Millennia Institute’s Collaborative Concert
Symphonic Band, Angklung Kulintang Ensemble

Music is a powerful tool for the collective expression of emotions, outlook, and the essence of being. Man has used music to heal, to worship, and to identify themselves and their cultures with. Music is found in societies all over the world, and is a defining characteristic of the culture it is derived from.

Increasingly so, Millennia Institute is becoming a melting pot of different cultures.  Each student brings along with him his share of the culture he grew up in, and contributes to the evolving amalgam of colour and richness in the Institute.  Musique Unifiante 2008 was the maiden public concert of Millennia Institute’s Angklung Kulintang Ensemble and Symphonic Band, and it served to showcase the diverse musical talents latent in the Institute’s population.

Musique Unifiante (French, for Unified Music) was held at The Republic Polytechnic’s Cultural Centre (Theatre) on the 18th of December 2008. It saw the two musical groups performing the night away to more than 600 satisfied listeners.

Since its formation in 2007, the Millennia Institute Symphonic Band has developed as a skilled and enthralling band. The budding band achieved a Silver Award in the National Band Competition 2008, its inaugural competition, and has made numerous other appearances, namely in Sleigh Ride 2007 and Musical Inspiration 2008. Musique Unifiante 2008 was the MISB’s inaugural public concert, and it did not fail to live up to its promise, pleasing the audience with its unique concoction of Western and Asian music.

Millennia Institute’s Angklung Kulintang Ensemble was formed in 2002 to address a desire of the students of the school to express and develop themselves musically. Angklungs and Kulintangs were chosen because they provided accessibility to music for students with and without musical training. Mixing modern metal into traditional wood, the ensemble has crafted a fusion niche in the local schools’ Angklung & Kulintang scene. The ensemble boasts of no less than Gold medals in every Singapore Youth Festival competition (2003 Gold, 2005 Gold with Honours, 2007 Gold) it has participated since its inception. To further its achievements beyond the local SYFs, the ensemble collaborated with SMP Darul Hikam Bandung – an Indonesian High School – in a combined local concert, and participated in the Southern Cross International Music Festival in Australia in 2008. This concert is an important signpost for the ensemble, for it marks its re-entry into the local schools music scene after a year of international expeditions.

After the concert, the Symphonic Band and the Angklung Kulintang Ensemble embark on their intense preparations for both the Singapore Youth Festival 2009, and the Institute’s Official Opening in the middle of the same year. They would like to thank everyone who have supported the cause of the concert in one way or other, and look forward your continued support as they work towards further successes in the years to come.