Tempus Fugit

2018
Methodist Girls’ School
String & Guitar
Ensembles
PROGRAMME
1st Half

Guitar Ensemble
Spring day / Composer: BTS
White love / Composer: Keisuke Kuwata
March (Ayu) / Composer: Hatanaka Yudai
Time Path / Composer: Kobukuro
Chiquitita / Composer: ABBA
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You / Composer:
Frankie Valli
Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 12 / Composer:
G.F. Handel
Mr Lonely / Composer: Bobby Vinton

INTERMISSION
2nd Half

String Ensemble
Divertimento in F major, K. 138 /
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Capriol Suite (6 Movs) / Composer: Peter
Warlock
Romanian Folk Dances (7 Movs) /
Composer: Béla Bartókh
Little Suite for Strings / Composer: Carl
Nielsen
Fiddle Faddle / Composer: Leroy Anderson
BIOGRAPHIES
About the Guitar Ensemble

The Methodist Girls’ School Guitar Ensemble was established in

2007 and is the youngest performing-arts CCA in MGS. Initially an
all prime ensemble, it now has a variety of guitars ranging from
Alto Cembalo’s to Guitarron’s.

Over the years, the Guitar Ensemble has consistently achieved

outstanding results, such as the Distinction Award in the
Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation and Trinity College of
London. The Ensemble performs at a wide spectrum of events,
from charity events, to award ceremonies.

With a passion to share our love for guitar, the ensemble hopes to
bring joy to those around us.
About the String Ensemble

The Methodist Girls' School String Ensemble has currently over 50

members consisting of passionate young musicians who are
determined to spread their love for music. Their performance
opportunities at selected events include In Youthful Company at
The Esplanade, the 130th Founders’ Day Service, Student Prefects
and Leaders Investiture and the Open House.

Dedicated to share the love of classical music, the ensemble has

achieved distinction at the biennial SYF Arts Presentation
consistently.
Tempus Fugit
The String and Guitar Ensembles examine
the paradoxical relationship between
instrumental music legacy and
the irreparable quality of time
in Tempus Fugit (Time Flies).
Main Committee
INSTRUCTORS /
CONDUCTORS
Strings | Mr Edward Tan

Mr Edward Tan graduated from the Eastman School of

Music with a Bachelor’s Degree and the Yale School of
Music with a Master's Degree. While majoring in violin
performance, he was able to pursue his passion for
conducting concurrently, having been mentored by Brad
Lubman (Eastman), Toshiyuki Shimada and Shinik Hahm
(Yale). Since returning home after receiving his Master’s in
2012, he has been heavily involved in the local music
scene and enjoys working with young musicians. He
conducts numerous student orchestras and has been with
the MGS String Ensemble since 2015.
Guitar Ensemble | Mr Kevin Yeo

Mr Kevin Yeo has been conducting MGS Guitar

Ensemble since ___. He was awarded the Diploma in
Guitar Principles of Instrumental Teaching of the
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He
has also travelled to Japan’s International Niibori
Music Academy in Japan in 2010 for a conducting
masterclass where he studied with world-class guitar
ensemble conductor, Dr Hiroki Niibori and
Komatsusaki. He has led schools in the Singapore
Youth Festival over the years to achieve oustanding
results such as Gold with Honours and Distinction.
Guitar Ensemble | Ms Tan Simin

Ms Tan Simin has been with MGGE since

2016. She completed Masters course at the
Trinity Laban Conservertoire of Music and
Dance in London. She obtained her
Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music
after graduating from the Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts, Singapore in 2012. Upon
graduation, she continued to perform with
the NAFA guitar ensemble as alumni before
forming the SA guitar quartet in 2013 and
the Chant la Corda Guitar Octet in 2014
giving public performances around
Singapore. She channels her passion in
music into teaching and has been coaching
and conducting secondary school
ensembles since 2009.
REPERTOIRE
Guitar | Repertoire

Spring day (2017)

(Composer: BTS)

"Spring Day" is song recorded by the South Korean boy

band BTS. Released through Big Hit Entertainment, it
was the first single from the repackaged album of Wings,
released in 2017 as You Never Walk Alone. The single
was a success, topping the Gaon Digital Chart, with over a
million downloads. The song also won 'Song of the Year' at
the 2017 Melon Music Awards. The music video for
"Spring Day" became the fastest K-pop group music video
to reach 20 million views. The group’s gorgeous,
melancholic vocals suit a song of this tone, driving the
emotional ballad with impassioned authenticity.
White Love/ Snow White (2012)
(Composer: Keisuke Kuwata, Covered by: Boyz II Men)
“White love” is a soft, emotional ballad featured in
Keisuke Kuwata’s 2012 album ‘I LOVE YOU -now &
forever’. Keisuke Kuwata is a Japanese
multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. As a lead
vocalist in his own solo band, the Kuwata band, Kuwata
has developed an innovative style in which he sings
Japanese lyrics sounding like rhythmic Western words,
which influenced many western artists to cover his
songs. Boyz II Men, an American R&B vocal group, did an
English cover of “White Love” and renamed it to “Snow
White”. The lyrical melody brings out the emotional
turmoil and sadness of the song’s persona, who is
standing amidst the tranquil winter scenery, hoping for
his love that will never return.
March (Ayu) (2011)
Composer: Hatanaka Yudai

“March (Ayu)”, or “March of The Sweet Fish (Ayu)”, is a

bright song with a loud reverberation which can be brought
out even in a small group of guitars. The adorable and
quirky tune seems to tell the life story of the sweet fish,
Ayu. They are hatched in rivers and carried downstream
into the ocean where they grow, before returning to their
rivers to protect their offsprings, beginning yet another
cycle of the march.

Time Path/ Footsteps of Time (2008)

Composer: Kobukuro
The minute hand and the hour hand of a clock pass each
other countless times a day as they turn with different
paces. However, despite their differences, they will always
reunite and start again at the same place. And if the minute
hand stops, the hour hand will as well. This is the message
of “Footsteps of Time”, an emotional piece composed by
influential Japanese folk-rock band, Kobukuro. The
rhythmic soft pulses imitate the gentle clicking of a clock
and begin the depiction of passing time with the soothing
sounds of the guitar.
Chiquitita (1979)
Composer: ABBA

"Chiquitita", a Spanish term of endearment for a woman

meaning "littlest one", is a song recorded by Swedish pop
group ABBA. It was released in January 1979 as the first
single from the group's Voulez-Vous album. This song
beautifully describes the sorrow that only a mother can
feel when her Chiquitita, her young child was suffering of a
similar pain. This bittersweet song shows the tender love a
mother has for her child as they move on from the past
pain and look towards a brighter future.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (1967)

Composer: Frankie Valli
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie
Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold
record and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a
week. This song contains equal parts of rock and pop and
they all came together to deliver a tune with far-reaching
appeal. Through the creative transition between the
tender verses to the explosive chorus, this successful
sing-along single tells the story about a man who is
exuberantly in love.
Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 12 (1739)
Composer: G.F. Handel

“Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 12” is composed by George

Frideric Handel, a famous composer from the Baroque
period. It comprises five movements of which the first two,
Largo and Allegro will be performed today. The concerto
showcases the contrast between the concertino, the small
group of soloists comprising two violinists and a cellist and
the ripieno, the orchestral complement (guitar ensemble).
The first movement starts of with dramatic dotted
rhythms, serving as a contrast to the following movement.
The second movement is a brilliant, animated allegro, with
running semiquavers played by the different sections in
communication with each other.
Mr Lonely
Composer: Bobby Vinton
‘’Mr Lonely’’ was is a song written and recorded by
Bobby Vinton in 1962. The song describes a soldier who
has been deployed overseas and has no communication
with his home. The singer laments his condition and
wishes for someone to talk with. This song was released
just as the Vietnam War was escalating in which many
soldiers were experiencing a similar situation and hence
able to relate to the song. The melody, played by the
harp, swells with phrases of yearning. The delicate
arpeggios and bass, played by the guitar and guitarron,
complement the melody in a quietly compassionate way.
Despite being void of reasoned direction, its romantic
beauty charms listeners with an emotionally sensitive
touch.
INTERMISSION
Strings | Repertoire

Divertimento in F major, K. 138 (1772)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Divertimento K. 138 in F major was written in 1772,

when Mozart was only 15 years old at that time. The
divertimenti, a common genre, denoting a light ensemble
work of several movements, was written in this period
reflecting the innocence of his youth. This Divertimento
is in three movements in the usual fast-slow-fast
sequence. The first movement starts lively with the
whole strings orchestra playing in unison. In the second
movement, Andante, is a slow paced movement where
the first violins play the main melody. The last
movement, Presto, is written like a rondo where the
main tune returns.
Capriol Suite (6 Movs)
Composer: Peter Warlock

The Capriol Suite is a set of dances in the Renaissance style. It

was based on tunes found in a manual of Renaissance dances by
the French priest Jehan Tabourot. The work can be regarded as
an original composition rather than an arrangement, made up
from of six contrasting movements. The first, Basse Danse, is a
lively dance for older folk, in which the dancers’ feet for the most
part slide along the floor. The second movement, Pavane, is a
stately dance that is traditionally slow and solemn in character.
However, in this movement it is livelier than usual. The third
movement, Tordion, is a triple meter dance and has a structure
of long-short-long rhythm throughout, but the movement floats
away into the atmosphere as the strings change from arco to
pizzicato. The fourth movement, Bransles, is a fast country
dance which works its way into a frenzy, continuously building in
on speed and excitement. The fifth movement, Pieds en l’air,
means ‘feet in air’, is thea Suite’s most popular movement. It
provides melodies to dances set to beautiful full 20th century
harmonization. Matachins, the sixth movement, is traditionally
performed by the young men clashing their swords and shields in
time with the music. The music is march like throughout,
climaxing in violent dissonances.
Romanian Folk Dances (7 Movs)
Composer: Béla Bartókh

Romanian Folk Dances is a suite of seven short pieces, originally for

the piano but later orchestrated for ensembles, composed by Béla
Bartók.
Béla Bartók was a renowned Hungarian composer of the late 19th
and early 20th century and was regarded as one of the great
composers of the 20th century.
The first movement is Bot tánc, which means Stick Dance. Its
melody came from a village that was located in the Maros-Torda
administrative county within Transylvania, and Bartók first heard it
when two gypsy violinists were playing it. The second movement is a
typical sash dance from Romania called Brâul. Its melody came from
Egres (present-day Igriș), in the Banat region. The third dance,
Topogó, which means In One Spot, comes also from Egres, but its
theme is darker and its melody recreates Middle Eastern
instruments like the flute. The fourth dance, Bucsumí tánc, which
means Dance from Bucsum, came from Bucsony (today Bucium in
Romania). The fifth dance is an old Romanian dance called Román
polka, which when translated, means Romanian Polka. It is similar to
the Polka and comes from Belényes, a village near the border
between Hungary and Romania. The sixth dance, Aprózó, which
means Fast Dance, is formed by two different melodies: the first
also comes from Belényes and the second comes from the Neagra
village. Both on the orchestral version and on the original piano
version, the last two dances are performed continuously, without
any pauses in between.
Little Suite for Strings
Composer: Carl Nielsen

Nielsen composed the Little Suite for Strings when he

was only 22, and still studying composition. The great
success of the piece marked an important milestone in
Nielsen’s career. To this day, it is one of Nielsen’s most
widely performed works.

The first movement is rather slow and short and is a

reminiscent of Scandinavian Romanticism. The second
movement however, is a captivating walt-like movement
consisting of occasional flat seventh grace notes that
add so much character to the piece. Finally, the third
movement is more expansive where it opens in a stately
fashion but breaks into an animated sonata in which
Nielsen reintroduces the opening theme. Nielsen’s
creativity and inventiveness can be seen in the
development section where the opening theme fragment
is played. Towards the end, the fragmented themes in
the bass line emphasise on the movement’s integral unity
and rounds the work off nicely.
Fiddle Faddle
Composer: Leroy Anderson / arr. Jack Bullock

It is a piece that is composed between classical and pops

and stretches the resources of the orchestra to create
sound effects and flights of fancy that Mozart and Bach
never dreamed of.

Leroy Anderson, America's preeminent composer of

light concert music, wrote such lively and evocative
orchestral pieces. he played trombone, organ and double
bass, and studied composition and orchestration.
INFORMATION
 Strings | Performers
Vi l O e
Myra Rena Choo Jia En (SL)
Alyssa Goh Hui Yi (ASL)
Angie Tan Onn Hee
Gabrielle Guo
Rachel Lim
Germaine Koh
Joanne Sophia Teo Rui En
Kiersten Yeo Shu Xian
Megan Tan Sue En
Celestine Sheum Rui Li
Natalie Yee Wan Yike
Sandhya Saravanan
Yuri Lyn
Alayna Lee Le-En
Nathanelle Laura Tan
Vi l T o
Joy Ng Le Ting (SL)
Erlyn Alexander (ASL)
Amanda Elizabeth Koh Jing-En
Clarisse Marie Lim Ker Han
Chong Shueh Li Shona
Quek Min Ting Alyssa
Chrissy Koh Ann
Clarisse Cheam Shuting
Isabel Victoria Lean Yi Wei
Lee Si Hui Ruth
Lim Qing Mei Shana
Low MinQi Phedra
Rae Teo
Tan Shuan Hwee Charlotte
 Strings | Performers

Vi l Cel
Natasha Lee Xin Yi (SL) Lee Sze Ann, Nadia (SL)
Tan Jie-Ning Melody (ASL)
Anna Chan (ASL)
Mavis Mook
Hannah Tong Tan Anan
Natalie Rae-Fern Koh
Chow Zhi Tong
Tan Yan Rei Leia
Natalie Koh Min
Ang Le En
Elizabeth Ip Xin En Lim Jia Rui Charis
Erica Loh E-wen
Verity Ling Fang Huey
Jasmine Wong Su Lin
Caitlin Yeo Kai Ling
Charis Chong Ern Huan
Goh Kai'en, Skyler Nicole Hee Yu En

Do b Ba s
Phua Si Rui Vanetta (SL)

Christy To Sum Yuet

Alexsalma Herbert
 Guitar | Performers

Al o 1
Hong Ker Yen
Elizabeth (SL)

Genevieve Koh Shi Christy Lee Tong En

Yi
Nicole Olivia Chan Mun Yan
Chong Si Ting
Jessica Chiu Ching Kay
Christine
Natalie Ng Shi EN
Chua En Qi Janelle

Ang Xin Hui

Al o 2

Yong Le Tong (SL) Julia Ang Shu Ming

Gao Zi Tao Abirami Selvan

Ng Kai Jia, Natalie Elizabeth Mao Zhi Min

Hannah Lau Wai

Yee
 Guitar | Performers

Pri

Chloe Lee Ng Jia Yi

Kang Seo Youn (SL)
Hannah Lee En-Yi Tan Xuan Xuan
Tang Yijing (SL)

Rachel Rajan George Yeo Soon Ping Jacintha Moira

Kim Minseo Amyra Zulraimi

Sheryn Sim Sue Ning Jennifer Kelsie

Jessica Fiore

Bas Con b
Dilys Yeo XIn Yi Yeong Shi Jia Kayleigh Kong (SL)
(SL) Zhang Xinyu
Lin Pin Jie Maggie
Chua Ann Lynn, Afiqah Firzanah Bte K
Sarah Zhou Karen

Lauren Lim Ewe Yan Yi, Arissa

Kok Hui Ping
Charlene Nemeth Emma

Tan Lee Yee, Lynelle Koh Ling Ning

Calista
Acknowledgments

A big THANK YOU

to our instructors and

conductors,
our teachers-in-charge,
the school management,
seniors,
family and friends.
Credits