An Angel's Heart (In Memory of Kathy Ong)
This piece was composed by Elliot Teo and Matthew Ooi in conjunction with ACJC Harp Ensemble's Annual Concert, "Serenade 2018" and was premiered on the 2nd of June at ACJC Faith Centre for Performing Arts. It was a joint project between the ACJC Harp Ensemble and ACJC String Ensemble to dedicate a piece for an alumni harpist Kathy Ong, who passed away due to a tragic traffic accident.
“An Angel’s Heart” is a single movement work cast in three major sections with an introduction and coda.
The introduction opens with only one instrument playing - a solo harp presenting a free, almost improvisatory passage. This breaks off into a gentle, lyrical melody which uses the motif from the hymn "In Christ Alone". This melody forms the basis of the rest of the work. As the statement of the melody reaches its tail end, the rest of the ensemble enters, leading the music into the main body of the work.
The first section, titled “Love” features a tender, songful theme first heard on the cellos and then the violins and violas. It brims with love in all but the romantic sense of the word - rather than amorous passion, this is music about unconditional, inexhaustible love for people.
The melody appears wistfully on harps for one last time before the re-entry of the strings launches the music into the Second Section, Joy.
As its title suggests, the section bursts bursts forth with mirthful energy and indefatigable exuberance. The section ends with the same joyfullness in which it began, before a new undulating pattern in the harps heralds the start of the third section, titled Peace.
In this section, the cellos start of with the familiar tune of the hymn “It is well with my Soul” accompanied lightly by the harps. Measured and calm, this lends the section a character of tranquil resolution, with no distress in sight. As the hymn reaches a cadence, the rest of the strings enter with the harp theme first introduced at the beginning, now in the bright and sunny key D major. A short coda ensues, hinting at materials from earlier sections, with the harps also plucking a snippet of the bugel call "The Last Post" while a passage for plucked strings draws the work to a close.
May you rest in peace and forever be remembered by your friends and family Kathy.
Conductor: Matthew Ooi
Concert Mistress: Goh Yi Man
Violins: Goh Yi Man, Amanda Gnai, Valerie Tiong, Ryan Tan
Violas: Mr Mark Ng, Wisely Kwek
Cellos: Lavinia Chu, Rachel Ngu
Harps (Left to Right): Elliot Teo, Xavier Lee, Natalene Koh, Christine Kwok, Ang Hsi Ning, Isis Lee
“An Angel’s Heart” is a single movement work cast in three major sections with an introduction and coda.
The introduction opens with only one instrument playing - a solo harp presenting a free, almost improvisatory passage. This breaks off into a gentle, lyrical melody which uses the motif from the hymn "In Christ Alone". This melody forms the basis of the rest of the work. As the statement of the melody reaches its tail end, the rest of the ensemble enters, leading the music into the main body of the work.
The first section, titled “Love” features a tender, songful theme first heard on the cellos and then the violins and violas. It brims with love in all but the romantic sense of the word - rather than amorous passion, this is music about unconditional, inexhaustible love for people.
The melody appears wistfully on harps for one last time before the re-entry of the strings launches the music into the Second Section, Joy.
As its title suggests, the section bursts bursts forth with mirthful energy and indefatigable exuberance. The section ends with the same joyfullness in which it began, before a new undulating pattern in the harps heralds the start of the third section, titled Peace.
In this section, the cellos start of with the familiar tune of the hymn “It is well with my Soul” accompanied lightly by the harps. Measured and calm, this lends the section a character of tranquil resolution, with no distress in sight. As the hymn reaches a cadence, the rest of the strings enter with the harp theme first introduced at the beginning, now in the bright and sunny key D major. A short coda ensues, hinting at materials from earlier sections, with the harps also plucking a snippet of the bugel call "The Last Post" while a passage for plucked strings draws the work to a close.
May you rest in peace and forever be remembered by your friends and family Kathy.
Conductor: Matthew Ooi
Concert Mistress: Goh Yi Man
Violins: Goh Yi Man, Amanda Gnai, Valerie Tiong, Ryan Tan
Violas: Mr Mark Ng, Wisely Kwek
Cellos: Lavinia Chu, Rachel Ngu
Harps (Left to Right): Elliot Teo, Xavier Lee, Natalene Koh, Christine Kwok, Ang Hsi Ning, Isis Lee
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