WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE
Tembusu Evenings by Ho Chee Kong
It seems the cello has inspired a great deal of music to be played or listened to at night. The countless nocturnes, and serenades that exploit the cello’s darker side indeed seem to make up a good portion of our repertoire. Two excellent examples presented in previous editions of Why You Should Learn This Piece include David Feurzeig’s Cello Suite, and George Lam’s Suite for Cello. This month we will take a look at Singapore composer Ho Chee Kong’s Tembusu Evenings. The composer offers this short description about the piece:
“The Tembusu is a hardy tree that is native to Southeast Asia. Its canopy of leaves provides welcome shade in the equatorial climate and its flowers exude a fragrance that grows stronger as the night deepens. Tembusu Evenings is a little suite of stories surrounding this majestic tree and the misty memories that unfold under its leafy folds.”