Pro Musica 2009
Pro Musica concert started in Penang since 2007 and it has been a yearly performance since then. I managed to attend their concert once in year 2008 and it was a great and fantastic performance during that time. This year, I got the chance to participate in this special concert. In fact, this is the first time they engaged other choir members, hence a few selected PESSOC members joined in.
Rehearsal started 2 weeks back in Penang Hill. As all the trainers and students from International Pro Musica Master Classes stayed in Penang Hill, we have to travel all the way up to Penang Hill for the rehearsal.
DAY 1(15.08.09) - Saturday
The first day up Penang Hill was a disaster. Can’t believed the queue up to Penang Hill using the tram was so long. I was there at 3.15 pm and only managed to get the tickets at 4.30 pm. As the rehearsal starts at 5.00 pm, I was just in time but a few of my friends were not able to get the 4.30 pm tickets anymore. Even thought when I queued up the second round to purchase some tickets for my friends, the tickets I managed to purchase were at 5.45 pm, which was way passed our rehearsal time. Hence, they contacted our Pessoc organiser and arranged to go up Penang Hill using jeep. Some of them have to rush all the way to Macalister Road to follow the jeep up to Penang Hill. Surprisingly all of us reach Penang Hill (Bellevue Hotel) just in time for the rehearsal. During the rehearsal, we were told that one of the Italian song which we have memorised will not be used. Will need to memorise another Italian song instead in less then 4 days!!! Caused quite a panic when we heard that. But once we started rehearsing the new song we sort of cool down abit. At least there’s a lot of repetition. The rehearsal got delayed and we had to stay back till 11.05 pm. After that, we rushed off just in time to catch the last tram which was at 11.45 pm to leave Penang Hill. Reach home at 12 midnight thou…
DAY 2 (16.08.09) - Sunday
A lesson well learned for the journey up Penang Hill. At least the 2nd trip up Penang Hill was more fun as we were more organised. As PY stayed in Air Itam area, she purchased the tickets earlier in the morning before we went up Penang Hill at 1.00 p.m. The reason we went up Penang Hill earlier was to check out the way the trainers trained the students from International Pro Musica Master Classes. We managed to check out Ronny Lauwers and Loh Siew Tuan’s classes. Ronny’s teaching are more of understanding and analysing the song that we sang where else Loh Siew Tuan more about the tactics and apparatus that we use from our body to sing. Guess a real singer will need all those combinations to be a better singer especially the soloist. As the last tram to go down from Penang Hill was at 9.15 pm, we had to rush off ASAP. We reached there just in time for some posing and photoshooting before the tram started to go down hill.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129690&id=658144001&l=b5aacfab3
DAY 3 (18.08.09) - Tuesday
These 2 days rehearsal for our Pessoc members were rather short as most of us are working and will only be able to attend the rehearsal after work. Hence, the arrangement of jeep to go up to Penang Hill at 7.20 pm and all to meet at the foothill next to Botanical Garden. The first rehearsal with the 4 Soloists started on that day as they only arrived in Penang Sunday night. The 4 Soloists are from OperaPlus & The Flanders Opera Studio, Belgium.
The Soloists are:-
1) Sabine Conzen (soprano, Belgium)
2) Ines Madeira (mezzo-soprano, Portugal)
3) Enrico Casari (tenor, Italy)
4) Andrew Ashwin (baritone, UK)
Rehearsal ends at about 9.30 pm.
DAY 4 (20.08.09) - Thursday
The final rehearsal in Penang Hill. Same time and same venue to meet up. The soloists did not rehearse using their full voice as they were saving it for the following day….. “THE CONCERT DAY”. Rehearsal ends at 10.00 pm.
CONCERT DAY (21.08.09) - HOTEL EQUATORIAL BALLROOM, PENANG
We have to go to EQ at around 11.00 am for the staging rehearsal. BUT we’ve to wait till 12.30 pm before the rehearsal started as they’ve yet to set up the staging and lighting. Started at 12.30 pm and ended near to 3.00 pm . Everyone too hungry by then. The first thing, I reached home was to look for FOOD. After a short rest at home, I went back to EQ at around 5.30 pm. Managed to grab some hi-tea before rehearsal start at 6.30pm. The concert started at around 8.30 pm.
There’s some soloist singing, Pro Musica Master Class student’s group singing and a special dance interlude by Ramli Ibrahim & Sutra dancers. Hence, quite a bit of waiting in between. The concert ended at about 10.30 pm and we adjourned to The View for some supper. Lots and lots of desert till I’ve to drag myself off by the end of the night cause stomach too full to move.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131996&id=658144001&l=09b5dd148d
TRAVEL DOWN TO KL FOR PRO MUSICA CONCERT (24.08.09) - UCSI, KL
As we’ll be too tired to perform if we travel early Monday morning, they set the traveling to the night before. Our traveling started at 10.15 pm as we had to rush back from our theater rehearsal, shower and rush off to Macalister Road for our transport to go down to KL. Seems like a lot of food eating session in the jeep and on the way down to KL. Had sausage bun, fried rice, fruits and some tidbits during the journey. By the time reach KL, was already near to 3.00 am. Had some light desert (Kuai Leng Gou) before all of us went off to bed at M’s place.
Woke up at 7 ish as I’m not use to sleeping in a new bed and the sun too bright to go back to sleep. Proceed to UCSI and look for breakfast somewhere on the way. That’s where I had my kolo handmade noodles from Sarawak. Noodles was so so only but the cilipadi given was good. Can feel the numbness in my tougue after I took the cilipadi but then wow, I love it.
We proceed to UCSI after breakfast. Rehearsal ended at about 1.30pm and we had lunch provided by UCSI in the cafeteria. They served a mean Carbonara but the spaghetti was so so only. After lunch, we went off to EQ Hotel, KL to rest BUT since we have 2 hours to spare, we selected SHOPPING. Went to Lot 10 and dropped by in Pavilion for some coffee and donuts - J.Co. and the donuts are YUMMY !!!! It melts in my mouth !!. Got delayed back to hotel as we over enjoyed the food and company. Unbelievable that we can still get ready on time and meet up in lobby at 6.00 pm. The journeyed from hotel to UCSI as expected, traffic jam. The journey took an hour to reach. Had light dinner in UCSI after rehearsal and waited for the performance to start. The concert ended at 10.30 pm. A lot of photo shooting and autography session after the concert. Proceed for supper and started the journey back to Penang around 12 midnight. Reach Penang around 4 am.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132183&id=658144001&l=4cea12b979
What a journey. Seems like a lot of makan sessions in KL. Need to workout MORE starting now.
