The Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra from the Kinta Valley Symphonic Society presented a showcase titled “Visions of Flight” on Sunday, April 22 at the Chin Woo Hall.
“The theme came about while I was waiting for my flight which got delayed. Wind music is very different and not the songs that you hear all the time over the radio. For Ipoh, wind music is a very new thing,” Ipoh-born Aaron Chin, the main conductor for the evening, explained.
Among the instruments used by the 45-member orchestra were piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba and percussion.
One interesting piece was “Coffee Serenade” by Ted Huggens which saw a solo part being performed by tapping a teaspoon against a porcelain coffee cup.
Equally memorable was the Japanese composition, “The Knight of the Sky” by Hiroaki Kataoka featuring a rain stick (an instrument that makes sounds reminiscent of rain falling) and bird call (an instrument that makes sounds similar to wild birds) which turned the performance into a multi-dimensional one.
The crowd was in for a treat as the orchestra performed a teaser of what will be played in their upcoming concert in September.
The Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra is made up of Malaysians from all walks of life. It was started by the Kinta Valley Symphonic Society, a non-profit society founded in January 2010. It depends on donations from well-wishers and performances to raise the necessary funds aimed to provide an environment for musicians to make music as well as improve their playing skills.
Since its inception, the orchestra has put up annual grand concerts, charity concerts, shopping mall concerts and outreach concerts at local orphanages, senior homes, schools and centres for the disabled.
Readers can stay tuned to the next performance or donate by following their Facebook page: Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra.
Mei Kuan
