I daresay CODA 4 was a success!

According to Quan Hui and all the CODA 3 people, ticket sales cum attendance this year definitely outshone last year. Music-wise, I thought that most of it was in accordance to what the conductors desired, save a few pieces where (as predicted) the band succumbed to the temptation of rushing and blasting.

Arrived at RI at 12 PM, to help the percussion move stuff and take some clarinet section stuff as well. Departed RI at about 1:30 PM for VCH.

My section passed time by playing card games, including Bridge and TT, and a rather violent but fun game called Slapjack. It was so amusing that on one occasion my clarinet slipped off my lap and... the reed got chipped.

Thankfully, I take Yi Jie's advice and carry about 4 playable ones with me usually. So I had to use my second-best reed from then onwards.

Soon came the rehearsal, and I must say that sounds in VCH travel the whole hall without difficulty. No need for me to play so loud then. We ran through certain parts of various pieces for perfection, rehearsed the entering and leaving of the stage, then broke for dinner.

The clarinet section was still kind of hungry, I suppose, (quote: "some want to eat, some want to walk, so let's go!") because we decided to go to Funan to buy kaya toast. The aunties making the kaya toast were a little bemused at our order of 16 pieces.

After coming back, who did we meet but the RIMB crowd coming to support us =D! Lots of phototaking and well wishing going around at this pre-concert time.

Sooner than we knew it, it was showtime.

I'm not going to do a one-by-one commentary on each piece, but I think all of them were great, wonderful, etc.

Firework!
Armenian Dances
A French Portrait
The Phantom Of The Opera

INTERMISSION! Recieved flowers from the RIMB people, went down to meet juniors and seniors. TOTALLY FORGOT TO SWAB MY INSTRUMENT.

Ensembles
ABBA Gold
In The Mood
Queen's Park Melody
The Seventh Night Of July
Looney Tunes

This is probably the first concert which I felt nearly no pressure. Wonder why.

After the concert, went back to RI by bus in hopes of supper. The percussion section was really high by that time, and me and Eric stood there watching them do acapellas and taupok Benni :O.

As for supper, it didn't materialize. We reached Juction 8 at midnight, and McDonald's had just closed. Some of them wanted to take the last train to AMK to catch the 24/7 McDonald's there, but the rest of us (or at least the 4 Sec 4s there) passed and went home.

I'll never win prizes for flower arrangement LOL.

It's been a wonderful time in RWinds, helping me keep my sanity in the face of nothing better to do, and culminating in the wonderful concert that was CODA 4. I look forward to next year's CODA 5!

Labels: band