Annual Christmas Gathering

20th and 21st Dec is the last weekend before christmas day. Many of us might be busy with xmas shopping, getting the last minute bargains in shopping malls, but a few of us chose to make time out and gather at chun ming's house (as usual, thx chunming and lilian for the venue ^-^) for our AJCAACO annual christmas gathering! =)

Preparations for the event started right from the beginning of the day. Our dear president, Qiling went to the wet market early in the morning to buy the ingredients for our steamboat buffet. Reason? "因为巴刹的比较新鲜，味道比较好！" haha.

So while qiling is busy preparing the food at his house after his market trip, me and serene went to ntuc and bought some drinks and things that qiling lacked. (Its good to have a house-husband coz you never really need to crack ur head on what is needed, just follow instructions =x)

After all these, chun ming kindly came and fetch us (and all our big and small bags of food) to his house. Frankly speaking, this type of host i dunno where to find sia... provide venue, do a bit of cleaning up even before we came, fetch us to his house, carry his house tv to our gathering, provide WII.. etc etc etc etc *applause pls*

So after reaching his house and doing a bit of cleaning up, we are now ready to welcome our first guest!

Ok, soon after, our steamboat buffet started. Pictures speak a thousand words, here are some for the buffet:

In case u r wondering, how come there is 药材 inside the soup, they are all brought by qiling to make the soup tastier! =)

After dinner, as more and more people came and join us, the people split into 2 groups:

And Yeah! WII is fun! I can dare say at least 75% of the time at the gathering i was glued to the tv set, either watching people playing or playing myself. It was a pretty no brainer game that we are all addicted to called "rabbids". Basically is just follow what the rabbids in the game are doing and you do the same and you get to compete with one another for the winner.

And these explains why we are all feeling sore and muscles arching after the game:

Next up is dessert time! Our "missy" aka nurse huiling brought along a christamas cake for the event. And boy, it was nice!

After the dessert session, each of us satisfied with the delicious cake, its time to present a token of appreciation to our hosts! For people who do not know, this is the second time we have been using chun ming's house for christmas gathering and what's more, its FOC! So it is of course natural we must show our appreciation to them.

Chun ming looks so cute! HaHa

The next day, its back to WII!! And we are so glued to the extent that we played from the morning till the time we left which is mid afternoon, in addition to playing the night before! =X haha

Last but not least, thanks to those who managed to turn up for this gathering. As for those who cannot make it, do make sure u come for the gathering in the future! =)

Have a blessed and better 2009!

P.S Sorry all, I know this entry is not so high standard as qiling's one. lol!

奇灵大叔的朋友上~

Alumni of AJCO - Arranger-in-Residence of SCO...

The conceptual and multifaceted composer/arranger Kah Yong has made an indelible mark on the Chinese Orchestral scene with a creative repertoire that spans the boundaries of classical, Anime soundtracks, Eastern and Western musical traditions. A recently appointed Arranger-in-Residence of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), his music has been played throughout the world by professional, semi and non-professional orchestras and ensembles including the SCO, Kaoshiung City Chinese Orchestra (KCCO), People's Association Youth Chinese Orchestra (PAYCO), Kent Ridge Xin Yun (心韵) Quintet, River Valley Chinese Orchestra, National University of Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Ruan Xian (阮咸) Ensemble and Ding Xiao Yan Ruan Ensemble.

Kah Yong's persistence and hardwork in recent years earned him a quick rising reputation in the musical field, even as he is undergoing his Licentiate in Music Composition from the Trinity College of London. His portfolio had boardened rapidly to comprise of Choral Works, Symphonic Bands, Multi-Ethnic Orchestra and many others. Several upcoming projects in the pipeline include new orchestral theme song for the Ministry of Education (MOE) Music Camp 2009; "Kitchen Utensils" Percussion and Orchestra; as well as Hip-Hop Suona and Kaqiang with the Orchestra.

Having been studying piano since the tender age of four, Kah Yong’s contact with the Chinese Orchestral circle began in 1997 when he joined the Anderson Junior College Chinese Orchestra as an Erhu player, thereafter picking up sanxian and has been the Principal sanxian player of PAYCO since 1999. He later studied orchestral composition and arrangement under the tutelage of renowned composer Law Wai Lun and had received guidance from Sim Boon Yew as well as the late Yeo Puay Hian.

A highly sought‐after orchestrator for his uncanny ability to capture the essence and ideas of music and write in perfect harmony to the most stringent demands of Music and Production Directors, Kah Yong has scored for huge productions like Mediacorp Capital Radio 95.8FM with the SCO concerts in January 2008 and 2009. KCCO commissioned and premiered his Soprano‐Tenor plus choral and Orchestra The New Taiwanese Tunes Medley at Kaohsiung Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Centre in May 2008.

In February 2006, his mentor Mr. Law and himself became pioneers to pen music for the newly formed SCO Pop Ensemble in the Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts concert – SCO Goes Pop!, which featured a collaboration between both of them. Together, they fused traditional Chinese music with pop and successfully revolutionised the way a pure Chinese instrumental ensemble play pop music. Their ensemble rendition of One Night in Beijing was later rearranged for the full orchestra when SCO toured around China in late 2007.

Later in December the same year, the People’s Association Cultural Troupe (PACT) appointed Kah Yong to orchestrate for the highlight of PAYCO annual concert – Japanese Korean Potpourri. His emotive Chinese orchestration of the Erhu‐Piano Concerto Theme to Shenmue won the most rousing applause for that night and garnered many accolades from loyal fans of the smash hit Sega® Dreamcast game Shenmue, which the music was scored for, after the concert video clip emerged on YouTube™. Owing to the huge success, PACT continued to commission him to write for their other regular multi‐ethnic Soundwaves series concerts. PAYCO most recent performance in August 2008 premiered his Fairy Garden Fantasy as their opening piece, as well as their concert highlight, Disney Princess Medley.

Versatile in his arrangement, Kent Ridge Xin Yun Quintet first approached and commissioned him in 2003 to explore and pen for the then newly formed ensemble. His innovative rendition of Londonderry Air was featured in their South African inaugural concert in mid 2004 and later recorded into an album featuring the group.

A pianist himself, Kah Yong had been a resident arranger for MusicNet Pte Ltd and had published several piano song books such as the popular Romantic Contemporary Hits, TV & Movie Themes and Mega Starz Hitz series.

AJCAACO: WE LOVE (MR) TAN KAH YONG (LAOSHI)
@@Liang Ah Lucas@@