BSO Concert in Osaka

Before getting back to Naoshima posts, may I have a short intermission to write about a BSO Concert today.


Yes, BSO as the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra! I didn't realize how much I miss seeing concerts like this until I was there at the concert hall. BSO today was only a small portion of the usual BSO that I've seen - even smaller in both size and instrument type than BSO's concerts in the Park back in Bangkok. This time they focused on string instruments and brought only a few wind / brass soloists.


The theme of the concert today was for Royal Compositions, i.e. songs composed by H.M. King Bhumibol, our beloved King. Yes, it surprises a lot of people to learn how talented our King is in music. He's been known as a Jazz King as well.

His Majesty started playing Saxophone when he was 14 years of age and continued into many other wind and brass instruments, as well as piano and guitar. He composed his first song in 1946 (at the age of 18) and continued composing many other pieces. I'm not sure of the correct number of his composition, but roughly close to 50 songs.

beautiful concert hall at Osaka Central Public Hall (大阪市中央公会堂）
Our concert's conductor today was Rear Admiral M.L. Usni Pramoj who has had profound profile in working closely with His Majesty since early age. The Royal compositions appeared on Japan concert tour is also of his musical arrangement. M.L. Usni Pramoj is an invited conductor for this BSO String Orchestra since its origin in 2002.

The program today comprised of 16 songs with short intermission inbetween the 8th and 9th pieces. Songs were as listed.
1. Alexandra (แผ่นดินของเรา)
2. Blue Day (อาทิตย์อับแสง)
3. Sweet Words (คำหวาน)
4. Twilight (ยามค่ำ)
5. Lullaby (ค่ำแล้ว)
6. Near Dawn (ใกล้รุ่ง)
7. Royal Marines March
8. Love in Spring (ลมหนาว)

Oboe Soloist in "Twilight"
9. Echo (แว่ว)
10. No Moon (ไร้จันทร์)
11. Still on My Mind (ในดวงใจนิรันดร์)
12. Dream Island (เกาะในฝัน)
13. A Love Story (ภิรมย์รัก)
14. Old Fashioned Melody
15. Magic Beams (แสงเดือน)
16. Can't You Ever See

Full Orchestra members in "Can't You Ever See"
I have my few favourites here, namely "Sweet Word" (beautiful conversing dialogues of Violin, viola and cello), "Twilight" (the oboe solo was just too sweet), "Still on My Mind" (another oboe's solo song), "Dream Island" (refreshing pizzicato move and clarinet in the solo), "Old Fashioned Melody" (another pizzicato song with flute soloist), and of course, my all-time-favourite "Can't You Ever See" (here played in Jazz style with String orchestra combined with all wind instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn and bassoon).

closing the concert

with Khun Apichart (the concert MC), Yoko and Na (my friends)
some of the orchestra's members after the show
Another good day with good people and good music. Really miss my time in the band, and even as an audience. Hopefully there will be more of this while I'm here.