A SINGAPORE SYMPHONY IN GERMANY

Red and yellow Chinese fans snapped open and shut in synchronized beats to the familiar strains of tunes such as Rasa Sayang, and peacock feathers swirled around in a beautiful blur of blue and green.

These were just two captivating scenes in performances by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band at Musikschau der Nationen 2011 (Music of the Nations). Held from 27 to 30 Jan, this four-day event is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe.

Together with six dancers from the SAF Music & Drama Company (MDC), the 42-man display team from the SAF Band wowed German audiences with a mix of traditional and modern Asian songs, which included Singapore Town, Bunga Sayang and Munnaeru Vaalibaa.



Adding extra visual effect to their performances were the various display formations executed by the band, which ranged from an oil lamp to a sail boat and the Changi Airport Tower.



Besides showcasing "the many religions, languages, cultures, that we have in Singapore", display choreographer Military Expert (ME) 1 Kartik Alan also incorporated two German pieces in their repertoire, with band members singing the lyrics to German folk song Sah Ein Knab Ein R slein Stehn.



"It is our way of saying thank you, of expressing our appreciation to the country and organisation for inviting us," he explained.

His efforts were appreciated by the audience, who chorused along enthusiastically with the band members.



Said Mr Ralf Becker, a first-time visitor to the festival: "It is very special and fantastic for us to see the Singapore band, who comes from so far away, singing a German folk song."



Local audience member Bernd Muller also agreed that the band's performance was one of the festival's highlights: "You can tell it's a crowd favourite from the applause they received!"



The band's performances were appreciated not only by the locals, but also by fellow musicians. Trombone player Bj rn Bus, whose band from Netherlands also participated in the festival, told cyberpioneer he was impressed that the SAF Band was "very good and in tune".



"They did a lot of effort to master the German language, and I think that is wonderful," he added.

Despite the long hours and hard work put into achieving a great show, there was no lack of dedication from the band members. Lance-Corporal (LCP) (NS) Lau Wen Rong and Corporal (CPL) (NS) Mohammed Fhairil Bin Samsudin, for instance, both extended their National Service to perform in Germany.

It was an easy choice for LCP (NS) Lau, who said making music together with the band has been a great experience. He added: "I've been playing with the band for the past two years, and it has been like a family to me."

For CPL (NS) Fhairil, it was the sense of satisfaction of knowing he was contributing to the band that motivated him. "We had standing ovations and rounds of applause during the show and I feel great knowing that I am helping to contribute to the performances."

The success of the SAF Band's performances was not lost on Musikschau der Nationen festival director Rolf Reimers. The only Asian band invited to participate in the festival, the SAF Band had been selected because of their reputation for discipline and having high quality musicians, he said.

"Their performance has been excellent," added Mr Reimers. "They were one of the best bands, and the audience liked them very much. I think the band is a wonderful ambassador of Singapore."

Their performance also caught the eyes of other festival directors. ME4 Yusri B Mohd Ali, conductor of the SAF Band, told cyberpioneer that he had already received several invitations for the band to perform at other shows in Europe.

"I think we have shown that our Singapore band has come a long way, and we should be proud of this achievement, and continue to strive to greater heights."

Six dancers from the SAF Music Dance & Drama Company accompanied the SAF band.