The Night Bazaar
ensemble full orchestra
duration 7 mins
written December 2018
written for Orchestra of the Music Makers
premiered OMM Goes To The Movies 3, 13th January, 2019, Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore
Childhood was tedium and bore, so whenever a pasar malam rolled into our estate, unfurling its train of colors, smells, and sounds, I would be whipped into delirious, arm-pulling, muah-chee frenzy: it is these memories that inspired my composition.
While listening to this overture, I invite you to conjure a cinematic sequence: on a hot tropical night, beneath a blood moon, a bazaar shimmers into existence. A young boy darts through the crowd, consuming the market in all its glory, before having his breath taken away by the sight of a beautiful girl (represented by the melody of P. Ramlee’s Getaran Jiwa). However, their new friendship is threatened by an ominous turn that might tear them asunder. A familiar tune – at least to all conscripted Singaporeans – arises. Will darkness take root, or will their friendship triumph?
Welcome to The Night Bazaar!
This work is dedicated to my father, Roger Shin.
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