Singapore Philharmonic Winds - Upcoming Concert

Singapore Philharmonic Winds

Article taken from Concert News for Music in Singapore

British maestro Timothy Reynish returns to conduct The Philharmonic Winds in an eclectic programme of some of the best music written for wind orchestra. Reynish is no stranger to the Singapore music scene, having led The Philharmonic Winds to good reviews in various concerts over the past six years.

The centrepiece showcase of the concert is Friedrich Gulda's Concerto for Violoncello and Wind Orchestra, performed by one of the most exciting cellists in recent years - Qin Li-Wei. Gulda's masterpiece incorporates aggressive rock rhythms, jazz idioms and alpine brass-like music that expresses the beauty and greatness of the Salzkammergut, an Austrian region famed for its mountains and lakes. The work provides ample opportunities for Qin to show off what the New York Times has described as "a meltingly beautiful tone, flawlessly centered intonation and an ironclad technique".

Cellist Qin Li-Wei

The Philharmonic Winds will take centrestage in three other epic works. Adam Gorb's Farewell is a large-scale symphonic Adagio that splits the wind ensemble into two distinct "orchestras". The first group of instruments play desperate, anguished music which is juxtaposed against the calming, introspective mood established by the second group.

Percy Grainger's Marching Song of Democracy, originally conceived for voices and whistlers only, is a sprawling tone poem that encapsulates the post-romantic expressive qualities of Bruckner, Mahler, Wagner and Richard Strauss.

Kenneth Hesketh's much anticipated Danceries (Set II) will receive its Asian premiere in this concert. Both sets of Danceries are based on folk and popular tunes from the 17th century but unlike the highly popular first set, the melodies here are more abstracted, and the result is a richer, more exhilarating set of dances.