Divos, Divas and a Pianist: Thoughts on a Performance

Ed: This column is guest-written by Leslie Tay, who will soon perform at the library@esplanade. He gives his thoughts on the performance, his craft and the value of the arts in our lives.

Divos, Divas and a Pianist (Vocal Recital Preview)
Saturday 28 June 2008
2.00pm – 2.40pm
Open Stage, library@esplanade
Presented by Leslie Tay & Friends

This library@esplanade performance is a preview of a classical vocal recital that some friends and I are putting together on the 4th of July. Details of that concert can be found at the end of this blog entry. The recital will include music by composers like Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Purcell, Ravel, Faure, Debussy, Mahler, Schubert, Tosti, Bolcom and Bernstein.

Who am I?

I’m Leslie Tay, a tenor currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. I’m back for my summer break and thought it a nice idea to put together a little recital with some friends and perform music we are currently working on in our lessons or on our own; in other words, we are taking this music on a test drive during the recital by performing it live in front of an audience, much of it for the first time.

Who are my friends?

Marianne Tan is a petite lady with a lovely soprano; Phua Ee Kia is our powerhouse countertenor; David Charles Tay is the other tenor with his fresh, appealing voice; Lai Quan Hui is the baritone with a clean focussed sound; Daniel Ho is a singer in possession of a sturdy, sexy bass. Those are the divos and divas. Finally, the most important performer of all is our sweet and wonderful pianist, Neo Ming Wei who can really work up a storm when she gets her hands on those ivories.

Why do a classical vocal recital?

The answer is simple; because we all love this music. For me, this passion, which began when I was 13, eventually found me applying to music school two years ago. Amazingly, I got accepted. More amazingly, I was going to be in Manhattan! I was definitely excited! To be a music student in New York City is incredible for the city offers so many different types of performances; opera at the Metropolitan Opera or the New York City Opera, classical music by the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, vocal recitals at Carnegie Hall, musicals and plays on Broadway and off Broadway, jazz in any of the many jazz clubs, free performances by students at the various music schools etc … and all these on one single night!

Over the past year that I’ve been away studying, I’ve had the privilege of watching many of these wonderful performances and am constantly awed and humbled by the incredible amount of passion and talent these artistes bring to the stage. In a time when so many things seem to be going wrong with the world we are living in, the arts have an increasingly crucial role to play in our lives. Some will entertain and refresh us, taking us away from life’s troubles for a few hours. Others will challenge perspectives, ignite imaginations and plant the seed for societal change. And then there are those that will touch on an individual level, offering emotional healing.

So what does all this have to do with you?

Everything. Those of us who work at bettering our craft on the stage are nothing if we don’t have people to perform in front of. Our music has to be received by a receptive audience, an audience willing to laugh and cry with us, who understands that much work has gone into preparing each performance and who knows how much courage it takes to stand on stage, vulnerable in front of an auditorium full of strangers, sharing our voices and our emotions.

So we invite you to be that audience and come watch this little preview by the seven of us and perhaps you may find yourself interested in watching the actual recital the week after. We look forward to meeting you!

Concert Details

Divos, Divas and a Pianist
Friday 4 July 2008
8pm-10pm

Venue:
Young Musicians’ Society Auditorium
54 Waterloo Street, YMS Arts Centre
(near Singapore Art Museum)

Tickets:
$10 General Admission

For ticketing enquiries, please email leslietay78@gmail.com or
call 9773 9607.