
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Some shops, though open for business, are still without signboards and employees can be seen unpacking stuff and putting up their window displays.

This is what it should look like with the beautiful covers in place.
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The layout reminds me a lot of Suria KLCC. The one uncomfortable thing is walking around a mall that is covered in dust from the renovations. I had to walk cautiously as the dust made the floor slippery.

Very interesting skylight effects.

The design gives The Gardens an upmarket feel.

The thousands of sparkling lights on the left wall makes them look like twinkling stars in the night sky. Interesting light displays are projected on to the huge panels on the right.
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This pharmacy (w/o signboard yet) has a very unique facade.
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It's facade is designed to look like the inside of a traditional chinese medical hall.
(FYI, the drawers are used to store herbs used in TCM)
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Cinnamon trader? No, it's a restaurant.

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Does this mean Gurney Drive is moving to KL?
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You'll find many retail big timers here.

Finally, Robinsons has come to town, I hear you say.

"Life imitating art?"

This lady must be thinking...

a) I can pose better than that mannequin

b) I wonder if that two-piece swimsuit comes with a Joanne Drew package

c) Does that bikini have a tear-proof guarantee?

d) I'm certain I can fit into that bikini swimsuit if I suck my stomach in.


Ok, ok. I'm just being cheeky.
She's actually an employee of the store figuring how to set up the window display.


So, there you go. Not too pleased with what I saw today but I'm sure when everything is in place, it'll be another shopping paradise. If you got the dough, that is.

Swingin' & Jazzin' with the MPO

I know I'm a little late in posting this as it happened about a month ago. Anyway, just to break the long silence...

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking, thanks for asking.




The awesome Petronas Twin Towers that once held the honour of being the tallest building in the
world, is home to Malaysia's very own symphony orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.



The beautiful Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) sits nestled at the podium level between the soaring towers. For the past ten years, those who were privileged to hear the orchestra play would readily agree that the MPO is certainly of world-class standard.

Recently, I had the chance to hear the MPO perform when they celebrated their 10th anniversary with a birthday bash of six very appetisingly-priced concerts.


No, I did not go for all six concerts. However, I did go for two of them though. All because they played two of my favourite kinds of music.

The first one was themed "Symphonic Broadway" and the musicals from Broadway filled the air of the DFP. The MPO brought to life the music of the likes of Gershwin, Bernstein, Rodgers, Ellington & Strayhorn.

They showed their versatility in performing the musicals superbly even though they are a classical orchestra. From the soothing oboes and mellow bassoons to the thundering timpanis and clashing cymbals, the orchestral arrangements were simply magnificent.

The highlight had to be " That Doo-Wah Thing" or otherwise known as "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing". That hip-swinging, foot-stomping piece almost brought the house down! If only it was a dance hall...


Two and a half weeks later came THE concert that I was really looking forward to, the Latin Jazz Fiesta. I almost couldn't get tickets as they were sold out before I could get my hands on them. Thankfully, they released the reserved Corporate Suite seats for sale. These premium VIP seats were going for only RM80!!




This time around, the MPO had a guest conductor, the Portuguese-American Jacomo Bairos. But the person everyone was there to see and listen to is none other than the very special guest flutist, the famous Puerto Rican, Nestor Torres.

He played the flute like it was an extension of him. The way he blew the flute, literally blew us away.


The whole atmosphere of the DFP was like that of a Latin Jazz club. Flashing coloured lights (yes, you read that correctly) and people were swaying and gyrating to the rhythmic sounds of the bongos, congas, maraccas, guiros, marimba...

Again, the MPO lived up to their reputation as a world-class orchestra, handling the Latin Jazz style with ease. From the slow tunes to the heart-pounding and breathlessly fast ones, not a note was out of place. Or at least I did not detect any!


Some of these are very familiar songs but they've been given a breath of fresh air. I must say that these were the most awesome arrangements I've ever heard!

For instance, we are quite used to hearing Besame Mucho in a moderate to lively tempo. Mr Torres however, turned it into a slow, orchestral-style arrangement that made the performance a very moving experience. Almost brought a tear to our eyes.

Three top Malaysian jazz musicians were invited to join the MPO for this concert. They are John Thomas on drums, Eric Li on piano and Fly on bass guitar.

The best part of it all was we were seated just above the stage looking down at the strings and percussion section. We could almost read the music scores from where we were. The gallery we were in had only 8 seats. Each gallery section had their own adjoining suite complete with plush sofas and butler service with tea & coffee provided.






However, the strict dress code was a little damper to an otherwise unforgettable evening of mesmerizing music. The people in DFP need to know when to enforce and when to relax the dress code. Wearing a lounge suit to a Latin jazz concert just doesn't make any sense at all.

And guess what? When the MPO stepped onto the stage, they were in colorful Hawaiian floral shirts. Some of the ladies wore spaghetti strap tops. One had a red flower in her hair. There was this French Horn player in shades, yes, dark glasses. So cool. How he managed to read the music is beyond me! From where I was sitting, I could see that the drummer was actually playing barefoot. If only cameras were allowed, I would've had a field day shooting loads of interesting pics!

So, you see how silly we all felt in our lounge suits and long-sleeved batiks!

These have been two of the best concerts I've attended in a long while. Hoping that there will be more great performances like these and affordably-priced too.

Let's hope we do not have to wait another 10 years...

An enjoyable concert

Yes, there's been a lack of postings lately due to time constraints. There are lots of stuff I'd like to blog about but I think that'll have to wait until things cool off a little for me.

Anyway, I was at the Roland organ concert a week ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ms Kanako Kumanomido played a mixed repertoire of songs that spanned the Bach era all the way to the modern day anime music... and (almost) everything else in between! There was jazz, big band, latin, the musicals, and of course, Disney movie themes to whet the appetite of the young ones. And she sings too! And all that for free! What a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. I just love those Roland people.




The organ? Well, the Atelier AT80SL is an amazing piece of instrument that you have to listen to, live. And if you're an organist, you'd definitely want one. The price? Well, like they say... if you have to ask, then you probably can't afford it! :-(


Here, I've two video clips of the concert that I know you'll enjoy. In the first one, Ms Kanako plays the famous Cantata No.147 by J.S. Bach, popularly known as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Listen to how the Atelier "sings". Such beautiful voices.





In this second video, Ms Kanako not only shows her playing skills and the organ's wide range of voices, she also displays her vocal prowess as she plays and sings Belle's Theme (from the animated movie "Beauty and the Beast").





If you really enjoyed these two videos and want more, you know where to go... :-)

Roland Organ Festival & Concert '07

To all organ enthusiasts and music lovers... two events not to be missed!

The inaugural Roland Organ Competition and a concert by a special guest performer from Japan.

And get this... admission to both events is FREE!

Refer below for more info.

I understand that Ms Kanako will be performing on the AT45 as well as the bigger AT80SL models. To listen to the wonderful sounds of the AT45, please refer to my previous post here.


If you are already amazed at how the smaller AT45 sounds, I'm very sure you'll be blown away by the AT80SL!

New 7 Wonders of the World

***LATEST***

Global vote picks new seven wonders of the world

LISBON, Portugal: Monuments in three Latin American countries were named among the new seven wonders of the world Saturday.

Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, and Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid were chosen alongside the Great Wall of China, Jordan's Petra, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal.

The sites were selected according to a tally of around 100 million votes cast by people around the world over the Internet and by cell phone text messages, the nonprofit organization that conducted the poll said.

Among the places left out were the Acropolis in Athens, Greece; the Statues of Easter Island, Chile; Cambodia's Angkor; Turkey's Hagia Sophia; and Russia's Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral.

Those major attractions were on the shortlist of 21 before the announcement of the results at a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, kept their status in addition to the new seven.

The new architectural marvels were presented during a show which included appearances by American actress Hilary Swank, Indian actress Bipasha Basu, and British actor Ben Kingsley, as well as performances by Jennifer Lopez and Jose Carreras.

Macchu Piccu's award was picked up by a Peruvian man in national costume who held the award up to the sky and then bowed to the crowd with his hands clasped, eliciting one of the biggest cheers of the night.

Many in the 50,000-member audience at a soccer stadium jeered when the United States' Statue of Liberty was announced as one of the candidates. Portugal was broadly opposed to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, pilot of the first hot-air balloon to fly nonstop around the world, announced one of the winners and briefly hijacked proceedings when he made an appeal for people to combat climate change and stand up for human rights before being ushered off the stage.

The campaign to pick the seven new wonders was begun in 1999 by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. His Switzerland-based foundation, called New7Wonders, received almost 200 nominations from around the world. The list of candidates was narrowed down to 21 by early last year. Voting took place over the past six years, but gathered pace only in recent months.

The organizers conceded there was no foolproof way to prevent people from voting more than once for their favorite. They claimed votes came in from every country in the world.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, keeps updating its own list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 851 places.

However, Paris-based UNESCO distanced itself from the seven wonders ballot, saying it reflected only the opinion of those who voted.

Weber aims to encourage cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments, and inspire people to value their heritage.

His foundation said it would use 50 percent of net revenue from the project to fund restoration efforts worldwide. One of them is a mission to rebuild the giant Bamiyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan, blown up in 2000 by the Taliban regime.

Weber said he was starting a new campaign Sunday to choose the new seven natural wonders of the world.

"If you want to save something, you first have to truly appreciate it," he told the crowd.

The original list of seven architectural marvels was collated by a variety of observers of the ancient Mediterranean and the Middle East.

However, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria in Egypt have all vanished.

The Associated Press

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Here are the 21 finalists. The new 7 wonders of the world will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal tonight. Watch this space for updates...

The finalists are:

Acropolis of Athens
(Civilization, Democracy)

Alhambra, Spain
(Dignity, Dialogue)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia
(Beauty, Sanctity)

Statue of Liberty, New York City
(Generosity, Hope)

**Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico
(Worship, Knowledge)

**Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(Welcoming, Openness)

**Colosseum, Rome, Italy
(Joy, Suffering)

Easter Island Moais, Easter Island, Chile
(Mystery, Awe)

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
(Challenge, Progress)

**Great Wall, China
(Perseverance, Persistence)

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
(Faith, Respect)

Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
(Clarity, Serenity)

Kremlin Red Square, Moscow, Russia
(Fortitude, Symbolism)

**Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Perú
(Community, Dedication)

Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Germany
(Fantasy, Imagination)

**Petra, Jordan
(Engineering, Protection)

Stonehenge, Amesbury, UK
(Intrigue, Endurance)

Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
(Abstraction, Creativity)

**Taj Mahal, Agra, India
(Love, Passion)

Timbuktu, Mali
(Intellect, Mysticism)

*(Honorary Candidate)
Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
(Immortality, Eternity)

*The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a press release on June 20, 2007 reaffirmed that it has no link with the initiative, which it says would reflect "only the opinions of those with access to the internet".

A paragraph from the press release reads "There is no comparison between Mr Weber’s mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The list of the 7 New Wonders of the World will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public."

Some in Egypt see it as competition to the status of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving monument of the original Ancient Wonders. "This is probably a conspiracy against Egypt, its civilization and monuments," wrote editorialist Al-Sayed al-Naggar in a leading state-owned daily. Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosni said the project was "absurd" and described its creator, Weber, as a man "concerned primarily with self-promotion". Nagib Amin, an Egyptian expert on World Heritage Sites, has pointed out that "in addition to the commercial aspect, the vote has no scientific basis."

After the complaints from Egypt, the pyramid was given special status and removed from the voting list. From the Web site: "The New7Wonders Foundation designates the Pyramids of Giza — the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World — as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate, and removed it from the voting."

Source: Wikipedia

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++UPDATED++

**These are the New 7 Wonders of the World.

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