Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony || Symphonie De Republique III

By MRT
Woodlands Station

By Car
PIE(Jurong) Exit onto BKE(Woodlands) (Exit 24)
BKE Exit onto SLE (Exit 8)
SLE Exit via Woodlands Ave 2 (Exit 10)
Woodlands Ave 2 Turn right into Woodlands Ave 9 at the 4th junction (after you see Woodlands MRT on your left)
Woodlands Ave 9 Turn left into Republic Polytechnic (drop-off/pick-up point & basement carpark)

By Bus
To Woodlands Interchange 168 169 178 187 856 858 900 901 903 911 912 913 925 926 960 961 962 964 925C
From Woodlands Interchange To Woodlands Ave 9 169 911
From Woodlands Interchange To Woodlands Ave 2 169 903 NR

Click here for enlarge view of Woodland Map

CPT MUHAMAD YUSRI B. MD ALI BA(MUS) LLCM, LRSM RMSM Photobucket

CPT Muhamad Yusri Bin Mohamed Ali, enlisted into military service in December 1993. In 1996, he received the Licentiate Diploma for Trumpet Performance from the London College of Music. In the same year, he was accepted to attend the Asian Youth Orchestra Camp and Tour. During the camp, CPT Yusri studied trumpet with Professor Edmund Cord from Indiana University (US) and played under the direction of the late Maestro Sergiu Commissiona.

In 1997, CPT Yusri was selected to attend the UK Bandmaster Course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall in Twickenham. While he was there, he studied conducting with Major (Retired) Roger Swift and Lieutenant Colonel Stuwart Watts who was then the Principal Director of Music of the British Army. In the final year examinations and competitions, CPT Yusri won the Principal Director of Music Prize for Conducting and the Graham Wallace Prize for the Best Overseas Student Bandmaster. Upon returning to Singapore in December 1999, CPT Yusri was appointed the Director of Music of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band B.

In 2004, CPT Yusri was appointed the Chief Instructor of the SAF Bands. This appointment allowed him time to concentrate on fine tuning his conducting abilities. CPT Yusri attended several conducting masterclasses with Hardy Mertens (NL), Timothy Reynish (UK), Mick Dowrick (UK), Robert Ponto (US), Stephen Peterson (US), Mallory Thompson (US), Douglas Bostock (GB), James W. McRoy (US), Shuichi Komiyama (US), Robert W. Rumbelow (US), Gary Green (US) and H. Robert Reynolds (US).

In July 2005, CPT Yusri participated in the 10th Conductors Contest in Holland. In the competition, he conducted two local community bands and the Marine Band of the Dutch Royal Navy. CPT Yusri reached the finals and eventually won the Bronze Baton.

In May 2007, CPT Yusri attempted the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) Diploma in Music Direction examination and he passed with a Distinction.

In February 2008, CPT Yusri was appointed conductor of the SAF Central Band. The Central Band is the premier band of the Singapore Armed Forces.

CPT Yusri was appointed the conductor of the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (RPWS) in August 2006. Since taking over the band, RPWS has performed five full concerts, travelled to Taiwan and Hong Kong and attained 2nd placing in the First Division of the inaugural Singapore International Band Festival in July 2008.

Oboe Soloist - Simon Lee

At the age of 13, Simon Lee began his musical journey in Compassvale Secondary School Band playing the alto saxophone. He switched to the oboe after a year and was under the tutelage of Mr. Pan Yun (Singapore Symphony Orchestra Associate Principal Oboist). After moving on to Republic Polytechnic, he became a member of the Republic Polytechnic Wind Symphony (RPWS) and also founded the band’s wind quintet, REwind.

Besides his involvement in RPWS, Simon is also a member of The Philharmonic Winds. He has also performed with other groups such as The Philharmonic Youth Winds, SMU Symphonia, Singapore Wind Symphony and Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra. In May this year, he was offered the opportunity to perform at the 40th anniversary of the Japan Band Clinic, one of the most prestigious wind conferences in the world, with The Philharmonic Winds. In June, he also performed in the inaugural concert of the National Youth Winds under the baton of Maestro Jan Van der Roost, an initiative by the Band Directors Association of Singapore (BDAS).

Recently, he had been featured as a soloist in the inaugural chamber concert of RPWS with the combined group of RPWS Clarinet Choir and local amateur chamber group Clarquinet. In the Beautiful Sunday concert with The Philharmonic Youth Winds at the Esplanade, he had also been featured along with 2 of his fellow woodwinds counterparts as soloists of the band in the arrangement of the well-known Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky Korsakov.

Simon had many opportunities to work with renowned local and foreign conductors namely CPT Muhamad Yusri, Mr Adrian Chiang, Mr. Andy Sim, Mr. Regan Wickman, Mr. David Anthony Glosz, Dr Goh Toh Chai, Mr. Surapol Thanayawibool, Dr. John Boyd and most recently, Mr Lui Serrano Alarcón. He has attended masterclasses by Maestro Timothy Reynish and Douglas Bostock. In the recent formation of the National Youth Winds, he has also worked closely with Mr Leonard Tan, Mr Alvin Seville, Mr Brando Tan and Mr Richard Adams.

During his free time, Simon plays football with his band mates. He also loves to find good food around the heartlands. He hopes to major in music in the future, and believes in character over playing.

Lastly, Simon wishes to express his gratitude to Mr Er Wee San for his undying support, CPT Muhamad Yusri for his guidance and patience and Mr Tay Kai Tze for his many valuable advices.

Performing Autumn Soliloquy by James Barnes
We deviate from our theme of overtures to present this delightful tone poem by James Barnes. He composed it as an oboe solo with wind orchestra accompaniment and dedicated it to Susan Hicks Brashier. It is quite different from most of his music, which is powerful and energetic.

The piece begins with a melancholy oboe solo and a one line melody on a horn in the background. The clarinet and bassoon then have a turn with the melody. In the moderato, the other instruments of the ensemble, including the vibraphone and bass clarinet, produce an ethereal, shimmering sound. An oboe cadenza catches one's notice as the swirling chill wind of Autumn. The colors of sound of the woodwinds and brass indicate the changing in the colors of the leaves. There is a last burst of brilliance and excitement before the oboe once again sings in a plaintive cadenza. Recalling the initial theme before retreating, the horns introduce a pyramid of ensemble sounds to bring the piece to a quiet ending.