SOUNDING OUT SWEDEN

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band now counts Scandinavians among their fans, after their gripping debut at the Sweden International Tattoo.

The band stands ready. Beyond the curtain, a sold-out crowd of 6,500 awaits with bated breath in the spectator stands of Malmo Arena in Sweden. Having seen four other military bands, each as impressive as the next, the audience has high expectations for the SAF Central Band - the only Asian act in the line-up of 10 performing groups.

Curtains up. The SAF Central Band marches out. One of the first things the audience sees are flashes of the mace catching the light as it somersaults through the air.

Expertly wielded by the Drum Major, the mace is not just for show (the other musicians watch it for crucial cues while they march). As a symbol of authority, the mace is always given a thorough once-over before the band takes to the stage.

Halfway through their 10-minute performance, the SAF Central Band sets their instruments aside and belts out popular Swedish folk song Vem Kan Segla (Forutan Vind). Loosely translated as "Who can sail (without wind)", the haunting song speaks of friendship and the pain of saying goodbye.

Swede silence

At first, the audience turns silent. The band is unsure if the audience recognises the song, but they plug on. As if on cue, the audience joins in at the second verse of the song and claps along. The mood is electric.

After a few more pieces, the band exits to rapturous applause. This scene played out three times over one weekend as they played three shows at the Sweden International Tattoo.

"When the audience sang along, my hair stood up on end. It was moving...to know that we made a connection," said Military Expert (ME) 1 Sanche Jagatheesan. The 21-year-old is a string bassist but also plays the bass drum.

The Tattoo was held at the Malmo Arena, a cavernous facility that is home to the city's ice-hockey team. For two days from 25 May, the whoops from spectators and the clatter of hockey sticks gave way to the pizzazz of military band music.

The Sweden International Tattoo is a relative newcomer on the military band circuit. This year's show is only the second in the biennial series which started in 2011. With more than 600 performers playing to sold-out crowds over its three-show run, the Tattoo is no struggling fledgling. Organisers are already preparing for the next show, which will happen in May 2015.

Just a little help

Band members credited their tone-correct rendition of the Swedish folk song to some help from a Swedish church in Singapore. "Without their help, we wouldn't have known how to pronounce some of the words!" said ME1 Sanche.

Playing traditional Singaporean numbers such as We are Singapore and Malay classic Gurindam Jiwa (Sonnet of the Soul), the SAF Central Band added colour to the Tattoo. For married couple Tobias Gullerskedt and Ann-Marie Jensson, seeing the Singapore band was a welcome surprise.

"This is the first time we've seen an Asian band here. It has been a nice birthday present for me!" said Ms Jensson. Her husband had taken her to the Tattoo as a birthday surprise.

PIONEER also caught up with another couple, Mr Mads Frederiksen and his Singaporean wife Ms Zhang Yifang, who had made the trip from Copenhagen, Denmark, to see the Tattoo. "I liked the way the Singapore band was marching, the dancers weaving in and out. Overall, it was real nice!" said Mr Frederiksen.

The SAF Central Band was the only military band to include dancers in their show. The band drew audible "oohs" and "aahs" from the audience each time they marched out together with SAF Music and Drama Company (MDC) dancers decked out in shimmering ethnic costumes.

Backstage pass

Arriving a few days before the start of the Tattoo, the SAF Central Band often rehearsed late into the night. "We only have these few days to make sure that the show is up to standard. There were also some adjustments to be made on the ground, as we had not expected the hall to be this huge!" said ME1 Ang Yi Xiang, who plays the saxophone. The 26-year-old was responsible for choreographing the show in Sweden.

The 48 musicians were led by Drum Major ME1 Muhammad Hafis Bin Amron and Conductor ME4 Steven Tan Aik Kee. They were joined by six MDC dancers.

The band had been rehearsing since January for this moment and there was much at stake. As they rested in the dressing room, ME1 Ang could be seen discussing details of the performance with his team as well as the Swedish organisers. "Watching how the Swedes ran the whole show was an eye-opener, and hopefully we can improve on it when we organise our own Tattoo," said ME1 Ang.

With Chief Guards Officer Brigadier-General (then Colonel) Desmond Tan visiting the tattoo organisers, Singapore might have a Tattoo of her own some time in the not-so-distant future.

"It was a nice surprise when the Singaporean band started singing our song. Perfect pronunciation! The rest of the music was quite exotic to me. Really good performance."
- Mr Bo Criwall, a member of the audience, on the SAF Central Band's performance