Score Video
Instrumentation
2 Flutes, Oboe (opt.), Bassoon (opt.), 3 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, 2 Alto Saxes in Eb, Tenor Sax in Bb, Baritone Sax in Eb
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2 Trumpets in Bb, 2 Horns in F, 2 Trombones, Euphonium, Tuba
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Double Bass (opt.)
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Timpani
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Chimes (opt.)
Snare Drum
Bass Drum
Percussion (Ocean Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Vibraslap, Ratchet, Tam-tam, Tambourine (with skin))
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Programme Notes
‘“If you think old, you are old. If you think young, you are young. Even when you are 100+, you can still do a lot.”
“If you see someone fall, you do not ask him why he did not see the stone. You help him up and ask him to be more careful next time.”
- Teresa Hsu
Originally commissioned by Adrian Chiang and the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary School Concert Band in 2021 for performance at the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for School Bands, this piece is part of a series of compositions celebrating Singapore’s unsung heroes.
The piece serves as a tribute to Teresa Hsu (1898 – 2011), who was born in extreme poverty and yet helped the poor and the destitute in Singapore for most of her life, continuing her humanitarian work even after turning a hundred years old. The music exemplifies her triumph over her struggles against the numerous difficult circumstances she had to experience, as well as the relief and joy that she brought to others through her tireless, lifelong work that helped to make the world a better place.
This edition is a revised version for full concert band.
