VC presents In Song 2003

Rudyard Kipling believed that the East and the West will never meet. But the Victoria Chorale will intertwine both the East and the West cultures with their latest offering In Song 2003 - Across Ages, Crossing Cultures.

The twain shall meet at the Esplanade, Theatres on the Bay, where Victoria Chorale will perform songs from G F Handel and local composers Phoon Yew Tien and Goh Toh Chai.

To a classical music lover, Handel's Dixit Dominus is surely one of the most popular and magnificent pieces of the Baroque era. With its music set to the inspirational Psalm 110, Dixit Dominus showcases the immense talents of Handel, who composed the nine-movement piece at the tender age of 22, in 1707. Dixit Dominus was written specifically for a church festival but the Victoria Chorale will bring it to the audience at a secular setting, accompanied by a string ensemble.

Following that, Victoria Chorale will move forward into contemporary time to pay tribute to two local music inspirations, Phoon Yew Tien and long-time friend, Goh Toh Chai.

Two years ago, the Victoria Chorale was chosen to perform composer Phoon Yew Tien's epic work Confucius: A Secular Cantata together with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra at the Singapore Arts Festival. Now, they will be performing four of Phoon's traditional Mandarin folk songs, such as Zhu Ying Tai, a Yunnan folk song lamenting the tragic ending of the romance between Butterfly Lovers Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai, and Chun Tian Li (literal translation: During Spring Time), an a cappella arrangement of the popular folk song that encourages listeners not give up despite the obstacles they might face and to work hard in life.

Next, the Victoria Chorale will perform songs from the very young and very talented Toh Chai, who draws inspiration for his works from Asian cultures. This year, his Peranakan-inspired piece, Irama Belia was commissioned as the set piece for the Singapore Youth Festival Choral Competition. The Victoria Chorale will be premiering a medley of Singaporean folk songs and also present the Asian premiere of the heartrending Remembering Nanjing 1937, a song depicting the atrocities committed during the infamous Rape of Nanking. The song was first premiered at the Choir Olympics 2000 in Linz, Austria by the Victoria Chorale.

As one of the highlights of the concert, both Phoon Yew Tien and Goh Toh Chai will be conducting a post-concert meet-the-composer session for those who are interested in meeting these two local music ingenues.

So join Victoria Chorale as they perform songs from three very special and talented composers, who lived in different times but are united in their love for music and their immense talents. In Song 2003 - Across Ages, Crossing Cultures is a unique experience that will bring the audience through time and space, all in the comfort of their seats in one enchanted evening.

The details of In Song 2003 - Across Ages, Crossing Cultures are as follows:

* Title: In Song 2003 - Across Ages, Crossing Cultures
* Organiser: Victoria Chorale & Siglap South Community Centre
* Date: August 22, 2003, Friday
* Time: 7.30pm
* Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
* Tickets: Priced at $16, $21 and $26, available at all SISTIC outlets and the SISTIC website. For more information, please email or visit the Victoria Chorale website at www.vc.org.sg. Prices are inclusive of GST and $1 SISTIC fee per ticket.