Hansel Portal

An Eb clarinet or effer of Ngee Ann Secondary that have not seen day lights for years! Yes! this clarinet have been kept away for some time and time to give its shine back and removing the funny smell caused by time *I think*

Other then cleaning it, Also did some adjustment to it, to make it sound better and easier to play! reducing the opening of the octave key, for a better response and corks to various key to prevent key knocking against key. As for tuning, added some white tacks to reduce the extreme sharpness of this instrument, reducing as much as 20 cents of sharpness!

As for the beaten up mouthpiece, a slight resurface to make the table flatten and slightly more opening.

I think it’s looking like new and plays better in tune now!

Nice concert.. but too short for $10. I hope the school can look in to make it more worthwhile next year.. And playing on the stage is truly a bad idea for the band, as the sounds were all trapped in the stage by all the curtains.. An issue that have been around since my time even in the old school hall.. Band rulez!!

It’s a germen bore clarinet that Suhaidi brought from japan! It’s the 1st time I see a germen infront of me, and best of all I got to tried it out. The feel of the clarinet is obviously that its smaller then the convention french bore clarinet it’s much more smaller!! everything felt very compact kind of like Eb clarinet maybe.

As for the sound of it, it’s also very different from french bore clarinet a very focus sound which I wasn’t very used to hearing it!

Keyworks consist of some german style octave key with double vent like bass clarinet. Tunning C closes 2 pads instead of one. And some other additional keys. According to Suhaidi, german clarinet must use a german mouthpiece and reed else its tuning will be wrong.

Conclusion, very very interesting, but personally I would not convert to germen clarinet as I won’t be able to use my french mouthpiece, barrel and all other accessories.

As mentioned it’s a small size trombone, I think it’s made for the kids. best of all it uses a trumpet mouthpiece! and according to my friend who is a trombonist, she said that its harder to get in the rite position as the slide is short to it’s rather hard to find the right spot for the notes.

It’s almost 2 month since I last update the blog!

1st of all will be days after Twice Upon a Time! well concert went well, but I actually expected better, but well maybe I should not. It’s like almost close to 2 years since I last performed ever since army started -_- but it’s still rather decent! some pictures…..

3rd clarinet section – myself, yuka, celestine and Gerian

Old time friend! Chia Lee Yen! lol.

Date: 28th March 2010 (Sunday)
Venue: Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Concert Hall (NUS)
Time: 5:30pm
Tickets: $15* (Free seating)
Conductors: Mdm Tan Soh Hwa & Mr Wilson Ong Chok Yen

Program

Disney Festival | Arr. by Toshio Mashima
Suite for Symphonic Band “Pinocho” (4 Movements) | Ferrer Ferran
Selections from “Princess Mononoke” | Joe Hisaishi, Arr. by Kazuhiro Morita
Highlights from “Spirited Away” | Joe Hisaishi, Arr. by Endo Yukio
“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” Medley | Joe Hisaishi, Arr. Satomi Kojima
“My Neighbour Totoro” ~ Selections for Concert Band ~ | Joe Hisaishi, Arr. by Yo Goto

Interested parties can call Jurong Green Community Club @ 65671374 or log on to http://www.musartwind.org to book your tickets.
Tickets can also be booked through Nick | nick@passionflutedesign.com or Desmond | desmondlkc@hotmail.com or the members of the orchestra.
Also can get through myself @ 98268208!

*Schools may use the TOTE BOARD ARTS GRANT to subsidise 60% of the ticket price.

Its an really awesome week this week! really pack, busy, meaningful, and its just great, probably the best week of the year! It’s so good that I almost forgotten that I am still serving army. 100% no regrets on spamming my 3 days off for next year away like this!

The week starts off with Console development @ Nanyang Polytechnic on 21 and 22. really great to see all the ex lecturers that are still around, Mr Quah, Ms Tan Siew Lan and some others! getting together with friends like Melissa, Shu Wen, Ren Hao, Gabriel and Adrian to code together again! and what impress me was that I am still able to code with all the shortcuts to compiling and running around the codes. And for eye candy, recorded Shu Wen’s “AAA” title game in making! =X

Next will be Gambit’s new game lab at 23rd level of shaw tower with an impressive view of the city, able to see esplanade, IR and many others. It sure be a great spot to see fireworks, F1 and so on.. Had a super full pizza + Ham + Hot Dog, and console games, card games, drinks, dominic’s nurf guns, and some urban ops in the office =X

And there’s my secondary school band’s chalet for the sec 4s that are leaving, really great to see them after so long, hardly able to go back ever since enlisted in army. Really had some fun there, Liang Rong and some others are still the same as when there are sec 1, still screaming, shouting  and playing. Although only get to see Benedict and Tian Hoe, and Tian Hoe have a girlfriend called Joanna *i think* all have grown up!

Then it’s my birthday on the 24th, nothing epic just simple dinner of  log cake, wine and ham at home with family in front of television, and count down to Christmas!! Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Well that’s all so far for this week 26th will be an ITE class  gathering @ Mr Wong’s place which should be another cool times with friends known during ITE, quite an anticipated gathering as we weren’t able to get together during Chinese new year early this year! oh well! it will be great anyway

Decade – In Collaboration with Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay

DATE
19 Jul 2009
Sun, 05:00PM

VENUES
Esplanade Concert Hall

SYNOPSIS
Spend the evening celebrating a decade of music-making with Mus’Art who will be performing choice pieces from their past concerts. Pieces will include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Memories & Phantom of the Opera, songs from their concert with Frances Yip (2002) which will include her famous Shanghai Beach and songs by composers such as James Horner who wrote the theme song Titanic.

Mus’Art Wind Orchestra, under the baton of Tan Soh Hwa, brings together amateur musicians from all walks of life in a hearty celebration of music, in particular, wind music. The community orchestra regularly gives public performances around Singapore, occasionally performs abroad and has won various awards such as the 1st prize (2nd Division) at the 15th World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Netherlands.

This August, the orchestra will be performing a newly commissioned piece, The Butterfly Lovers, as representatives of Singapore in a wind band competition in Holland. Enjoy the evocative The Butterfly Lovers in addition to many other pieces from their past concerts at Decade, a concert which celebrates Mus’Art’s 10th year of music-making.

Get your tickets @ Sistic

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)
Standard – S$15

Please add to above price $3 Booking Fee per ticket for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee per ticket for tickets $20 and below. Charges include GST where applicable.