“A Day in the Life of a Garden” for percussion, pre-recorded sounds and piano, right hand
Robert CASTEELS (b.1958)

Commissioned by the Garden City Fund Committee for its launch dinner on Dec 2003 in the Ballroom of the Istana, this work has the composer recording life sounds from gardens and parks in Singapore. Sounds of rain, thunder, birds, frogs and strolling nature lovers are intertwined with the music played by the instrumentalists.

The music begins with a description of the misty sunrise in a park. The music livens to depict park lovers enjoying their brisk morning walk. Rain starts to fall. Lush strings accompany a chorus of baritone and bass bull frogs in e flat until nature unleashes thunder and lighting. After the storm, the walk resumes. The pace increases when joggers pass by. As they catch their breath, warm strings leads to a joyous assembly of birds arguing. Crickets enshrine the falling night as the sun sets.

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