Resonance VII kicked off with the full band performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, a rather impressive number I must say. After that was Canon and Dream a Little Dream of Me, both of which were performed at this year’s SYF and we all agreed that the performance was deserving of the SYF Gold Award.
However after a group performance of My Way and the very emotive Somewhere Out There, things started to go downhill. The 3 sections each played a song and there were wrong notes everywhere. The harmonica players sometimes sped ahead, leaving the poor pianist to try to catch up with them. Despite the popular tunes being played, I had a feeling that it would’ve been better that that part was scrapped. Okay, maybe it wasn’t really their fault. If Mr Tang had conducted, it would’ve been much better.
After the intermission though, the programme took a turn and became progressively impressive. The harmonica solo by Teo Wei Shan was absolutely fantastic. With the accompaniment of the drums, a guitar and a keyboard (that guy was out of this world. Stage presence, the hair, the music… everything!), they went on to play Xi Shui Chang Liu and Remember Me This Way. I enjoyed myself a lot listening to their performance. Every part was musically entertaining.
The VJC Harmonica Alumni then took over with a couple of songs, which were really good, but not extraordinary. I thought the performance of Lydia (yeah, the one by F.I.R.) really got the attention of the audience. Including the great piano accompaniment. Round of applause to the pianist!
The Ho Tat Chiew Harmonica Ensemble played 3 songs and it really showed the audience that they were real professionals. . They perfromed pieces which were fast in pace, and technically challenging. Listening to them really made me realize how versatile and amazing the harmonica could sound. Every note played got the audiences hooked and the resounding applause was proof that people do recognise good music
The Year 2 Members then played Candle on the Water, followed by The Sound of Music Medley, with a vocal performance by Wang Jie Hui. I have to say that even though the instruments used were the same, with her outrageously clear vocals (and the English accent to match) and the very familiar tunes from The Sound of Music, it really sounded very extravagant. Great stuff. Oh, and the stunts from that were amazing too. After the song, she passed her hat to the conductor, Mr Tang in the daintiest way. Mr Tang took out a small harmonica (which was out of tune already and not suited as the real stuff) and continued part of The Sound of Music Medley. The magic was which was lacking previously came back on the stage during his energetic performance.
The finale was even more impressive, with the full band coming out to play If We Hold On Together and That Thing You Do. The drummer was excellent. The pianist was as good. It’s a rare sight for me to see so many people playing the harmonica as a band. It got the audience on a high as well. They played That Thing You Do for the encore and it got everyone clapping along.
Overall, it was a good performance, just not as good as last year. However the VJ spirit was high as after the curtains closed, all of them broke into cheer. It was the kind of atmosphere that money can’t buy, so I’d have to say they did a really good job.
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