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The Straits Times Life!, 18th June 2007: Fun and games
The combined choirs of The Vocal Consort and The National University of Singapore Choir were also called upon at times to provide suitably awe-inspiring vocals, as in Uemastsu's famous One-Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII, where antagonist Sephiroth's name is used as a kind of threatening punch line.
Still, there were some impressively complex pieces, like Takenobu Mitsuyoshi's nuanced and lush Sedge Tree for Shenmue and Shenmue II, and the meditative The Elder Scrolls IV suite by Jeremy Soule, which included a soulful solo by concert master Chan Yoong Han.
The audience also got to experience the enveloping sound of the Esplanade's pipe organ, which was given a workout by organist Evelyn Lim in Uematsu's Dancing Mad for Final Fantasy VI.
Amidst all the epic soundscapes, the night had its simpler nostalgic moments with the light-hearted tunes of old school favourites like Super Mario Bros and Sonic The Hedgehog, complete with charmingly static graphics.
A guest appearance by composer Mitsuyoshi, who played the piano and sang the theme to Daytona USA, also added some rock star glamour to the night as he hurled a stuff Sonic into the audience.
What left the most lasting impression, however, were the parts where the screens ceased playing scenes from the games, and instead showed live footage of the orchestra.
Their complexions and attire might be less wonderful than those of their animated counterparts, but the musicians held their own as compelling characters, whether it was clarinettist Vincent Goh frowning his way through a passage, or percussionist Michael Tan unleashing a brutal beating on his timpani.
Putting faces to instruments is one way orchestras can perhaps attract new audiences in today's increasing visual culture.
Organisers could take a leaf out of Play!'s book, and give Singapore's talented musicians the big screen treatment they deserve- fancy hairstyles optional.
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