City Of Dreams (A Symphonic Suite for Wind Orchestra) was commissioned by the Band Director’s Association (Singapore) for its 20th Anniversary celebration concert. This three-movement work aims to symbolise and celebrate the on-going vibrant Singapore band scene; and at the same time not forgetting our past, our history.
I Fanfare ‘Awakening of Dawn’
The fanfare begins with the motivic idea from the opening of the late Singaporean composer, Mr Leong Yoon Pin’s ‘Daybreak and Sunrise’, Singapore’s first commissioned Singapore Youth Festival Indoor Band Central Judging 1992 set piece. An important milestone work in Singapore’s band history, the motif is used as the main melodic material for this opening movement to signify the start of our Singaporean dreams.
II Intermezzo ‘Remembrance’
The Intermezzo is written in remembrance of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew who initiated the ‘Band Project’ in 1966 for both Primary and Secondary Schools. This movement opens with sounds of the rain when Singapore had its first National Day Parade in 1966. The familiar opening phrase of our National Anthem ‘Majulah Singapura’ is heard in chorale-style before a solo trumpet introduces the main theme of the movement using the first four notes of the anthem. An off-stage bugler (trumpet) plays a fragment of the ‘Last Post’, paying tribute to the life of the late Mr Lee. The composition then develops further with a lyrical ballad by a solo euphonium, an instrument played by our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong when he was in the Catholic High School band. This act as a symbolic musical gesture representing our Prime Minister’s continued role of leading the nation forward even after the passing of the late Mr Lee. As the movement progresses to the end, a motif from the Malaysia’s anthem is heard which is immediately followed by the familiar ‘Majulah Singapura’ fanfare, reminding us of our separation with Malaysia in 1965. The ‘Majulah’ chorale returns and is followed by 5 strikes on the tubular bells representing our 50 years of independence, before the off-stage bugler plays the opening of the ‘Rouse’, an important symbolic ‘call back to duties’ usually played in military funeral/remembrance services after the ‘Last Post’. The sound of the rain returns, this time reminding us of the day the nation sent the late Mr Lee off on his final journey. The movement finally closes with three notes on the tubular bells, ‘B-D-A’ signing off this tribute by the Band Directors’ Association (BDA).
III March ‘Riding That Rainbow’
A distant approaching drumbeat is heard emerging from the closure of the tribute from the previous movement - the onward march of our nation. Snippets of familiar motives are heard throughout the march highlighting parts of our Singapore band story. This march aims show our vibrant and energetic band scene as we look towards a promising future!