D10 life | THE STRAITS TIMES | MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015 | Tsai Chin, storyteller extraordinaire REVIEW/CONCERT CAI QIN SINGAPORE CONCERT 2015 AUSPICIOUS SIGNS TheStar Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre/ Last Saturday Theresa Tan Taiwanese evergreen singer Cai Qin, or Tsai Chin, to her English-speaking fans, is a stunner. She is not known for her looks, but for her sultry powerhouse vocals in a career spanning more than 30 years. She wowed the audience at her sold-out concert when she appeared slimmer, sharper and striking in a shimmery purple gown. The 57-year-old told the 5,000-strong audience: “I’m the real deal. My looks improve as I age.” She kicked off her performance with the concert’s upbeat theme song Auspicious Signs. And it was a sign of good things to come. For the 1 next 2 /2 hours, she teased and pleased the baby-boomer crowd. An old hand at entertaining, she did not just sing. She told stories of her life. She made you laugh. She got you to sing along. And she got you wanting more. Tsai dedicated her first segment to oldies such as Shen Mi Nu Lang (Mysterious Lady), Luo Hua Liu Shui (Falling Flower, Running Water) and Foolishly Waiting (Chi Chi De Deng). Her take on the melancholic Foolishly Waiting was hauntingly beautiful. She said the song, from the 1966 movie The Black And The Blue (Hei Yu Lan), was all the rage when she was a child and her parents used to take her and her three siblingsto watch live music performances. In the second part, she belted out classics from the biggest names in Chinese pop in the 1970s and It was a 1980s. She took on Teresa Teng’s A Thousand challenge for Words (Qian Yan Wan Yu) and The Moon Dr Kelly Tang to Represents My Heart (Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Concert for home incorporate the Xin), Fong Fei-fei’s Applause (Zhang Sheng Xiang sounds of 50 Qi) and I’m A Cloud (Wo Shi Yi Pian Yun) and Anita pianos in the Mui’s Intimate Lover (Qin Mi Ai Ren). piece. PHOTO: She made the audience sing along and ribbed: DANIEL NEO FOR “It’s very hard to sing along with me. My voice is THE STRAITS TIMES neither high nor low, neither male nor female.” written away from home It is hard to outdo the legendary late Teng and Fong, who died of lung cancer in 2012, but Tsai injected her soul and sass into her rendition of their hits. Her low evocative voice is unmistakable and unforgettable. Before singing Deep In The Courtyard (Ting Yuan Shen Shen), she revealed: “Liu Chia-chang once Composer Kelly Tang finished Concerto In movement looks back at the past as he had never written a piece for said my voice is one that comes along once in a and is a tribute to the spirit of the such a large number before. century.” Liu, the acclaimed Taiwanese songwriter Three Movements during his travels late prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan “I had to find a way to use the 50 Yew, who committed himself to and hit-maker, wrote the song Deep In The pianos in a way that would not be Courtyard from novelist Chiung Yao’s book of the They will be accompanied by the building Singapore.” overwhelming and instead would To capture Singapore’s multi- same name that was adapted into a television Metropolitan Festival Orchestra. be tasteful and expressive,” he says. drama in 1987. culturalism, the third movement is Having worked tirelessly on the The concert also features Tsai, who changed into three eye-catching gowns infused with many Asian music piece from February till last month, home-grown artists performing during her show, saved the best for last, belting out popular songs from the past five influences and uses the traditional thecomposer is happy he can finally her own hits in the last part. decades. The star-studded line-up folk song Geylang Si Paku Geylang unveil the fruits of his labour to the includes Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Tracy as its main theme. The 50 pianists nation next month. He will be at- The audience lapped up The Forgotten Time (Bei will also play together for the last Yi Wang De Shi Guang), Choice (Jue Ze) and Paige Lim Huang, Dick Lee, Jeremy Monteiro tending the Sing50 concert with his and Rahimah Rahim. movement in a grand climax. Reading You (Du Ni). She held the audience While Dr Tang was excited to be wifeand two sons, aged 21 and 17. A Cultural Medallion recipient in “I’m proud that this piece is being spellbound with the song that shot her to fame, Just For a work celebrating Singapore’s 2011, Dr Tang has produced given the chance to work with Lang Like Your Tenderness (Qia Si Ni De Wen You) Lang, he was well aware of the featured at the concert and I hope it Golden Jubilee, it is perhaps ironic compositions that span a range of offers a musical experience of a before the curtains came down. that home-grown composer Kelly genres, from classical to jazz to grand scale of the commission. She pledged to her fans to continue performing “SG50 is such an important thing. different dimension,” he says. Tang wrote most of Concerto In cinematic music. “More than anything, I would like for as long as she is able to. And from their hearty Three Movements while travelling The works have been performed I knew I had a big responsibility because the work had to it to connect with people. I hope applause, they obviously want her to. abroad. by international ensembles such as those who listen to it will be However, being overseas allowed encapsulate that sense of the Russian National Orchestra, the inspired and reflect on what it truly him to reflect more deeply on what Ensemble Contemporain of celebration, and half a year would means to be a Singaporean.” he wanted to bring across in his Montreal and the Nagoya be taken to compose it,” he says. latest work, says Dr Tang, 53, dean Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as It was a challenge incorporating of the School of the Arts. the Singapore Symphony the sounds of 50 pianos cohesively [email protected] “Writing this while I was away Orchestra, the Singapore Chinese helped me see Singapore through a Orchestra and the Singapore more global perspective. It made National Youth Orchestra. me realise how significant we have Concerto In Three Movements BOOK IT/SING50 details. Mapletree Investments, Resorts World Sentosa and Zurich become among the community of marks the first time he is Organised by The Straits Times and nations in the world today.” composing for Lang Lang and that Insurance are the main sponsors, TheBusiness Times to mark He was commissioned to create his work is performed by the and the show is produced by the piece for the Sing50 concert, Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra. TheRice Company and supported by organised by The Straits Times and Each of the three movements in concert celebrates 50 years of Steinway Gallery Singapore. The Business Times, and the piece pays tribute to songs and music composed, completed it over five months Singapore’s past, present and WHERE: National Stadium while he was in places such as future. performed or made popular by Britain, the United States and The first movement, he says, is Singapore performers and will WHEN: Aug 7 Macau for work. filled with “energy, vibrancy and include different languages and ADMISSION: Tickets are available for Concerto In Three Movements dynamism”, while the second is music genres. a donation of $20 a ticket under the will be performed by renowned “dignified, slower and reflective”. Sing50 Mapletree Charity Online Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who He adds: “The first movement is a Thepublic can have a say in will lead 50 other pianists aged celebration of the present and which songs will be on the set list. Go Drive. Go to www.sportshubtix.sg. seven to 52 at the Sing50 concert at expresses the vibrant culture to www.sing50concert.sg for INFO: www.sing50concert.sg Taiwanese singer Tsai Chin’s career spans more than the National Stadium on Aug 7. Singapore has today. The second three decades. PHOTO: MEDIACORP VIZPRO INTERNATIONAL music’s Mount Everest was finally explosive entry of the choruses well as altos Deborah Humble and But A Reflection) which swelled Grand celebration scaled. It was not so much signalled that this was going to be Songmi Yang – all of whom inexorably to a voluminous conquered as celebrated like a an energetically charged account, represented fallen biblical women crescendo that only the Esplanade of a labour of love labour of love that only dedicated buoyed by the greatest of seeking ultimate redemption. Concert Hall could contain were and true music-lovers know how. convictions and sheer courage. The sole Singaporean soloist was the stuff of spine-tingling and This was a joint effort by 133 There cannot be more than a soprano Janani Sridhar (a past goosebump-inducing climaxes. instrumentalists, eight internation- handful of musicians or singers this HSBC Youth Excellence Award The second performance on REVIEW / CONCERT al vocal soloists and choirs from evening who have performed the winner) as Mater Gloriosa, perched Saturday bettered the already work before, but they were in the high up in the organ loft with her impressive effort of the night MAHLER 8: A GIFT TO THE ENTIRE NATION Singapore (Vocal Associates Festival Chorus & Children’s surest of hands, with conductor two short crowning lines, Komm, before, as all the performers had Esplanade Concert Hall/ Chorus) and Australia (Perth Chan as steady as he was Hebe Dich Zu Hohern Spharen the vast benefit of prior wisdoms.