CHRISTMAS WITH ROS
Resonance of Singapore
SOTA Concert Hall
Friday (15 December 2023)
JAZZY CHRISTMAS ONE MORE ONCE!
Jeremy Monteiro & Friends
Esplanade Concert Hall
Saturday (16 December 2023)
This review was published in The Straits Times on 19 December 2023 with the title "Festive cheer from Resonance of Singapore and Jeremy Monteiro."
Christmas concerts warm the heart, and not all of that has to do with faith or religion. Much festive music season is filled with rich melodies, lush harmonies and happy feelings, and the eight members of a cappella group Resonance of Singapore delivered all that. There were, however, some serious songs in the form of Mendelssohn’s Six Anthems (Op.79), each representing a holy day in the German calendar - from Christmas, New Year, Ascension Day to Good Friday - and each closing with a Hallelujah.
Then there were the hymns, like the ancient Gaudete (Rejoice) which opened with a procession accompanied by percussion, or Handel/Lowell Mason’s Joy To The World, dressed up with elaborate harmonies by Garrett Breeze, and O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) sung in German. John Rutter’s saccharine-sweet Angels’ Carol saw a cameo with eighteen members of ROS Young Artists, and how they brightened the evening’s proceedings.
There was time for two world premieres, Kenneth Tay’s Rorate Coeli and John Lee’s The Lamb, both beautifully crafted works of sacred inspiration without being the baggage of being preachy. These were contrasted with popular favourites like Twelve Days Of Christmas with the singers led by Toh Ban Sheng outdoing themselves in the choreographed action department.
The 90 minutes passed swiftly, including a Christmas Medley sing-along of hymns and here the audience was surprisingly vocal. Making them stand up to sing did the trick. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and the obligatory We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas as encores made for the perfect send-off.
There was a tinge of sadness to piano virtuoso Jeremy Monteiro’s annual Jazzy Christmas concert when he announced this to be its fifteenth and final edition. An element of nostalgia was had when he brought back long-time collaborators for one last hurrah. The first was Malaysian pianist Michael Veerapen with whom he duetted on two Steinway grands, with Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Duke Ellington’s Caravan receiving the full improvisatory treatment.
There were no half-measures with Singapore’s King of Swing, whose team had to work extra-hard with their solos, guitarist Joe Lee in Frosty The Snowman, bassist Ben Poh in Let It Snow, trumpeter Paul Panichi in Adolphe Adam’s O Holy Night and saxophonist Sean Letts in It Came On A Midnight Clear. Here, they held centrestage with added support from drummer Tamagoh.
Vocalists also had pride of place, with popular chanteuse Melissa Tham returning with Have Yourself A Merry Christmas and What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve. Stealing the show, however, was Grammy-nominated Carmen Bradford and her booming voice in Merry Christmas Baby and the Louis Armstrong favourite What A Wonderful World.
Listeners of a certain age will remember the 1970s vocal group called Stardust, whose five members led by swimming’s original “Golden Girl” Pat Chan were disinterred and dusted for a very lively Christmas Medley. The entire cast was then united for a final sing out with Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
The ensuing applause was long and loud enough to prompt an encore, the world premiere of Monteiro’s newest song I Wish The World, A Happy Christmas. He soulfully reflected on Singapore’s peace and harmony within a world of war and strife, the song offered a prayerful plea. Singing its very catchy melody with a crooner’s ease, he was joined by the whole crew for a grand apotheosis. Jazzy Christmas could not have bade farewell in a more meaningful way.
 |
| All the fairy lights came on spontaneously! |
 |
| A fond farewell to Jazzy Christmases |
No comments:
Post a Comment