Concert: An Odyssey of Humanity and Nature

The thread of over-achieving young orchestras in Singapore continues with Musicians' Initiative, formerly known as The Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra, led by its dynamic London-based music director Alvin Arumugam.

- Chang Tou Liang

In a very ambitious programme, the performances exceeded all expectations, which should not even be a surprise these days.

The evening began with the world premiere of London-based Chilean composer Anibal Vidal's Thus Dreamt The Anthems, a 24-minute tone poem that dwelled on modern-day social consciousness in an ever-volatile environment.

The work was a slow boil, opening quietly and mysteriously, like a nascent dawn with otherworldly sound effects, including string harmonics and offbeat instruments like the wind machine, bowed musical saw and flexatone.

From the miasma emerged a series of human rights and revolutionary anthems from around the world. Fragments of We Shall Overcome and La Marseillaise wafted in and out, but pride of place went to the Chilean song