Con Brio

Wow, it's been almost 2 months since my last post, and I realise the trend of posting only after a band performance continues. So, Con Brio 2007, the first concert without my batch in it, and, I realise, the first concert to have come through a full cycle since Prometheum X in the age of the dinosaurs.

About 5 of us from the RI batch went for dinner, after some of us watched Transformers (cool Camaro). We bought back for the others, and made our way to the lecture thea... auditorium.

Somehow despite being ushered to the front, and despite my recommendations, the rest of the batch decided to sit way back. I smelt trouble, but had little choice.

True enough, the entire first half was killed for us by the hall acoustics. Perhaps also due to the heaviness of the pieces, and I did feel that And Then The Ocean Glows was done much better at SYF. Still, I feel that the pieces (Carmen Fantasy, Mononoke Hime Medley, Snow Caps and Ocean) would have been much better in front. I can't really comment on them either, given the lack of proper sound quality, which makes judging them difficult.

During the intermission, I went down to visit the band. They didn't seem too happy with the first half, but all the same, they were looking forward to the second half.

Thankfully, during the second half, we moved down to the front row. The concert went much better after that. We expected the junior band, playing Crystal City Overture, to sound horrible, but surprisingly, they sounded OK. Not the best, but very decent, especially for a sec 1 band.

The band played Whistle While You Work, with the very standard and almost overused entry gimmick, complete with Mr Oura's whistle solo. From the front, the band sounded much better, and despite a few glitches, this piece was done well.

Bandwagon was also done very nicely, and I had no complaints about it. The band seemed to be enjoying themselves more, and relaxing. Samuel did a good job with the solo.

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, another redux from Prometheum XI, was done nicely. Flutes I think could have been a bit louder and clearer near the end, but still pretty nice.

Gershwin! was a piece I'd not heard before, unless it was done at Play 05, though my memory fails me. I was impressed by this piece, it was done very well. I especially enjoyed Samuel and Jia Wei's duet (call me biased if you want)

Spanish Fever was the last piece of the concert. Would have thought they'd save it for the encores, but nevertheless, it was done quite well. I wondered why Steven stood up near the end, didn't realise Winston was standing up as well, given his lack of stature.

Che Sara as an encore was ok, though I would have thought it would be better as the last piece and Spanish Fever as encore. A bit too slow for encores, but still, it was ok.

The band had a surprise for us, their second encore was It's a Small World. I never in my life expected this piece to be used as an encore, and hearing them play it still evokes that fond memory of MyRIad and the Esplanade. The audience really loved this piece, and some gave standing ovations to the band after that.

Overall I'd say the concert was technically not as good as I would have hoped. However, it's clear that the audience really enjoyed themselves, which, if one thinks about it, is the true point of any concert. The second half was done quite well, though I wish the band could have played at a better venue.

Going back to the band room brought back fond memories of my own days in RI. It's been almost a year since Prometheum XI, and those good times we had. I'm saddened by the turn of events in RJC. Our batch has split up, and even though most of us were there at the concert, half of them didn't even want to go for dinner together. I'm sure they had their reasons, but still, a little gathering of a group once so close-knit would have been nice.

To be frank, my heart has never left RIMB. Rwinds is fun, the people are nice, and the songs are fun to play. But no other band will truly be as satisfying as RIMB was. The band has a kind of spirit, madness Shuotian calls it, that binds its members together. Where else can one go to feel so rejuvenated, even after such events as depressing CTs or even a funeral mass? When I go back, I'm greeted with smiles and hugs from people like Jerald and Bryan. Going back to watch my own section practice has always been one of my favourite activities, and I wish I could do so more often. Rwinds, as I said, is fun and all, but it doesn't have this sense. I don't even want to think about RJCSB. That band is simply a place to go, play music, and go home. Quite frankly, the band is dead. Not in the sense that it's dying musically, but the spirit is not there. Our batch there is divided, my own section mates don't even say hello when I greet them. It's obvious where my heart still lies.