The highly anticipated band event of the year “Festival Winds” organised by the Band Directors’ Association (Singapore) came back for its second year! Festival Winds is a premier musical experience for students (Secondary School and above) throughout Singapore to come together and perform with one another. At Festival Winds, students participated in masterclasses with an esteemed professional faculty and rehearse as an ensemble for 4 days. At the end of the Festival, students performed a full length concert to demonstrate their growth and development.
Festival Winds 2019 welcomed new sponsors Chenter Foundation, Licha Stelaus Productions and new venue partner Nanyang Polytechnic alongside their returning sponsor The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). Attendees could also look forward to catching their favourite Band Directors in action as the Band Directors’ Association Band took the stage for the Festival Winds Honour Band Concert. Festival Winds Honour Band Concert was conducted by BDA(S)’s esteemed advisor, Dr Leonard Tan from the National Institute of Education and Director of Music of the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band ME5 Tan Aik Kee Ken Steven.
The 4-day event, targeted at students aged 13 years old and above, was helmed by some of the top local professional directors with the following objectives:
– To provide a platform for band members from different schools to interact in a learning and performance environment
– To introduce ensemble playing and full band training to participants
– To create opportunities to foster camaraderie and teamwork
– To equip student leaders to be role models in discipline and skills to lead and assist other band members in music matters
Students were separated into 3 groups, based on their number of years of experience, and put through a series of intense ensemble and combined band training.
