A Welcome to Conference Delegates
It is hard to believe that five years have past since we first went to Chicago to bid for the Conference to come to Singapore. Back then, we only had one important thing in our heads: to provide musicians in our home country and this region the opportunity for learning and exposure that a world-class conference brings.
In these five years, the world has been through some tough times ranging from 9/11 to SARS and the more-recent tsunami that swept Asia. Although these incidents have greatly shook Asia's economy and affected us badly in our fund raising endeavours, I am just glad and thankful for the team of WASBE and the local organizing committee, who have unfailingly been standing by, supporting and encouraging each other through the difficult times. Despite their full-time work commitments, each and every committee member has given 200% for this WASBE Conference. Sometimes, it amazes me how far the passion for music and our bands can motivate each of us.
The greatest thing I've learned through this conference is perhaps fund raising and giving thanks for everything that friends from around the world have done for us.
Despite us being a new and small committee in Singapore, I am thankful for the kind donors who have put their money in our hands, believing in us and the vision of educating our musicians as well as promoting wind band music to the local community.
I am also as grateful for the support of all the participating bands and their conductors for traveling a long way to Singapore, for being accommodating to the constraints we face, and for the beautiful music they will bring.
I am definitely looking forward to a great Conference to meet old and new friends from around the world, over 100 pieces of exciting music that will be presented at the repertoire sessions and concerts, and all the commissioned works composed especially for this event.
Kudos to all the composers, musicians, bands, all participants, the WASBE Board and last but not least, my working committee.
See you soon!
WASBE President's Message
Good afternoon. As president of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles it is my great pleasure to bring you greetings from the world wind band community. WASBE is the only international organization of wind band conductors, composers, performers, publishers, teachers, music industry representatives, and friends of music. It is the only organization completely dedicated to enhancing the quality of the wind band throughout the world and exposing its members to new worlds of repertoire, musical culture, people and places. Indeed, that is why we are here in Singapore: to fulfill our mission – to promote wind bands as serious and distinctive mediums of musical expression and, as we will witness this week, to further promote its cultural heritage. We are dedicated to encouraging an international dialog between members of WASBE and all who share our goals and vision. We believe strongly in the importance of the wind band in international communication and understanding. This of course is another important reason why we find ourselves in Singapore.
This week, many of you will witness one of the most important efforts of WASBE and that is the encouragement of new compositions which reflect national heritages and transcend international boundaries. For one week, Singapore will be a world of repertoire, a world of musical culture, a world of people and places and a world of performance resources. For this, WASBE is extremely grateful to you, the people of Singapore, for inviting us to your beautiful city, for allowing us to share in your many beautiful facilities and offerings, for the opportunity to meet so many new friends and to learn and experience the culture and people of this great part of the world. As the line in the movie “Field of Dreams” states, “build it and they will come.” Well, thanks to the people of Singapore, the local organizing committee, the WASBE Officers, Board of Directors, the Artistic Planning Committee, and the many performing bands and presenters, we have built it and those who come this week will understand our mantra, a “confluence of the arts” – a gathering where east meets west – and where our cultures will meld into a most spectacular week of activities.
Thank you again Singapore for being such gracious hosts. Please take much pride in knowing that the seed which was planted almost seven years ago is now a full, blossoming flower. The hopes and dreams of so many in this region of bringing WASBE to their part of the world is now a reality. Many who attend this week will never know the tremendous amount of time that has gone into this project but that is how it should be. We have built it, they will come and the world wind band community will be the richer. Thank you Singapore – for allowing us the opportunity to open our eyes and ears this week to the sights and sounds of our cultures and our past. Thank you for your contributions and assistance in securing the future growth and importance of the wind band and for adding another important chapter in the history of our wonderful organization. We in WASBE are deeply grateful.
Thank you so much!
Conference Off to a Roaring Start
The 12th International Conference of WASBE opened in grand style in Singapore on Sunday. Both the debut performance of the Singapore Youth Wind Orchestra and the uplifiting concert of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra signalled that this conference celebrating "A Confluence of Arts" will be one of the most remarkable ventures in the organization's history.
The events actually began Saturday when several youth bands from Taiwan and Singapore performed in the Botanical Gardens as part of the innovative "Outreach Programme" portion of the Singapore conference. Throughout the week there will continue to be student ensembles performing in concert throughout the city, with many of those same students in attendance at the WASBE concerts held in the stunning Esplanade Concert Hall.
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
The opening ceremony featured the performance of a "Fanfare on WASBE" by Singapore composer Robert Castille. A spatial work employing 16 Horns and 7 percussionists, it is based on the musical motive related to the letters W-As-B-E. Following the fanfare, speeches of welcome were offered by dignitaries including President of WASBE-Singapore, Dr. Tian-Tee Lee, and WASBE President Dennis Johnson. Dr. Lee mentioned his satisfaction at being able to realize his dream of hosting a conference where there would be a confluence of arts, and one where the people of Singapore enjoy a wide-ranging conference of wind music. President Johnson remarked how he saw the conference as a "full blossoming flower" in the world of musical culture.
The debut of the Singapore Youth Orchestra shows just how promising the future of wind music is in this country. An enthusiastic and capable ensemble performed with musical sensitivity and panache through the music of David Gillingham, Satoshi Yagisawa, Philip Sparke and Singapore-composer Kelly Tang.
Following the Singapore Youth was an ensemble known as the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Utilizing the traditional instruments that date to the 800s, this group performed contemporary and traditional-based music in the form of a reconstituted symphony orchestra. Striking to hear and engaging to watch, the orchestra gave a most convincing rendition of the Borodin Polovetsian Dances, but was completely captivating in the way they delivered a "Young Persons' Guide"-equivalent to the Chinese Orchestra. Proving an even greater highlight was the energetic Well Matched Fight for solo percussion and orchestra, featuring conductor Quek Ling Kiong as soloist.
The conference is off to a roaring start, as befitting a city whose symbol is a mer-lion!
Standing-Ovation! [Deutsch]
Standing-Ovation anlaesslich der Eroeffnungsfeier fuer die 12. Internationale WASBE-Konferenz in Singapur!
Diese 7 Tage dauernde Konferenz findet im erst vor 2 Jahren neu eroeffneten "Esplanade" Konzert- und Konferenzgebaeude statt.
Die Eroeffnungsfeier wurde von zwei Orchestern der besonderen Art begleitet: Einerseits durch das erst vor 4 Monaten gegruendete und ist bester Spiellaune befindliche "Nationale Jugendblasorchester von Singapur", andererseits durch das "Singapore Chinese Symphony-Orchestra".
Was das junge Orchester in dieser kurzen Zeit hingekriegt hat, ist bemerkenswert. Eine dem Niveau angepasste Programmauswahl, u.a. mit Werken von Gillingham, Sparke als auch von asiatischen Komponisten, hat allseits gefallen. Keine Frage, dass aufgrund des ersten Zusammenspiels noch nicht alles gelungen ist. Hingegen hat das Jugendorchester vorallem mit Spielfreudigkeit und Engagement positiv ueberrascht. So darf man auf die weitere Entwicklung dieses neuen, nationalen Jugendblasorchesters aus Singapur gespannt sein.
Standing-Ovation gabs fuer das Chinese Symphony-Orchestra. Ihr Programm war etwas besonderes und auf hoechstem Niveau. Vorallem ueberrascht haben zwei Kompositionen: zum einen das eigens als Instrumentenvorfuehrung ausgesuchte Werk. Diese sympathisch kommentierte Musik hat uns mehr als 20 originale chinesische Musikinstrumente vorgestellt. Zum anderen gabs ein Solostueck fuer chinesische Trommeln und Orchester. Diese transparent und ausserordentlich musikalisch dargebotene Komposition war Spitzenklasse.
Damit war die Eroeffungsfeier anlaesslich der 12. internationalen WASBE-Konferenz in Singapur vollends geglueckt.
Zhu fu cong xin jia bo,
Herzliche Gruesse aus Singapur,
©2005 WASBE