The performance at the Library@Esplanade last Saturday (4th July) was another successful outing for Guitaresque. The crowd was appreciative (and i think the 40 odd chairs were filled, plus quite a number of people standing around too) and we played alright. While it certainly wasn't one of our best performance - in any sense of the word, and I believe the players themselves will agree - I felt the overall flow was smooth and given the limitations we'd faced, it has to be considered a success.
One bugbear this time though was the fact that the library staff did not seem to know much about the sound (miking) setup and their equipment. Possibly because the "right" people weren't around, we ended helping ourselves to the chairs, the mic stands, the mics, the wires, and possibly every other thing that we needed from the store room. We also had to do the mic testing (using the master control and all) ourselves, which resulted in a complete wastage of our 1hour supposed sound-test time. In the end, we did not play a single note in the sound test, and as there was another programme planned for 2-3pm time slot, we simply had to start playing "cold" at 315pm (the previous programme went overtime a bit) So considering all that, I believe we did reasonably well.
Some of our supportive friends in the audience gave us helpful feedback, regarding which songs they felt we did particularly well, and which ones they thought we were "smoking" our way through (trust a guitarist to know when another's bluffing eh? =P ). Rather surprisingly, La Tierra was mentioned as one of our better songs, by more than 1 in the group of friends who came to listen to us. I think credit has to be given to the compositional skills on Francis Kleynjans, who has managed to write a piece which is sophisticated, interesting and extremely 'guitaristic'. *if you play the guitar, you'd know what I mean by guitaristic, ya?* Clair de Lune was also mentioned as a song which came through rather well.
On the flip side - and not too surprisingly - Carnaval was picked as a song which sounded a little messy and under-rehearsed. I guess when your fingers are feeling cold and stiff, playing fast running scales and arppeggios aren't the best idea in the concert. Still, looking at the fact that we played this song as a "one-off" competition piece a couple of years back, and now are able to just play it as one-of-many in a 1 hour gig, I think there's reason to be positive about the group's progress.
That said, there's obviously much room for improvement, and the quartet should come back stronger and more prepared in September, when we perform in the Singapore Art Museum for our annual show-piece - Guitaresque Expressions.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Library@Esplanade 4th July
Guitaresque will be playing at the Library@Esplanade on the 4th July (Saturday) 3pm at the Open Stage.
This will be the third time the quartet has performed at this venue. We sort of like this cosy little corner at the nicely furnished library, as the nature of the performance can be quite informal and relaxed.
Songs we have chosen for this 45 min gig are:
1) Haruyo Koi
2) La Tierra
3) Appalachian Folksongs
4) Over the Rainbow
5) Moon River
6) Carnaval
7) Claire de Lune
8) Golliwog's Cakewalk
9) Variations on a theme on Shabondama
See you at the Library@Esplanade this Saturday!
This will be the third time the quartet has performed at this venue. We sort of like this cosy little corner at the nicely furnished library, as the nature of the performance can be quite informal and relaxed.
Songs we have chosen for this 45 min gig are:
1) Haruyo Koi
2) La Tierra
3) Appalachian Folksongs
4) Over the Rainbow
5) Moon River
6) Carnaval
7) Claire de Lune
8) Golliwog's Cakewalk
9) Variations on a theme on Shabondama
See you at the Library@Esplanade this Saturday!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Performance at SAM 2009
We are currently in discussion with the SAM folks on a staging a performance at the museum for the 3rd year running.
Following successes in our recently 2 performances there - in 2007 and 2008 respectively - the quartet has grown really fond of the place. Its scenic environment, beautiful ambience, and serene charm - all contributing to create a relaxed mood, to be accompanied by the sweet sounds of the classical guitar...
Currently, the tentative date is sometime in September. We're keeping our fingers crossed...
Looking forward to playing there again!
Following successes in our recently 2 performances there - in 2007 and 2008 respectively - the quartet has grown really fond of the place. Its scenic environment, beautiful ambience, and serene charm - all contributing to create a relaxed mood, to be accompanied by the sweet sounds of the classical guitar...
Currently, the tentative date is sometime in September. We're keeping our fingers crossed...
Looking forward to playing there again!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A new beginning!
The quartet has started our regular weekly training/practice again.
Due to the inavailability of my new home (also the lack of room! ), Guitaresque has found a new rehearsal "studio" in the form of DIVO's bedroom - which is really as big as many living rooms of flats which I've visited. :P
Anyway, what's most important is that the group has again begun to tackle new songs and challenges. Amongst the more interesting pieces we are attempting now is this piece called La Tierra （大地）, which is one of the 4 "elements" in Francis Kleyjans' expertly written guitar quartet composition Los Cuatro Elementos, which means "The 4 Elements". I particularly liked this piece, as it contains many phrases whereby the 4 guitarists inter-weave their play, combining 4 guitar solos into 1 colourful burst of melodies and counter-melodies.
We are also working on a Jeremy Spark's arrangement of Claire de Lune, which contains quite a fair bit of pauses and it really requires the quartet to develop a good understanding of one anothers' play.
These pieces, along with some other familiar favourites will be presented in our next public performance on the 4th July 2009 at the Library@Esplanade.
Due to the inavailability of my new home (also the lack of room! ), Guitaresque has found a new rehearsal "studio" in the form of DIVO's bedroom - which is really as big as many living rooms of flats which I've visited. :P
Anyway, what's most important is that the group has again begun to tackle new songs and challenges. Amongst the more interesting pieces we are attempting now is this piece called La Tierra （大地）, which is one of the 4 "elements" in Francis Kleyjans' expertly written guitar quartet composition Los Cuatro Elementos, which means "The 4 Elements". I particularly liked this piece, as it contains many phrases whereby the 4 guitarists inter-weave their play, combining 4 guitar solos into 1 colourful burst of melodies and counter-melodies.
We are also working on a Jeremy Spark's arrangement of Claire de Lune, which contains quite a fair bit of pauses and it really requires the quartet to develop a good understanding of one anothers' play.
These pieces, along with some other familiar favourites will be presented in our next public performance on the 4th July 2009 at the Library@Esplanade.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
We're moving!
No, it's not that Guitaresque is moving our blog somewhere else.
Neither is it that the group has progressed so much that we are moving overseas to ply our guitar skills (though our venerable mentor Mr Alex A recently told us that he felt we were "at that standard" to venture overseas.. Somehow, we all felt it was simply kind words from an old teacher, whose sense of hearing may not be as keen as before, or as we'd have liked. Nevertheless, I am still very grateful to be thought of highly by such a respectable figure as he. )
Guitaresque will, however, be moving out of our regular rehearsal studio (which will be fondly remembered as our "Carnegie Hall" ) at The Dew@ Bukit Batok. The reason? I'm moving house this week. That is also the reason why this blog has not been receiving the regular updates recently.
Here're some pictures for us to remember the place by, in the future...
Neither is it that the group has progressed so much that we are moving overseas to ply our guitar skills (though our venerable mentor Mr Alex A recently told us that he felt we were "at that standard" to venture overseas.. Somehow, we all felt it was simply kind words from an old teacher, whose sense of hearing may not be as keen as before, or as we'd have liked. Nevertheless, I am still very grateful to be thought of highly by such a respectable figure as he. )
Guitaresque will, however, be moving out of our regular rehearsal studio (which will be fondly remembered as our "Carnegie Hall" ) at The Dew@ Bukit Batok. The reason? I'm moving house this week. That is also the reason why this blog has not been receiving the regular updates recently.
Here're some pictures for us to remember the place by, in the future...
Where we shall be pracitising in the future is still uncertain, but in all likelihood, we would be visiting LS's abode, since space is definitely -not- an issue at his place. =)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Music Arrangement
At the recent music training camp held at the Centre for the Arts, organised for the NUS Niibori guitar orchestra (GENUS), Raj - who is my fellow guitar tutor for the club - and I conducted a short workshop on music arrangement for the classical guitar.
We tried to make it more like an open forum, in which the students could exchange ideas and share their own experience on the topic of arranging music for the classical guitar (CG)- or more specifically, for the CG ensemble.
Only a hand of them at the workshop had some experience in arranging music (since many of the alumni members were absent), but a few common issues were identified:
1) Difficulty in selecting suitable music to arrange for the CG
- It is certainly true that not all songs are suitable for guitar transcription. E.g. try arranging Beethoven's 5th Symphony for the CG. hehe)
2) Finding a suitable key to arrange the song in
- We introduced a couple of the more "guitar friendly" key signatures, including the usual A maj, E maj, G maj, C maj, and of course the favourite D maj. For the minor keys, common ones include A min, D min and E min (
3) Deciding on the instruments to be used
- Here, we advised the newbies to try arranging for a trio or quartet of Prime guitars as a good way of getting started. Normally a simple guitar ensemble arrangement would comprise of a lead guitar (G1) which carries most if not all the melody lines; an accompanying chord part (G2); and a bass line (G3). An additional guitar part can be written/arranged for a harmony voice or to add some counter-melodies to sweeten the arrangement.)
- Only students with some basic arranging skills should attempt to arrange for a Niibori-styled guitar orchestra, as that involves more consideration into the key signatures used (2 sets - one for the Altos/Basses, the other for the Primes/Contra basses/Guitaron) as well as understanding of the pitch range achievable and "playable" in such arrangements
Looking back on my own experience in arranging music for guitar ensemble/orchestra in the past decade, getting past the initial stages of "setting the stage right" has always the most difficult. That includes some of the above-mentioned issues (selecting song, the key, the types/number of guitars, etc), as well as the lost of "momentum" which normally occurs after arranging half the song! Normally, sitting in front of the computer screen and staring hard at those little note-heads causes a slight head-ache and after a couple of hours, the notes seem to fly out at me! :P
That probably explains why I'd taken weeks (if not months sometimes) to complete a song which I'd started arranging - normally on an impulse.
* in this aspect, our DIVO Liang Shan has become a master in arranging/transcribing for the Niibori orchestra. His "production rate" for the Expose Orchestra has been phenomenal!
With guitar quartet music now much more readily available and purchasable on the internet, my choice of arranging music for Guitaresque has been limited to certain genres of music which are lacking in the mass market, namely - chinese pop songs and evergreens!
Hmm.. I think I will try to arrange a sequel to the 老情歌组曲 in my next attempt :)
We tried to make it more like an open forum, in which the students could exchange ideas and share their own experience on the topic of arranging music for the classical guitar (CG)- or more specifically, for the CG ensemble.
Only a hand of them at the workshop had some experience in arranging music (since many of the alumni members were absent), but a few common issues were identified:
1) Difficulty in selecting suitable music to arrange for the CG
- It is certainly true that not all songs are suitable for guitar transcription. E.g. try arranging Beethoven's 5th Symphony for the CG. hehe)
2) Finding a suitable key to arrange the song in
- We introduced a couple of the more "guitar friendly" key signatures, including the usual A maj, E maj, G maj, C maj, and of course the favourite D maj. For the minor keys, common ones include A min, D min and E min (
3) Deciding on the instruments to be used
- Here, we advised the newbies to try arranging for a trio or quartet of Prime guitars as a good way of getting started. Normally a simple guitar ensemble arrangement would comprise of a lead guitar (G1) which carries most if not all the melody lines; an accompanying chord part (G2); and a bass line (G3). An additional guitar part can be written/arranged for a harmony voice or to add some counter-melodies to sweeten the arrangement.)
- Only students with some basic arranging skills should attempt to arrange for a Niibori-styled guitar orchestra, as that involves more consideration into the key signatures used (2 sets - one for the Altos/Basses, the other for the Primes/Contra basses/Guitaron) as well as understanding of the pitch range achievable and "playable" in such arrangements
Looking back on my own experience in arranging music for guitar ensemble/orchestra in the past decade, getting past the initial stages of "setting the stage right" has always the most difficult. That includes some of the above-mentioned issues (selecting song, the key, the types/number of guitars, etc), as well as the lost of "momentum" which normally occurs after arranging half the song! Normally, sitting in front of the computer screen and staring hard at those little note-heads causes a slight head-ache and after a couple of hours, the notes seem to fly out at me! :P
That probably explains why I'd taken weeks (if not months sometimes) to complete a song which I'd started arranging - normally on an impulse.
* in this aspect, our DIVO Liang Shan has become a master in arranging/transcribing for the Niibori orchestra. His "production rate" for the Expose Orchestra has been phenomenal!
With guitar quartet music now much more readily available and purchasable on the internet, my choice of arranging music for Guitaresque has been limited to certain genres of music which are lacking in the mass market, namely - chinese pop songs and evergreens!
Hmm.. I think I will try to arrange a sequel to the 老情歌组曲 in my next attempt :)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
C02 & Expose
The condenser microphones I've ordered via Vpost USA has finally arrived!
The packaging of the mics
The mics come in a pair, with shock-absorbing holders and wind cushions/covers provided
A close-up view of the pencil-type condenser mic
Since Guitaresque has no upcoming performances at the moment, I'm not sure when we will get to actually use these.... (although I am presently contemplating and planning for a March/April outing at SAM again).
One other possibility of testing out the condenser mics may come in February 09 (on Valentine's Day to be exact), when the Expose ensemble takes the stage in the National Library forum area.
Expose is a Niibori ensemble comprising of many alumni players from the National University of Singapore Guitar Ensemble (Genus). The group is led by its conductor Kevin Ow - also a member of Guitaresque - who single-handedly arranges the ensemble's growing repertoire, which usually feature almost the full range of the Niibori-styled instruments. The group has performed at numerous public venues, most notably in the Esplanade Concert Hall early this year for a Beautiful Sunday performance.
The packaging of the mics 
The mics come in a pair, with shock-absorbing holders and wind cushions/covers provided A close-up view of the pencil-type condenser micSince Guitaresque has no upcoming performances at the moment, I'm not sure when we will get to actually use these.... (although I am presently contemplating and planning for a March/April outing at SAM again).
One other possibility of testing out the condenser mics may come in February 09 (on Valentine's Day to be exact), when the Expose ensemble takes the stage in the National Library forum area.
Expose is a Niibori ensemble comprising of many alumni players from the National University of Singapore Guitar Ensemble (Genus). The group is led by its conductor Kevin Ow - also a member of Guitaresque - who single-handedly arranges the ensemble's growing repertoire, which usually feature almost the full range of the Niibori-styled instruments. The group has performed at numerous public venues, most notably in the Esplanade Concert Hall early this year for a Beautiful Sunday performance.
(Ed: Even though none of Expose's players are professional guitarists, I personally consider Expose to be one of the finest Niibori guitar ensemble in Singapore, if not in the South-east Asia region. )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)