| Instructor: Dr Ho Chee Kong |
NUS Wind Symphony, InTempo 2001
Teo Lye Hee Benjamin, USAR02 ["Music And Technology"], University Scholars Programme, National University Of Singapore.
The concert conducted by the National University of Singapore Wind Symphony during the month of February was one that was conducted in the University Cultural Centre (UCC). It was a concert that I chose to go to for a few reasons. The foremost of all reasons would be undoubtedly that I had a concert review to be handed up dutifully in a month's time, which I frankly had neither a clue of how it was to be best done nor presented in a fitting manner. The other reason was that I had a mysterious passion for orchestral music. Mysterious because I haven't an idea where or when did that cultivate that passion for listening to such exquisite melodies. Perhaps it was inborn, perhaps not. Last but not least, I really wanted to know how a piccolo sounded like in a symphony. I honesty confess that I wasn't paying too much attention as to whether the piccolo existed in the previous performances by other symphonies. Filled with curiosity, I stepped into the concert, with a probing mind with thoughts of how technology and music intermarried.
The first aspect of technology that interested me was the comfortable environment created for the conducive listening of music. Lighting can be side to be one major aspect. A dimly hued yellow was composed that brought forth a soothing, warm and homely feeling. The colour used being yellow, also allowed the performers to appear in golden grandeur, with their glimmering instruments, well polished no doubt. I could hardly imagine a concert of such a scale to be done in the colour of say, pink, or purple, or green. It would have been interesting though if such concerts did exist. Another aspect of technology that interested me was the brownish wooden hue of the parquet flooring, which emphasized on the theme of homeliness and comfort. A cemented floor would definitely not give the same ambiance. The cool atmosphere also allowed the audience to a relaxed enjoyment. Another technological aspect was the seating arrangements for 986 people. "Despite its capacity, no seat is further than 40 metres from the stage facilitating an all-embracing relationship between audience and performers1."
The aspect of sound amplification as part of technology and music also interested me. As a result I went on to research on type of controls, amplifiers and speakers the performance hall may have used. The UCC hall uses Soundcraft k3 Theatre Audio mixer, Crown amplifiers and 8 JBL2 speakers. Soundcraft k3 Theatre Audio mixer, "offers an unprecedented degree of mixing control, in a versatile package that will fit into a wide range of live and installed sound environments3". Soundcraft k3 also "delivers an unprecedented degree of mixing control in a versatile package that will integrate into a wide range of live and installed sound situations4." The Crown amplifier's creator promises to "deliver enormous amounts of power from a low-profile design perfect for touring and fixed installations where space is limited5." The 8 JBL (VS 2210-9) speakers that the cultural hall possesses the capabilities of a maximum output of 136dB6 and they were located at the centre topmost position of the hall, in a fashion of down, up, down, up, up, down, up, down, from left to right. (A method of arrangement that I observed and I suppose will produce the best harmonics possible.)
Last but not least, the various musical instruments themselves aid in the link between music and technology. Throughout the concert, the main instruments used were the aerophones; the flute, the piccolo, the oboe, the bassoon, the Eb clarinet, the Eb alto clarinet, the Bb bass clarinet, the Bb clarinet, the alto saxophone, the baritone saxophone, the trumpet, the trombone, the bass trombone, the euphonium, the tuba and the French horn. (Which I admit spending time online to differentiate their unique characteristics.) Exceptions to the rule were the percussion instruments (membranophones and idiophones) and the double bass (chordophones). The main music instruments, the aerophones, make use of vibrating air columns in order to produce varying frequencies of sound. The French horn is one such instrument. It is a "21 foot long, narrow tube that is coiled in an elaborate circular structure before ending in a flaring bell7." When blown into, a mellow tone is produced. This is in contrast to the flute, "a high-pitched reedless woodwind instrument consisting of a slender tube (usually metal) closed at one end with keys and finger holes on the side8."
Going to an orchestral performance with the mindset of technology in mind was an interesting experience. But thankfully I was still able to appreciate the vast melodies of music put forth by the Wind Symphony. Of all the pieces performed, I best recall Symphony No.1, "The Lord of the Rings", 'Gandalf' by Johan de Meij. With the powerful reverberations and the fast paced beats, the racing strides and the changing moods, the tune not only best characterizes the original character Gandalf, his stallion, but also impresses upon me an unforgettable experience. The contrast would be the symphony "Hammersmith Prelude and Scherzo" by Gustav Holst. I left the concert pondering upon its writer's original intention. It reflected the least to me about the moods of a river. After this assignment, I must admit, that I have gained a greater depth of appreciation into the intimate link between music and technology, and also a greater understanding of the generation of a variety of sounds. However I still couldn't differentiate the piccolo from the rest of the sounds.
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