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President's
Message
Dear Friends of Symphonia,

Thank you for spending this wonderful Sunday afternoon with us. Wel-
come to Symphonia Festiva X: Adelante! The New Beginning.

This concert is a milestone for SMU Symphonia as we celebrate the tenth

installment of the Symphonia Festiva series. In Spanish, Adelante means
to move ahead, symbolising Symphonia marching forward on her musi-
cal journey as we make plans to become a full-fledged orchestra.

This years repertoire revolves around themes of peace and hope amidst
change, featuring monumental works such as La Passi de Cristo (The
Passion of Christ) and Hajj. Other highlights include familiar tunes from
international sensations- The Sound of Music and Les Misrables. These
works tell epic stories during times of great change and progress, captur-
ing the essence of Adelante.

Progress is not an individual endeavour, but a collective pursuit. On stage

tonight are our musicians who have dedicated many hours in prepara-
tion for this concert. In this concert, we are also progressing as a school
community by collaborating with SMU Indian Cultural Society and SMU
Ivory Keys. Our efforts would also not have been possible without our res-
ident conductor Mr Chiang, and the recognition and support by SMUs
Office of Student Life, SMU Arts & Cultural Fraternity, family, friends, and
last but not least, you.

Now sit back, relax, and may you find peace through our music.

Yours Sincerely,
22 Jolene Heng
12TH President, SMU Symphonia
resident
conductor Adrian Chiang
Conductor

A recipient of the National Arts Council and National University of Singa-

pore scholarship, Adrian completed his Master of Music (conducting ma-
jor) degree programme at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (NUS),
under the tutelage of Associate Professor Jason Lai, Principal Conductor of
the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).

Adrian conducts the Philharmonic Winds, one of Singapores premier wind

ensembles, seasonally for outreach performances and concerts. He is also
the main conductor for the following groups: Singapore Management Uni-
versity Symphonia, the Philharmonic Youth Winds, the Singapore Polytech-
nic Symphonic Band, the Victoria Junior College Symphonic Band, the
Catholic High School Symphony Band, the CHIJ (Toa Payoh) Secondary Con-
cert Band, the Maris Stella High School Symphonic Band and Primary Brass
Band. Under his direction, his groups consistently achieve the finest results
and highest accolades in music festivals, held both locally and overseas.

Adrian also started a new orchestra in 2015 called Singapore Sounds in cele-
bration of Singapores 50th national celebrations. Infusing Chinese, Malay and
Indian instruments into a western Symphony Orchestra, Adrian premiered
a full concert of new arrangements and compositions with this uniquely
Singaporean Orchestra. This concert also featured SSOs Co-Concertmaster
Lynnette Seah on the violin.

Adrians passion for conducting was borne through the years, and developed
over the course of a wide range of professional conducting studies with re-
spected figures such as Lan Shui, Jonas Alber, Luke Dollman, Sean Edwards,
Allan McMurray, Eugene Corporon, Robert Reynolds, Tom Lee, Richard Craig,
Richard Floyd and Frank Ticheli. Other music teachers who had a great influ-
ence in his developmental years included Mary Ang, Yeong Yoon Ching, Tan 33
Chan Boon, and David Wong.
From our humble beginnings as a small ensemble in 2003, SMU Sym-
phonia has grown leaps and bounds over the last decade into a full-
fledged wind and strings symphony. The bands development has been
a result of continual pursuit of excellence by past and present musicians
both within and outside the university.

Our core values are music, friends and fun, and we have appeared in
both local and overseas community performances to share the joy of
music in the heartlands and lift the spirits of residents,

Our vigourous music enrichment programme includes exchanges with

overseas wind bands and participation in international band festivals.
These includes the Australian International Music Festival 2009 (Gold
Award), Mid Europe Wind Orchestra Festival 2011 (1st prize - 1st division),
Singapore International Band Festival 2012 (1st prize 1st division), and the
Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival 2013 (Outstand-
ing Award). The band has also worked with internationally acclaimed
conductors such as James Keene (USA) and Timothy Reynish (United
Kingdom).

Find out more about us here!

SMU Symphonia

our story
44
 12th executive committee
JOLENE HENG SI YING, LYU BINGJIE CARL,
PRESIDENT OFFICE OF LOGISTICS AND
ASSETS MANAGEMENT
HO BING HONG,
VICE PRESIDENT SEE WENYU,
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
OFFICE OF MUSIC
OFFICE OF LIBRARY
WONG RACHEL,
OFFICE OF SECRETARIAT VIVIAN TAN XUE JUN,
OFFICE OF LIBRARY [DEPUTY]
OFFICE OF MARKETING &
COMMUNICATIONS [DEPUTY]
DONG WENJIA,
WENDY NG SOCK LING, OFFICE OF MARKETING &
OFFICE OF FINANCE COMMUNICATIONS

55
indian culturAl society

The Indian Cultural Society (ICS) was

founded in Dec 2005 with an earnest
desire to add spice to the Arts and Cul-
tural Scene in SMU with a touch of Indi- tay qi hang
an flavour. ICS embarked upon a journey chua yue fang
to spread a greater understanding and
appreciation of Indian culture among
the SMU students by involving them in
various events and activities. These ac-
tivities include engaging in various cul-
tural productions, Indian Dance and
Music, hands-on experience in Indian

OUR GU
art like Rangoli and club gatherings to
strengthen bonds between members.

ICS intend to continue existing activi-

ties they have embarked upon while ex-
panding their activities to involve greater
community and member initiatives in
useful talks and seminars as they grow
as a club.

This evenings concert features Rikin

Khanna as our vocalist, and Shalabh
Verma on the tablah.

66
 SMU IVORY KEYS

SMU Ivory Keys is SMUs resident piano

ensemble. The club was formed in 2007
by a group of piano enthusiasts who
sought to share their passion for piano
music. Their mission is to build a com-
munity of passionate, committed pia-
nists who strive to achieve musical un-
derstanding and artistic excellence; and
share their music with people from all
walks of life.

Currently under the tutelage of Ms Soon

UESTS
Liok Kee. the club aims to cultivate an
environment where musicians can cre-
ate music and play freely without cen-
sure. They believe that the cornerstone
of true musicianship is not just about
playing all the right notes, but possess-
ing the ability to communicate to an au-
dience through a performance.

Besides being an avenue for fellow pi-

anists to meet and share music with
Rikin Khanna others, SMU Ivory Keys is also a place
shalabh verma where pianists can grow and develop
themselves as musicians through per-
formances and annual events.

This evenings concert features Tay Qi

Hang and Chua Yue Fang, two of Ivory
Keys keyboardists.

77
our
(arr. by)
Alfred Reed

THREE REVELATIONS FROM THE LOTUS

SUTRA was commissioned and dedicat-
ed to the organisation Rissho Kosei-Kai on THREE REVELATION
the 77th birthday of its founder and presi- SUTRA (3RD MOVE
dent, the Reverend Nikkyo Niwano. Rissho
Kosei-kai was the sponsor of the world-re-
nowned Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, an or-
HA
ganisation that strives to perfect mans per-
LA PASSI
sonality on the basis of the true meaning of
(THE PASSION
Buddhism.
---INTERM
The suite revolves around the doctrine as-
sembled from the teachings of the Buddha,
ARZI
called the Lotus Sutra. The suite attempts
to realize music in three different states of
SAIY
mans soul in his quest for ultimate perfec-
tion. Starting with Awakening, Contempla-
LES MIS
tion and the final movement, Rejoicing.
THE SOUND
The third movement is an occasion for
heartfelt rejoicing on the part of all men,
everywhere, who share the same eternal
quest as true brothers.

88
 (arr. by)
stephen melilo

HAJJ is offered as a tribute to the faithful

who each year make the Hajj, a pilgrim-
NS FROM THE LOTUS age to Mecca and to all those who make
EMENT- REJOICE) each day a new step in Lifes journey.

Hajj is about the moment before the real

AJJ Prayer begins. It is fraught with intrigue,
and sidetracked adventure, moments of
DE CRIST introspection and exuberant dance! Many
N OF CHRIST) contrasting sections offer the ensemble
its opportunity to explore superimposed
MISSION--- styles and varied colours.

IYAN The intent of this work suggests some-

thing more global, more akin to all of our
YYAN Natures. We are, it seems, always involved
in a going forth. Like a pilgrim, the voyage
RABLES begins with full knowledge of what to ex-
pect. And then, just like a pilgrim, when
D OF MUSIC the moment of Truth arrives, it is always
so much more than what was hoped for.

repertoire 99
our
(Arr. by)
ferrer ferran
LA PASSIO DE CRIST (THE PASSION OF CHRIST)
follows the birth of Jesus to his cruxification
and ultimate rise from death.

I. The Birth, The Massacre of the Inno- THREE REVELATIONS FR

cents, The Baptism (3RD MOVEMEN
The first movement starts off with a sweet flute
solo and chimes signalling the birth of holy Je-
sus, His flee from the slaughtering of toddlers in HA
Egypt (under Herodes rule) marks a shift in dy-
namics and mood. Jesus overcomes this turmoil LA PASSI
and escapes, with the ringing of chimes com- (THE PASSION
memorating his victory against the tyrant.

---INTERM
II. The Three Temptations
This movement capitalises on dissonant sounds
to depict the Devil trying to tempt Jesus into ARZI
proving his identity by killing himself. Jesus resist
s the three temptations and triumphs.
SAIY
III. The Arrival at the Temple, The Last
LES MIS
Supper, The Arrest, The Sentence, The
Crucifixion, The Hope
The climax of the piece, the third movement de-
picts the capture, crucifixion, and revival of Jesus.
Highlights include the creative use of auxiliary
percussion instruments to mimic the crucifixion
process with nailing and whipping sounds. The
piece ends with a glorious flute solo as Jesus is
revived, bringing hope and peace to his believers
once more.

10
10
 Prason Joshi
Guest singer: Rikin khanna | Arranged by: Phoon Yu

Arziyan is a soulful sufi song from the Bollywood

movie Delhi 6 composed by Grammy and Acad-
emy Award winner A. R. Rahman.

This song is a story of a man with a scarred desti-

ROM THE LOTUS SUTRA ny requesting God (Maula) to fulfil his desires (Ar-
NT- REJOICE) ziyan), after witnessing those who had arrived at
Gods door become intoxicated with happiness.
AJJ The man thus prays to God to do the same for
him and repair his fate. In the end, he sings with
joy that his beloved has come home. His wish
DE CRIST has been granted by God.
N OF CHRIST)

MISSION--- Saiyyan is a sufi fusion song from the album

Jhoom Re by the band Kailasa led by the pop-
ular Indian singer and composer Kailash Kher.
IYAN Saiyyan is a beautiful song from a man to his Sai-
yyan (beloved).
YYAN He sings that by being with Saiyyan he does not
need any riches in the world. He wants to get
RABLES lost in her embrace and only in her name. This
smooth soft intoxication keeps increasing, light-
ing up their world. The bride has become his
devotee forever like a worshiper of love decorat-
ing her temple. Now he doesnt know anything,
neither does she except the fact they are each
others forever.

repertoire 11
11
our
Claude-Michel Schonberg
(arr. By Bob Lowden)

les misErables was originally conceived

for the stage by Claude-Michel Schnberg
and Alain Boublil based on the novel by Vic-
tor Hugo.
THREE REVELATIONS FRO
(3RD MOVEMEN
An epic saga of social injustice in 19th cen-
tury France, Les Misrables follows the life
HAJ
of Jean Valjean, Prisoner 24601, who was
imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of
LA PASSI
bread. After his release, Jean Valjean breaks
(THE PASSION
parole to create a new life for himself while
evading the grip of the persistent Inspector
---INTERM
Javert. Set in post-revolutionary France, the
story reaches resolution against the back-
ARZIY
ground of the June Rebellion.
SAIYY
Tonights performance features the most
iconic songs from the musical, including At
the End of the Day, Master of the House, I LES MIS
Dreamed a Dream, Do You Hear The Peo-
ple Sing and more. THE SOUND

12
12
 Richard Rodgers
(arr. By Frederick Muller)

THE SOUND OF MUSIC is a musical based the

von Trapp family, who lived near Salzburg in
the 1920s, came from a West German mov-
ie released in 1956. That movie, in turn, was
OM THE LOTUS SUTRA
loosely based on a memoir written by Maria
NT- REJOICE)
von Trapp.
JJ
It is said that stage director Vincent J. Done-
hue came up with the original idea and
DE CRIST
advocated his friend Mary Martin for the
N OF CHRIST)
starring role. The resulting musical produc-
tion, The Sound of Music, written by Richard
ISSION---
Rodgers with original lyrics by Oscar Ham-
merstein, was an instant success and is one
YAN
of the most popular musicals ever produced.
YAN
Many songs from the musical have become
standards, such as Edelweiss, My Favorite
RABLES Things, Climb Evry Mountain, Do-Re-Mi,
and the title song The Sound of Music.
D OF MUSIC

repertoire 13
13
FLUTE / PICCOLO TRUMPET

our musicians
HO BING HONG* NG TIAC WOO
YEO XIN HAO BEN TAN WEI YAN
HENG CHUN KAI YEO CHERN HAN JACKSON
THAM JIANG JUN TRISTAN TAN TAO YANG
CHUA ZHIHAO JOEL CHUA WAN SIANG
DUAN DUONI ONG SHI CHUN
Chng Yuan We
OBOE TROMBONE
TAN CHENG YEE RACHEL LIM ZHI WEI, RUSSELL*
BRANDON YEO JUN KIAT WONG JUNJIE, KENNETH
LIM JIN RONG
WENDY NG SOCK LING
CLARINET MUHAMMAD HANNAN
VIVIAN TAN XUE JUN* BIN MOHAMAD FAUZI
ASHLEY KHOO JING HUI MUHAMMAD DANISH DURRANI
CHIANG HUI LIN JODIE BIN MOHAMED YUSOF
CHENG YUAN WEN HENG CHEN XUAN NATHANIEL
CHANG YA YIN
GARY GOH YIPENG
JEFFREY ANG CHEE LIM TUBA
JOCELYN CHENG LEE FONG CHONG, JOSH
LING HUA SEET TAN YAN ZHI
MUHAMMAD ASHRAF VANESSA CHIA WEN XIN
BIN MOHAMED SALLEH CHOO BING SHU, BENSON
TAN YIN
TAY QIN YAN EUPHONIUM
WONG WAI SIANG NG PANG WEE IGNATIUS*
TENG MAY FONG SHIRLEY
DARREN TNG JIA HAO
BASS CLARINET HUANG ZIHAO TIMOTHY
JOLENE HENG SI YING*
ALTO SAXOPHONE
CONTRABASS CLARINET SEE WENYU
TIMOTHY JOHN TJOE SHAWN HEW
MAY CHUA MEI YU
BASSOON
SAMUEL YAP TENOR SAXOPHONE
KER ZI YI
FRENCH HORN ONG YAN PEI ELLIOT
GOH HUAT LENG JET
MICHELLE WONG SU YI BARITONE SAXOPHONE
NG SIANG YEE LYU BINGJIE, CARL*
MARCUS NG ZHONG QING
14
14
BENJAMIN LIM WEI CAI
DOUBLE BASS CELLO
WONG RACHEL* GAO TIAN*
AMIRUL HAZIM BIN ALI CHENG XUN CHI GAIL
FOO HUI WEN TAN XIAO EN
LIM HUI SHAN ERICA RUMCHAWANWONG LEE JI-
JACQUELINE MICHELLE BONG ASHENG CHARLES
MEI-EN MALCOLM ANG SHI CHUAN
MIN NG
1ST VIOLIN ANGELA KWEK GUAN LING
HUI BO* SHARENY CHEW
NAH SHIN YOUNG LEE SHEN YEE
JOHN NG QI HENG
CHUNG TIN LONG PERCUSSION
TEH FANG HUI LEE MING DING JOEL*
DENZEL LIM YE HAN AMANDA LIM WEN HUI
LEX PHUA JIA FA CHEW ZHI TING VANESSA
AMANDA KYE-NING TAN DONG WENJIA
MANDIA JOSE POCHOLO MANAS
NURUL AFIQAH BINTE RASHID
2ND VIOLIN SYAFIQ BIN BUSTAMAM
KRISTI ANASTASIA TAN YINXIN* TAN SZE ENG
JIAO YIGE
TAN MATILDA ELIZABETH PIANO (IVORY KEYS)
CHUA BOON LIN TAY QI HANG
KIM GAN CHUA YUE FANG
LOH CHAI NA
LIM SHI XUAN,IVY VOCALS (ICS)
WEE YAO RUI RIKIN KHANNA
JUSTINA TAN JING JUN
YANG CYNN LAURA
PHEE WEIHENG TABLAH (ICS)
SOH KAI MUN SHALABH VERMA

VIOLA HARP
STEVEN HALIM* CHARITY KIEW
CHEN CHEE MING
SHERMAINE ANG SHI MIN NARRATOR
JOSE PAOLO T. BOQUIREN

15
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* SECTION LEADER
SMU Symphonia would like to express our greatest gratitude to the
following, without whom this concert would not be possible:

Our Advisors:
Professor John Sharpley, Professor Joseph Peters,
Professor Margaret Chan, Professor Saw Cheng Lim and Professor Mark Chong

Our Resident Conductor:

Mr Adrian Chiang for his musical direction and tireless
efforts in concert preparations

Our Manager:
Ms Janice Low for her advice and assistance

As well as....
Mr Phoon Yu and Ms Syafiqah Adha for arranging the pieces

Office of Student Life for their nuturing advice

SMU Arts & Cultural Fraternity for their support

SMU Indian Cultural Society and SMU Ivory Keys for collaborating with us

SMU Broadcast and Entertainment for emceeing for us

Our respective tutors, for sharing their musical experience and guidance

Mr Marcus Lee Sheng Wei and Ms Raynie Raynie Moo Wee Lim for providing
assistance with photography and videography

Ms Chua Chelsea for providing advice regarding booklet design

All members, associate members and alumni for their time and effort in
making this concert a success

Our families, friends and loved ones, for their support and understanding

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

You.
For being such a wonderful audience.

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