FRIENDS IN RHYTHM / Singapore Percussion Association & Friends / Review

 

FRIENDS IN RHYTHM

Singapore Percussion Association & Friends

Esplanade Recital Studio

Wednesday (12 August 2026)

I never knew about the Singapore Percussion Association (SPA) until late last week. Now I know. Founded by Mario Choo, percussionist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the association presented a very enjoyable 70-minute concert with members Benjamin Boo (Principal percussionist of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra) and Hazizi Jaafar (freelance percussionist), and their friends.

Photo: Umagic Studio

The well-attended concert opened with Calvin Warren’s Truncated with three men huddled around assorted drums and cymbals. This was a brief but exuberant “fanfare”, erupting with energy and flair, a literally striking beginning to the evening.

Photo: Umagic Studio

Next came Lou Harrison’s First Concerto for Flute & Percussion, a three-movement fast-slow-fast work with Eric Lamb, Head of wind, brass and percussion at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory accompanied by Choo. Busy Bach-like counterpoint occupied the swift outer movements, sandwiching a central movement of haunting beauty, with long-breathed aria backed by the quiet chime of gongs, evocative of Bali or somewhere exotic in the Orient.

Coloratura soprano Wang Tong, also Mario’s wife, was literally carried on stage for a sparkling performance of Les oiseaux dans la Charmille, the famous Doll Song from Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. This arrangement by Choo included accompaniment by piano, flute, marimba and triangle and ratchet (cog rattle). Those familiar with Sumi Jo’s performance know what to expect when the automaton winds down, with Wang Tong brought back to life with a giant key by Hazizi. 

Photo: Umagic Studio

Tickled by the spectacle, people in the front row started taking photos, but were stopped by very obtrusive Esplanade ushers despite a prior announcement that photos and videos were permissible. Who are the real-life automatons now?

Esplanade staff only know how to spoil a show.

Photo: Umagic Studio

For Ben Cato’s Hidden Universe, three men huddled around a marimba for another love-in. This time, the sonorities resonant but mellow, with the syncopated rhythms being more comforting rather than strident. Mario’s remark “I just love off-beats” was on the dot.

Photo: Umagic Studio

The bell is an instrument from the world of percussion, and a tribute was provided by Thai pianist Poom Prommachart, head of junior music at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, in the form of Marc-Andre Hamelin’s Etude No.3 d’apres Paganini-Liszt. This is a fiendishly distorted vista of La Campanella heavy with bass notes, exaggerated grace notes, misplaced harmonies and general virtuoso mayhem. Hamelin, who was in Singapore last weekend, would have approved.

Photo:  Umagic Studio

Wang Tong returned for the lovely Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (The Beautiful Dream of Doretta), the most famous aria from Puccini’s early opera La Rondine. Accompanied by pianist Poom, this was just enchanting. Andrea Venet’s Omnes Trio completed the three-man percussion fiesta, now huddled around a central bass drum and smaller drums. Opening with a strike of a tam tam, and a hint of a theme on cymbals, another rhythmic and exuberant show erupted to close the percussion showcase as it began.

Photo: Umagic Studio

Photo: Umagic Studio

The enchanted evening closed with the Xinjiang folksong, Shang De Yi’s Serene Pastures of July, imbued with Central Asian flavour and mystique, as Wang Tong was accompanied by the full monty tutti. As an encore, she and Poom obliged with Schumann’s Widmung (Op.25 No.1), a dedication to every person in the audience. One can hardly wait for the next SPA concert.

Photo: Umagic Studio

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT BOOKS KINOKUNIYA?

A guard stands at the entrance of Kino.
You mean people steal books? That's sad.

What would we do without Books Kinokuniya? This would be a rhetorical question if it were not so simple. Big physical bookstores are under threat in Singapore. Over the years, they have been closing, including the wonderful Borders at Wheelock Place, the old stalwarts like MPH (once proudly at Stamford Road), the many Times bookstores. Even Popular, famous for selling textbooks and assessment books, has been bought over. All we have are small indie bookstores and a single giant - Books Kinokuniya. 

Online sales and e-books have helped bring the bricks-and-mortar bookstore to a sad demise. Books Kinokuniya, with its three shops - Takashimaya Square, Raffles City and Bugis Junction - stands alone, but for how long? 

I never read e-magazines, only physical ones.

The aisles should be packed during
a public holiday, but not today.

Browsing is why we have physical bookstores, and nothing feels better than leafing through albums and magazines, and then buying them for a read, hopefully repeated at a later date. Sadly, I am also a Tsundoku, one who has more books than the time to read them. Yet, I persist. 

Visiting Kinokuniya at Orchard Road is a monthly ritual for me, mainly to buy magazines - on classical music (Gramophone, BBC Music, International Piano, Pianist), football (FourFourTwo), history (BBC History and various mooks or magazine books), current affairs (The Critic) and Mekong Review for Asian issues. Then I'll also buy one book - usually on history or world / regional topics.

Nobody beats Kino in Japanese literature,
translated into English.

When Kino has its 20% sale, usually during festive periods and National Day, I buy more, with the hope of reading the lot during weekends and late nights. The photos come from my latest visit, the public holiday Monday after National Day. I came by public transport and returned with a bundle of books. The next big sale will be just before Christmas, and I am already anticipating this.

Musical scores - not a lot to choose from.
The staff are always courteous and helpful.

So to answer the question. Life will be lots duller without Books Kinokuniya, but I'll have more time to cover those unread books.

Post-National Day, I did the patriotic thing
by buying the OG book on Singlish.
Why cannot, meh?

MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN GETS TO MEET (BRIEFLY) SINGAPORE PIANOPHILES

The world-renowned Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin was in town last week to perform with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in concerto and chamber music, his first visit here since 2012. No meet-and-greet or autograph session was arranged by the SSO, but a bunch of hopeful local pianophiles aggregated outside Victoria Concert Hall's stage door to get a glimpse of the super-virtuoso and possibly have a few words with him.

He soon emerged, and it was credit to the on-duty SSO staff that he was not straight away bundled into the limousine and rushed back to the hotel or airport. He thus had a chance to chat with those pianophiles, sign autographs and take photos. Many were armed with CD sleeves, and others with his piano scores (his Twelve Etudes published by C.F.Peters was a particular favourite) and other memorabilia. As obliging as always, he met with each and every person, and nobody was going home disappointing. Instead, they will be telling their friends here and overseas all about it.

For the record, Hamelin has come to Singapore on five occasions, first performing at the 4th Singapore International Piano Festival in 1997 (Beethoven & Liszt) and in concertos with the SSO in 2005 (Rachmaninov 3), 2008 (Mendelssohn 1), 2012 (Beethoven 4) and most recently 2026 (Brahms 2). All these are popular mainstream piano concertos. Can we even hope for the near future, performances of Nikolai Medtner concertos (any one of three, especially No.2) or dare we even dream, Busoni's Piano Concerto? 

MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN & SEBASTIAN WEIGLE / TROUT QUINTET & BRAHMS WITH MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN / Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

 

MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN &

SEBASTIAN WEIGLE – 

BRAHMS PIANO CONCERTO NO.2

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Esplanade Concert Hall

Thursday (6 August 2026)

THE TROUT QUINTET & BRAHMS

WITH MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN

with musicians of 

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Saturday (8 August 2026)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 9 August 2026 with the title "Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin shows mastery of wide repertoire in concerts with SSO".

Canadian super-virtuoso pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin made his fourth appearance with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 2005 in a sold-out concert directed by German conductor Sebastian Weigle. Hamelin’s legend as “the pianist’s pianist” was borne out by his complete mastery of the widest repertoire, and the art of making the most complex of works (by Charles Alkan, Leopold Godowsky, Ferruccio Busoni, Nikolai Medtner, Charles Ives, K.S.Sorabji et al) sound like child’s play.

All this seems to have overshadowed his true love and deep understanding of the core repertoire classics, set right in a masterly performance of Johannes Brahms’ monumental Second Piano Concerto in B flat major (Op.83). Cast like a four-movement symphony, its demanding piano part is so well-integrated into the musical fabric as to render its virtuoso presence moot.

Photo: Chris P.Lim

Hamelin’s role was to stand out like a soloist yet be part of the general ensemble, a task far easier said than done. His mission was helped by excellent orchestral players, opening with fellow Montrealer Marc-Antoine Robillard’s pitch-perfect horn solo, whose theme returned like an idee fixe (fixed idea) at pivotal moments.

Photo: Chris P.Lim

In the Andante slow movement, Ng Pei-Sian’s cello sang the concerto’s most memorable melody, its congeniality reciprocated by Hamelin’s mellowness of touch. At the Scherzo’s treacherous development section where lesser pianists fall short, Hamelin’s transcendental technique held sway. Playing very fast, very soft and very smooth all at once is what pianophiles marvel about.

The finale’s lightness saw Brahms at his most mercurial, with the Viennese waltz and Hungarian influences referenced, and a sprightly tarantella rhythm to close brought down the house. Hamelin’s encores, two riotous Earl Wild transcriptions of George Gershwin songs – Liza and Fascinatin’ Rhythm – were icing on the cake.

What an Esplanade full-house looks like,
a view from the gallery.
Photo: Kenneth Kwok

Antonin Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony in D minor (Op.70), the Bohemian composer at his most Brahmsian, completed the concert. The burnished quality of strings and warmth of excellent woodwinds distinguished the performance. Conductor Weigle ensured the Scherzo’s vigourous Slavonic Dance and dramatic finale were not rhythmically strait-jacketed, allowing the music to breathe and stride to a thrilling conclusion.

Photo: Aloysius Lim

On 8 August, Hamelin was joined by SSO musicians for a fully-subscribed chamber concert that will be long remembered for the quality of playing. Newly-appointed concertmaster Andrew Beer on violin and French horn principal Austin Larson were his partners in Brahms’ Horn Trio in E flat major (Op.40).

Photo: LG Lim

Larson’s exceptional tone quality, intonation and breath control were exemplary for its success, with the lively spirit of the hunt leaping into action in the second and fourth movements. Hamelin’s rock- steady pianism and Beer’s excellent articulation supported him to the hilt.

Photo: LG Lim

Photo: Aloysius Lim

Franz Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major (D.667), better-known as the Trout Quintet, was the ultimate Hausmusik, a collegial house party of musical friends. Despite just having met within the week, Hamelin with violinist Beer, violist Chen Li, cellist Christopher Mui and double bassist Yang Zhengyi played and sounded like long cherished colleagues.

From the opening chord, the music radiated the sunshine of an Austrian summer. The exposition repeats just doubled the pleasure of hearing and seeing men at work. And was not everyone waiting for the fourth movement’s variations on Schubert’s lied Die Forelle (The Trout)? The familiarity of this melody (also heard on Samsung washing machines) will never tire. This delightful outing also highlighted the universality of chamber music, where world-renowned soloists and rank-and-file musicians dine at the same table.

Photo: LG Lim

NATIONAL DAY SUKA MAKAN: RETURNING TO ARAB STREET TURKISH RESTAURANT @ CLEMENTI STREET 12

It seems we cannot get enough of Turkish food, so the whole Gouw clan made its way to celebrate National Day (9 August 2026) - our 61st - at Arab Street Turkish & Western Restaurant, the one we know and love along Sunset Way. Owner Maxim was delighted to see us back, and in bigger numbers to try his dishes, so we ordered a selection of meats and seafood.

A selection of veges & hummus

Lentil soup

More hummus & baba ganoush
(eggplant dish in oil)

An Amy Yip-sized lavash (flatbread),
perfect for dipping / dipping into hummus.

A generous helping of moussaka in a tagine.

Here are the sweet results of our choices, a little bit of everything to satisfy the meat-lovers and the ones who need some greens. This is my third post of Arab Street on Suka Makan, and we are still discovering new dishes, and new experiences to savour and enjoy.

Assorted meats and Turkish rice

A pide (Turkish pizza)

Seafood platter

Sea bass, salmon & prawns.

Kunafa dessert with ice-cream & bananas.
Sinfully sweet!

Turkish coffee will keep you awake for hours.

The Gouws heartily approve!

Maxim knows we'll come back again.

ARAB STREET TURKISH RESTAURANT

Block 106 Clementi Street 12 #0-38

Singapore 120106

restaurant arab street turkish & western (@arabstreetturkishwestern) • Instagram photos and videos