On 23 August 2009, the Victoria Concert Hall (VCH) reverberated with sounds uniquely Singaporean as The Millennial Orchestra (TMO) debuted its inaugural public concert.

Entitled “Composers & Talents from Home”, the evening crescendoed beautifully in a selection of compositions by both established and budding local musicians.

While ‘Sketches of Singapore’ and ‘Child of Destiny’ by veteran composers Dr Kelly Tang and Dr Er Yenn Chwen respectively would have aroused patriotic pride in any Singaporean heart, it was the works of debutante score writers Jeanette Teoh and Nathania Chan which proved surprisingly novel.

Teoh’s ‘Sheer Determination’ successfully evoked a sense of perseverance in the face of challenges through its steady, unwavering rhythms, accentuated by strong percussions.

Equally moving was melancholy but graceful ‘Wild Roses’ by Chan. Inspired by the character Zipporah from the movie, Prince of Egypt, her lyrical composition poignantly conveyed both the pain of being the prisoner-bride of Pharaoh’s sons as well as Zipporah’s longing for freedom.

These two pieces certainly left an indelible impression on the orchestra’s musicians. Cellist Janelle Kam, 35, applauded the two composers’ boldness in writing and arranging for a full orchestra, describing it as nothing short of “daring”. For violinist, Eric Tan, 22, the pieces were, “new” and “very refreshing.”

The evening also celebrated a cornucopia of homegrown performers. Amongst them, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate, Sofi Natalia, who delivered an exhilarating piano solo of Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor.

PHOTOS: Isiah Nerville Su

Also beaming with pride was Long Soon Luan, 55, whose daughter, soprano soloist, Lim Yan Ting, gave a spirited performance of two arias from Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘The Marriage of Figaro’. Speaking in Mandarin, Long said of her daughter, “She puts in a lot of effort. Our house is constantly filled with her singing.”

For Lim herself, performing at the VCH conjured up mixed emotions of “euphoria” and “anxiety”. After spending many an MRT ride imagining what it would be like to stand on the VCH stage, finally being there was “like a dream come true.”

Indeed, “Composers & Talents from Home” will go down as a milestone not just for Lim, but for TMO itself. If the life of the orchestra were a symphony, this concert would mark the start of a new movement — one in which the tempo is up as TMO matures into a lively hub for aspiring Singaporean classical music talents.

Watch City News’ video coverage of The Millennial Orchestra’s debut concert, coming soon to www.citynews.sg.

Graduating class waxes nostalgic about time at school over celebration dinner.

Endless chatter, radiant faces and camera flashlights filled the Hall at Keppel Club on 7 August as over 600 students celebrated the end of five life-changing months at City Harvest Church’s (CHC) School of Theology (SOT) Graduation Dinner.

In his speech, Dean of Students, Bobby Chaw, aptly summed up the period at SOT as a “Kairos time” or the opportune moment where 636 people of varying backgrounds made one common decision to enroll and be trained for God’s purposes.

Reflecting on his special time at the school, business owner, Peter Ngion, mischievously described it as the “School of Terror” and “Trials and Tribulations”, which slowly evolved into the “School of Transition” and “Transformation”, before finally becoming the “School of Triumphs”. Ngion was also voted Mr. Charisma during the evening.

For Andrew Tan, graduating from SOT was another significant step in his path from darkness to light having previously “graduated” from a boys’ home and reformative center due to a past of drugs, gangs and violence. To Tan, SOT was not just an ordinary experience, “but really about experiencing God and encountering God at a whole new level.”

Echoing his views was Zhou Sheng Dan, who cited that her most important lesson was the need for fresh revelation from God’s word daily so as not to tire and give up in ministry.

Miss Charisma for the evening, Korean, Bae Jin Hee, shared that the event during SOT that impressed her most was the inaugural International Idol. The student-run talent competition creatively reached out to Singapore’s multicultural community, dispelling notions of church as boring.

In fact, according to SOT Administrator, Cindy Chaw, the creativity of graduates from year to year is growing as each batch of students becomes more bold in shining forth their talents.

PHOTOS: Lee Boon Bee

No surprise then that the dinner itself proved a showcase of creativity — from the rap, dance and song performances to the students’ fashion forward attire.

The evening fittingly concluded with students singing along to evergreen number, ‘That’s What Friends Are For’, as they celebrated the warm camaraderie that would be dearly missed as SOT Class of 2009 comes to a close.