The Philharmonic Chamber Choir and The Philharmonic Orchestra join choirs and orchestras worldwide in celebrating the bicentenary of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s birth.
Mendelssohn is the single most influential early 19th century personality who connects the splendour of the Baroque period with the apocalyptic Romantic era. The Mendelssohn and Beyond concert series, conceptualised and conducted by Lim Yau, explores different facets of Mendelssohn’s compositional portfolio.
The first concert of the series was The Philharmonic Chamber Choir’s a cappella choral concert on 4-5 September 2009, with a programme centred around Mendelssohn’s partsongs for mixed chorus and featuring the world premiere of Singaporean composer Ng Tian Hui’s Siehe!, specially commissioned for this concert series.
On 3 December 2009, The Philharmonic Orchestra will present Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21 and 61, as the second and final instalment of the concert series. Mendelssohn’s incidental music to Shakespeare’s comedy includes the sparkling overture he composed at the age of seventeen, and the well-known wedding march. The performance will be complete with narration by William Ledbetter, and will also feature soprano Yap Shing Min, countertenor Phua Ee Kia, and the ladies of The Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
Narrator, William Ledbetter
William Ledbetter is making his Esplanade debut with his role as narrator in this performance. Trained as a musician and actor, Mr Ledbetter has a Bachelor’s degree in music from the Oberlin Conservatory, and theatre credentials from the National Shakespeare Conservatory of New York City.
His local theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Shakespeare on Love (Wessex Theatre), and he is currently voicing the role of ‘Dominic Lars’ on the second season of Stowaways (Inspired Media). His United States credits include The Summer in Gossensass (Off-Broadway), the title role in The King and I (MacHayden Theatre), Down the Road (Third Eye Repertory), and numerous regional and New York-based productions of Shakespeare.
As a musician, Mr Ledbetter has thrice toured Europe with groups ranging from chamber ensembles to full orchestras. He has been recorded in performances of standard orchestral repertoire, contemporary chamber music, and period instruments. He counts a performance of Mahler’s 4th Symphony in the Musikvereinshall, Vienna, as his most perfect concert performing experience to date.
Concert details:
Mendelssohn and Beyond:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Philharmonic Orchestra
Lim Yau, conductor
3 December 2009
7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Ticket prices (booking fees apply):
Category 1: $20 ($60 for group of 4)
Category 2: $25 ($40 for group of 2)
Category 3: $35
Concessions: Tickets at $15 for students, senior citizens, and NSFs.
Keppel Nights 50% subsidy for Category 1 tickets: $10 (U.P. $20)
Tickets are available from the SISTIC website www.sistic.com.sg, hotline 6348 5555, and authorised agents islandwide.
Contributor: www.musicians.com.sg
[...] 2 by Yap Shing Min and Phua Ee Kia respectively) and probably most entretainingly our narrator William Ledbetter, who would put in the “comedy” as much as the orchestra / choir will put in the [...]