REVIEW / CONCERT

NEW YEAR'S EVE COUNTDOWN CONCERT 2017

The Philharmonic Orchestra

School of the Arts Concert Hall

Last Saturday

Now into its sixth edition, The Philharmonic Orchestra's annual New Year's Eve Countdown Concert has become a cherished local institution. The event drew a full-house and the programme, following a familiar, well-loved formula, was relived.

The host of the evening, Mr William Ledbetter, sported a gold top hat and was his usual bubbly self, while the orchestra's music director Lim Yau conducted Hector Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture as a spirited opener.

Bernice Lee's oboe solo provided a lovely prelude to the festivities that followed, with a full-throated showing from the brass, led by an irrepressible trio of trombones.

The orchestra was just as impressive under the baton of prize-winning guest conductor Lien Boon Hua, who was recently appointed assistant conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.

His first task was to navigate the ensemble through two Strauss favourites - Josef Strauss' Music Of The Spheres, a waltz as lilting and graceful as any of his famous elder brother Johann's, and the incessant chatter of Johann's Tritsch-Tratsch Polka. The latter was accompanied by projections of the orchestra's favourite moments of the year, including a salute to Joseph Schooling, Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist.

The dance rhythm of the pieces was lovingly captured and this continued with Bedrich Smetana's Die Moldau.

A pair of flutes, skilfully mastered by Shirley Tong and Andy Koh, teased their way through the symphonic poem's evocative opening before segueing into the broad melody that was lapped up by the orchestra.

The Bohemian spirit that pulsed through this splendid showing was robust yet sensitive and it was repeated after the intermission's nuts and champagne in two Slavonic Dances by Antonin Dvorak.

Taken from the Op. 72 set, the rousing fervour of the first dance was contrasted with the quiet melancholy of the second dance.

The host then reprised his annual circus ringleader act by getting the audience to follow his cowboy moves while Richard Hayman's Pops Hoedown played.

This time around, however, it was a rather tame sit-down affair in consideration of the patrons in the Circle seats, who seemed woozy from having downed a little too much bubbly, although it was the busy percussion section that sounded the most tipsy.

As with previous editions of the concert, the programme also included a piece of music that gave time for reflection on the illustrious lives that were lost during the year. Former president S R Nathan, Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, conductors Neville Marriner and Pierre Boulez and pop-culture icons George Michael and Carrie Fisher were among those remembered as the orchestra played Jean Sibelius' Valse Triste.

For the final countdown, Respighi's ominous The Pines Of The Appian Way was replaced this year by Georges Bizet's more cheerful Farandole from L'Arlesienne, conducted by Lim.

Its driving beat, which got faster and more intense by the minute, steamrolled into the new year as a cascade of gold and silver balloons covered the audience.

There was enough time for one encore, the ubiquitous Radetzky March by Johann Strauss Sr, with the rounds of synchronised clapping from the audience beckoning an auspicious year with more good music.