This promotion is part of Ready To Wed, Citibank Ready Credit's wedding planner guide book with year-long promotions. We're flattered to be the only wedding band featured in the guide book.
Here are the promotional details:
We don't give discounts very often, so it's your chance to enjoy the above benefits if you have a Citibank Ready Credit account. If you don't have one yet, you can log onto www.citibank.com.sg to apply and enjoy these privileges.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
After 1 year of hard work to put together 5 self-written songs and 1 French Cover La Vie En Rose (as heard on our website), I am proud and happy to say that the album is now available for sale at all Gramophone and Sembawang Music record stores.
The songs can be previewed here (as like those tester machines in CD shops), so if you like what you hear, I hope you can grab a copy of the album and contribute to my music-making fund so I can continue to make more music!
LOCAL REVIEWS
(1) Life! Section, The Straits Times, the most widely read newspaper in Singapore.
Rating: 3 stars
(2) I Weekly 《i周刊》, "Singapore's No.1 magazine" (according to Mediacorp Publishing)
My Private Collection
(3) My Paper, a daily bilingual paper
Bevlyn emotes in 6 different ways
(4) U Weekly 《优一周》, a Chinese weekly entertainment magazine
Rating: 3.5
(5) Fresh Music, a website that "promotes good music" because "it deserves to be heard"
Rating: 8
INTERNATIONAL REVIEWS
(1) Hong Kong's Ming Pao Weekly, <<明报周刊>> a widely circulated entertainment magazine
Editor's choice
(2) SINA Music. According to here, SINA is the "most recognized Internet brand name in China and among Chinese communities globally."
Intoxicating Spring; Jazz in April
(3) Review by Blue Butterfly, a popular music reviewer and author based in Guangzhou.
His review was published in various entertainment websites, for example, enorth, ent.9you.com, ent.qq.com, etc.
For more information, please go to www.bevlynkhoo.com.
Edmund and Florence's getting together is really courtesy of 'Citibank'. They were colleagues at Citibank to start with, but a team outing to KL was really what started the undercurrents of the fountain of love. In Florence's own words, "We intially wanted to keep the relationship under wraps but was caught 'red handed' by our colleague when we finished a migdight movie @ Orchard Cineplex...so all the drilling starts the following Monday......it was hilarlous!"
The proposal story was also a really cheeky one:
Staying at Burasari Phuket with their own sun deck that led to a pool, Florence came out from the shower and saw a lighted candle pathway from the bathroom all the way to the swimming pool. She instantly spotted a wooden coffee table on the steps of the pool with a 'menu' on top of it. Edmund asked Florence if she would like to have her dinner, and the 'menu' turned out to be the certificate of the proposal diamond ring. Edmund cheekily asked if she likes the 'cut and the size of her main couse', then went down on one knee to propose.
Fast-forward to the banquet that evening. One of the interesting highlights of the wedding had to be the video interviews of Edmund and Florence's group of good friends. It is always refreshing to watch interviews of the couple or their friends, and the event instantly became more personalised when we watch the interviewed friends tease the couple. One of the friends even confessed to recording a second take on a separate day because she was too stressed up about the recording! LOL.
The first march-in featured Leo on saxophone on the grand stage, his instrumental introduction of 'La Vie En Rose' playing up the romance factor for the entire ballroom. To everyone's anticipation, Edmund and Florence entered the ballroom only when I start to sing the verse of the song.
A very sweet gesture the couple had tied up with the band to deliver, was to dedicate 甜蜜蜜 to Edmund's parents and 'You Raise Me Up' to Florence’s mother. When Zhengquan started singing "You Raise Me Up', I could see Florence going over to her mother to give her a hug and express her heartfelt thanks. We are truly honoured to be part of this special thanksgiving arrangement.
It was also an event of coincidence for me, given that Florence's aunt-in-law happens to be my ex-singing student! Looks like love for music runs in the family!
To Edmund and Florence, we wish you everlasting bliss and many cute and bountiful babies to come!
Band: Bevlyn, Zhengquan (ZQ), Jonathan Ang, Leo
Repertoire
La Vie En Rose 1st march-in), 甜蜜蜜 (dedicated to Edmund's parents), You Raise Me Up (dedicated to Florence’s mother), Forever Love, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You, Sway, I Do (Cherish You), A Moment Like This, Quando Quando Quando， 月亮代表我的心 (The moon represents my heart)
Because You Love Me (2nd march-in), Yellow, 当我八十岁 (When I'm 80), 天使 (Angel), It's Your Love, Grow Old With You, Because Of You, You Are My Everything, It's In The Way You Love Me, I Finally Found Someone
Song To Recommend:
It's In The Way You Love Me by Shania Twain
- I had fun singing this well-paced and low-tone piece. Sometimes a good song doesn't need the singer to scream her lungs out :)
Yellow by Coldplay
- a good song that will certainly go down as a classic!
Bevlyn, accompanied by two Jonathans (Jonathan Ang on piano and Jonathan Lim on saxophone), will serenade audience with her interpretations of popular French jazz chansons.
Don't miss this first all-French-songs gig for Bevlyn! Examples of some songs you can expect to catch:
C’est Si Bon (It's So Good)
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
La Vie En Rose
Ne Me Quitte Pas
Sympathique
And rest assured that each song will be explained properly in English before it is performed. (",)
Do drop by if you would like to experience something French - this is less expensive than foie gras, in fact it is FOC:
@ Concourse, Esplanade
21 Jul 08 (Mon): 715pm - 745pm, 815pm - 845pm
22 Jul 08 (Tue): 715pm - 745pm, 815pm - 845pm
More details at the Esplanade website here
Feel free to RSVP here.
À Bientôt (See you soon)!
More details below:
Vows of a lifetime Wedding Showcase
Date: 2 August 2008, Saturday
Time: 11am – 7pm
Venue: Atrium Ballroom, Level 4
Address: Holiday Inn Atrium Hotel, 317 Outram Road
Entry to the wedding showcase is complimentary, however registration will be required. If you're among the first 100 couples to turn up, you'll receive a complimentary (terms and conditions apply) International Buffet Dinner voucher for two worth $69.
Please contact the hotel's wedding planners, Thomson Tsen at 6731 7149 or Sharon Chia at 6731 7176 or email them wedding@hiatrium.com
Thanks for inviting us to be the official band for your upcoming wedding fair!
More details here:
To our couples: see you soon!
Famous last words.
I had a bit of time after Calvin and Misako's wedding, so I popped over to Amara Sanctuary to look for Joelle. She was getting ready for the solemnisation ceremony at the Glass Pavilion, and took time to chat with me. Those few minutes made all the difference to how the wedding turned out.
Joelle told me that Kevin was not the "romantic sort." And she would be "very happy" if I could persuade him to do something "really romantic". ("Is that a challenge?", I thought.)
Then I got to know Adrian, Mui Sin and Shaowei, who were helping Joelle out. Adrian, a University friend of Joelle, told me that she's a "warm and kind-hearted person" and that he would like to remind Joelle and Kevin that today "is just beginning of their journey together".
Of course, all the above became fodder for my speech later that evening. Mui Sin also heeded my advice by penning a few lines of well-wishes on a piece of paper and handing it over for me to read aloud. Her words, strung together with thought, care and love, read like a poem.
The "challenge" was surprisingly easy to overcome. When I asked Kevin if he would like to serenade Joelle, he agreed without much hesitation (apart from the usual I-can't-sing excuse, which I brushed aside). Kevin even orchestrated the surprise by determining when he would be springing it. Instead of choosing to do it after the toasting ceremony, as I suggested, he decided to sing his song after he finished the rounds of phototaking, on the pretext of going onstage to express his thanks.
When Kevin whipped out the lyric sheet (which he didn't really need) and started singing, Joelle's shoulders shook and she started tearing up with joy. Kevin sang with conviction and panache, and he won thunderous applause from the audience and several shouts of "Encore!"
Kevin's performance was not the only surprise of the evening. Mr Ong, a family friend, was cajoled by Joelle's dad to sing the Teresa Teng chestnut 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart) and Shaowei, Joelle's cousin, performed the final song of the evening, 花心 (Heart Of A Flower).
I'll remember Joelle and Kevin's wedding for the laughter, the applause and also for that touching moment when Joelle broke down when giving thanks to her parents, telling them, "I'm really a big girl now. I can take care of myself, and Kevin will take care of me. Thank you, and I love you."
Thank you Joelle and Kevin, for trusting us to provide music for your wedding! Congratulations and may you enjoy every step of the journey ahead!
Band: Bevlyn, Hsin Yeow, Edward, Lim Hui
Thanks to Kelvin Koh of Lighted Pixels for sending us these beautiful photos!
Repertoire
Wonderful Tonight, 当我八十岁 (When I'm 80), My One And Only Love, Pretty World, As Time Goes By, More Than This, And I Love You So, La Vie En Rose, Let's Fall In Love, 宝贝 (Baby), Quando Quando Quando
L-O-V-E (2nd March-in), Something Stupid, Dream A Little Dream, 家后 (Queen of the House), You Raise Me Up, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, I've Got The World On A String, Taking A Chance On Love, Save The Last Dance For Me
Audience request: 一人一半 (One Half)
Special performances:
By the groom - Can't Help Falling In Love
By Mr Ong, a family friend - 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
By Shaowei, Joelle's cousin - 花心 (Heart Of A Flower)
When Calvin sent me an e-mail with the programme for their wedding lunch reception one day, he included a document called "bio.doc". I opened it, and to my surprise, it was a page of Calvin and Misako's "bio-stats", listing their birthdays, zodiac signs, favourite colours and hobbies.
Here are three of the most interesting (in my opinion) ones.
Calvin's secret ambition: Sail around the world!
Misako's secret ambition: Fashion model (Misako certainly has what it takes)
Calvin believes in: Dreaming with open eyes……
Misako believes in: Kindness to others
Calvin's greatest adventure in Life (so far): Backpacked Silk Road for 3 months!
Misako's greatest adventure in Life (so far): Overseas study in Canada
It was my first performance at The Pavilion Ballroom, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The hotel staff were obliging and very helpful, and I liked the fact that guests had a beautiful view of the outdoors from the multitude of windows in the ballroom.
The weather was bright and breezy in the morning; although there was a light fall of rain for a short while later, that occurred when all the wedding guests were ensconced in their chairs, while Juliet, Jonathan and I were performing a repertoire of jazzy tunes.
Now, I had no problems with the jazz standards we had to sing, but the Japanese songs were a completely different kettle of fish. Juliet and I agreed readily to Calvin's request to perform in Japanese, but boy, I sweated over the two that I picked. I loved their melodies so that helped me a bit, but I was a bundle of nerves when it came to my turn to belt out Towani Tomoni, a popular song at weddings in Japan. (Juliet, on the other hand, breezed through Love Love Love and sounded amazingly authentic). Thankfully, the audience were extremely appreciative of our efforts.
Congratulations, Calvin and Misako! Thank you so much for having us!
P.S. It was great to meet Karen and TP, who came up all the way from Auckland to attend the wedding! And a shoutout to my former JC-mates. Great to meet up with all of you after so long!
Band: Hsin Yeow, Juliet, Jonathan Ang
L-R: Hsin Yeow, Misako, Juliet, Calvin, Jonathan Ang
Repertoire:
Have I Told You Lately?, Corcovado, Dream A Little Dream, Can't Help Falling In Love, What A Wonderful World, Something Stupid, It Had To Be You, I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me, Towani Tomoni, I Got A Crush On You
From This Moment (2nd march-in), Love Love Love, Sakurazaka, Baby It's Cold Outside, Two Sleepy People, Cheek To Cheek, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Love Is Here To Stay, Come Fly With Me, Sway, Save The Last Dance For Me
Songs To Recommend:
Take a listen to these three Japanese songs we sang!
Love Love Love
Sakurazaka
Towani Tomoni
And here's a refreshing update of a standard:
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
Compliments from Calvin and Misako:
Dear Hsin Yeow, Juliet and Jonathon,
Thanks so much for that wonderful performance at our wedding!!!
It was certainly all that we had expected & hoped for when we thought of engaging a band to perform for our wedding!
You guys certainly added a touch of class and elegance to the lunch affair with those jazzy tunes. "From This Moment" for our 2nd march-in was perfect notwithstanding we had no prior rehearsal!
And we really appreciate you guys bravely agreeing to learn and peform those Japanese songs! To be honest, our guests, esp. the Japanese guests, really appreciated and liked your performance! We heard a lot of good comments after the the event.
Thanks again for the great show!
Sincerely
Calvin & Misako
One day, Jo-Lyn remarked to Yew Minh, "You know Minh, I'd love to take up dance lessons." Minh's reply, "Me too!" The dance they both decided to learn was the Waltz, commonly known as the dance of love for its fluid and graceful movements.
And what better occasion to showcase their dancing skills than their wedding? And what better song than So She Dances by Josh Groban? I fell in love with it upon first listen. My goosebumps agreed, too. The couple then spent countless hours learning, and perfecting the steps. "It is such a big part of the wedding!" Jo-Lyn told me over the phone one night. "You'll be fine!" I assured her. To set their minds at ease, I arranged for James to visit Jo-Lyn's home and play the song for them to record and practise at their leisure.
I was under quite a fair bit of pressure too, but I tried not to show it to Yew Minh when I met him on the wedding day. After a quick sound check, I asked Yew Minh to rehearse together with the live band. And I saw Yew Minh shadow-dancing, a lump immediately formed at my throat. If I screwed it up for them, there was no way I could forgive myself.
The plan was for Yew Minh and Jo-Lyn to enter the ballroom and head straight to the dance floor in front of the stage. Jo-Lyn would dance with her father for a few precious moments, before letting Yew Minh cut-in. The rest would be up to them.
When it was time for me to sing, I stared with a concerted focus at the lyrics sheet and didn't dare blink, for fear of missing a phrase or skipping a beat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yew Minh picking Jo-Lyn up and making a few spins, but I had to miss most of the dance. When I finally took my breath (it seemed like I was holding it for the duration of the song), I heard several rounds of thunderous applause. "The dance went well!" I thought. "Thank goodness!"
To Jo-Lyn and Yew Minh - thank you so much for your faith in us. We had a fantastic time, and it was such a privilege to be part of your beautiful wedding. Take care, and enjoy yourselves at the Gold Coast!
Band: Bevlyn, Hsin Yeow, James, Niq, Feri
L-R: Feri, James, Niq, Yew Minh, Jo-Lyn, Bevlyn, Hsin Yeow
Jonathan's photos are so rich in texture and colour, they look like paintings. How does he do it? Thanks jOhO!
Repertoire
One Boy, One Girl, The First The Last My Everything, You'll Never Walk Alone, She, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, What A Wonderful World, La Vie En Rose, Everything, It's in His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song), 爱很简单 (Love Is Very Simple), The Way You Look Tonight
今天你要嫁给我 (You're Marrying Me Today), So She Dances, Because You Loved Me, Sea Of Love, Two Words, Valentine, 豆浆油条 (Bean Curd And Dough Fritters), 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
Dance set:
Quando Quando Quando, Sway, Fly Me To The Moon, Come Fly With Me, Besame Mucho, Fever, Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss Me, For Once In My Life, 我要你的爱 (I Want Your Love), Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Rock And Roll Music, Save The Last Dance For Me
Feri joined us for the final set, and we were glad that several couples heeded our call to dance. What's a celebration without some cha-cha-cha?
Song To Recommend:
So She Dances - perfect for a waltz
I think it's great that more couples are using more creative ways to showcase their love journey to their guests during their wedding dinners – be it a simple powerpoint presentation, speeches or anecdotes shared by friends, or more seen at wedding dinners recently, the use of animation, as in the case of Irene and Vincent.
The animation took all of us back in time, as it replayed some of the significant scenes of Irene and Vincent's love life – from the first time they met (Irene first thought of Vincent as an ‘ah beng’ with his gold chain and curly hair during their school orientation camp), how they fell in love (chit chatting via IRC and Vincent’s daily ‘Good Night’ smses) and finally, the proposal (a candle-lit ‘I love U’ at the beach).
Irene actually engaged the live band without Vincent knowing. She and Shi Hui, her wedding coordinator, took great efforts not to let the cat out of the bag even on the actual day, down to using CDs when rehearsing for their march-ins. As for Junxiong, Linus and me, we tried to blend in as much as possible as the couple's helpers while Vincent was in the ballroom. I hope Vincent had a pleasant surprise when we sang the march-in songs live :-)
It was great performing all the duets with Junxiong, my longtime singing partner, and Linus, who is versatile in all genres, from jazz to mandopop.
Dear Irene, thanks very for having us to perform during your special day and we wish you and Vincent a life filled with sweet surprises and love!
Band: Hui Bing, Jun Xiong, Linus
L-R: Jun Xiong, Hui Bing, Irene, Vincent, Linus
Repertoire:
From This Moment (1st March In), Tonight I Celebrate My Love, Nothing's Gonna Change My Love, A Moment Like This, 今天你要嫁给我 (You're Marrying Me Today), It Had To Be You, La Vie En Rose, I Wanna Grow Old With You, C'est Si Bon, Love Me, Somewhere Out There, 爱和承诺 (Love And Promises), 今生注定 (My Destiny)
I Finally Found Someone (2nd March In), 追 (Chase), 制造浪漫 （Creating Romance), L-O-V-E, Wonderful Tonight, 亲密关系 (Close Relationship), Somebody, Always, On The Side of Me, Stand By Me, Endless Love, Quando Quando Quando, 爱得正好 (The Right Kind Of Love), Sway, Save The Last Dance For Me
Compliments from Shi Hui, Irene's wedding co-ordinator:
They were great! :-) Pleasure to listen to. Hui Bing, Linus and Jun Xiong were really good!
Compliments from Irene:
(Sent to me an hour before she was about to fly off to Japan for her honeymoon --- thanks Irene!)
Hi Hsin Yeow,
Thank you to your band for the wonderful performance yesterday!
Hui Bing, Jun Xiong & Linus were a great team and made the night a memorable one =)
Here's a photo from my pre-wedding shots.
Will send more photos to you once I receive from my photographer =)
Best regards,
Irene
How cool is it when the couple dances right in front of you while you're singing?
That's what Gary and Faith did, and they danced and sang For Once In My Life with me. Their impromptu jig came complete with playful actions, like when Faith gently slid a finger down Gary's cheek while I was singing, "For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it!" I like.
Gary gave me a pleasant surprise a month or two before his wedding when he called me and announced, "Hsin Yeow, I want to sing a song for Faith!" I asked him to sing a few lines of Close To You, the song of his choice, to ascertain whether he needed singing lessons, and he passed with flying colours. He memorised the lyrics beforehand and ran through the song with the Jonathans (Jonathan "Magic Fingers" Ang and Jonathan "Saxy" Lim) in less than ten minutes during our sound check. Gary was ready.
When it was time for Gary to sing, he delivered in spades. In fact, he had so much fun in the song, he gazed straight into Faith's eyes and tried to wrap her hand around his waist! Faith obliged, of course.
I also loved the fact that Gary put a lot of thought into the song list. He chose 就是爱你 (Just Loving You), as it was the song that Gary's sister sang to her husband, Phil, at their wedding a short while ago. Gary's sister took pains to translate the lyrics so that Phil, an Australian, could understand what the song was about. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossoms White was a favourite of Gary's mother, while 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart) was significant because Gary's father had sung it to his mother at a company dinner!
Serene also sang 爱你在心口难开 (Love You More Than I Can Say) for Faith's dad as he's a fan of 凤飞飞 (Feng Fei Fei), a Taiwanese songstress.
Congratulations Gary and Faith! Thank you for engaging us, and may your days ahead be blessed with joy and happiness!
Band: Hsin Yeow, Serene Koong, Jonathan Ang, Jonathan Lim
Jonathan Ang
Jonathan Lim
All photographs in this entry were taken by the talented team behind Live! Studios
Repertoire:
Cocktail set: jazz standards
Dinner:
When I Fall In Love (first march-in), Let There Be Love, Everything, Wave, As Time Goes By, 爱你在心口难开 (Love You More Than I Can Say), 就是爱你 (Just Loving You), L-O-V-E, Quando Quando Quando, We've Only Just Begun, True Love Ways
梁山伯与茱丽叶 (Liang Shan Bo & Juliet) (second march-in song), Cherry Pink and Apple Blossoms White, I've Dreamed Of You, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), Sway, Polkadots and Moonbeams, Dream A Little Dream, 你最珍贵 (You're The Most Precious One), Besame Mucho, The Prayer
Gary's surprise song: Close To You
Encore:
Come Fly With Me, Cheek To Cheek, Fever, For Once In My Life, Save The Last Dance For Me
Song To Recommend:
I've Dreamed Of You - My favourite wedding song of the moment. Gary loved it when I introduced it to him, and Jonathan Ang put it on repeat when I sent him the mp3.
This song reduces me to a pile of mush. My tear ducts get into motion every time the inimitable Barbra Streisand sings, "And just when I thought love had passed me by, we met."
Lyrics ( here )
Compliments from Gary and Faith:
Hi Hsin Yeow and gang!
We can't say thank you enough for being part of our beautiful wedding!
It was great to meet the 2 Jonathans, Serene and yourself, and the only regret we have is being so extremely busy that we didn't have time to take a group shot with all of you... we're now awaiting our photographer's shots to see if he captured that moment where we danced in front of you while you guys were performing! Heehee... That should be quite a funny moment!
As for now, please do include these photos of us alright? :P
We had so many fantastic reviews of your performance that evening! Even till today my relatives and friends have been telling me how much they enjoyed that evening's entertainment! :)
Thank you for your wonderful performance, that has brought so much joy and pleasure to us and our guests!
All the best in your future endeavours ahead! Take care & God bless!
Forever Love
Gary & Faith
The story between Meiting and Lochin has got to be one of the most amazing ones I've ever heard:
Meiting decided to go for a vacation when she was 16 years old, and during her stay at the Superstar Virgo of Star Cruise, she got to know Lochin (a Burmese), who was an employee onboard. They swiftly fell in love and 'embarked' on a long-distance relationship. Apparently they could only meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays because those were the days when the ship were on dock. 10 years down the road, here we are at their wedding banquet!
Meiting told me before, that even though they had already been to the ROM, and even had the cutest little girl, they still want to have a banquet to celebrate the marriage; one reason was also because she wanted to walk down the aisle in the pretty gown. Well, I suppose all girls can understand that! :)
One song which probably speaks on behalf of the shy couple is 黑白配:
世界上没有什么事
能够如此的绝对
(Who says black and white don't match? There is no absolutes in this world)
曾经有人这样唱过
白天它不懂夜的黑
你却懂得我的美
(Once someone sang, "The day doesn't know how beautiful the night is." Yet you understand the beauty within me)
钢琴也是黑白键
一样能看出我对你
只有满满的感谢
也许黑永远不明白
在这个彩色的世界
有你我才会存在
(The piano has black and white keys; clearly, they can tell how appreciative I am of you. Perhaps black shall not understand how, in this colourful world, I am alive because of you
It was our first time working with Benson on soprano saxophone, and we had such a great time performing with him! We were also raving on the excellent song choices like 豆浆油条 (Bean Curd & Dough Fritters), 爱爱 (Love), 鸽子 (Dove), 甜甜的 (Sweet). Thank you Meiting for giving us the opportunity to indulge in these songs. We wish you and Lochin everlasting marital bliss!
Band: Bevlyn, Ein Ein & Benson
Repertoire:
Heaven (1st march-in), 两只恋人 (Two Lovers), Love Will Keep Us Alive, 就是爱你 (Just Loving You), 一人一半 (One Half), La Vie En Rose, Hero, 黑白配 (Black And White), Everlasting Love, 第一次 (The First Time), Love Me
When You Say Nothing At All (2nd march-in), Every Day I Love You, 非你莫属 (It Had To Be You), 甜甜的 (Sweet), Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Thank You For Loving Me, Stuck On You, 鸽子 (Dove), Super Star, 豆浆油条 (Bean Curd And Dough Fritter), 爱爱 (Love)
Sceptical of office romance? How about cross-office romance?
To make reservations for his vessel crew, Daniel had to call Penny up rather often to make reservations at the hotel she was working at. That went on for 9 months until one fine day, Penny’s sales manager Christaline left the company and Penny was promoted. Penny then had to make sales call at Daniel’s office and before long, their relationship took off. Even though some were a little sceptical of the relationship at the beginning because of the 19-year age gap, the couple eventually won everybody over with their sincerity and love for each other.
The garden in front of Seafood Villa restaurant is really breathtaking. When I sang the song The Gift, Penny walked down the garden, accompanied by her father to meet with Daniel who was looking on from the glasshouse. Daniel and Penny then took their vows in the glasshouse, which allows up to 15 guests to be seated inside; the rest of the guests could still hear the couple loud and clear because of a PA system the couple had rented.
Inside the restaurant, Penny dedicated the song 感恩的心 (Grateful Heart) to her parents, and also That's What Friends Are For to friends who had helped out throughout the day - Kevin Loi, Lim Cheng Leong, Shen Yinhui, Pang Ming June, Sylvia Huang, Stacy Lim, Christaline Seah and Esther Lim.
L-R: Bevlyn, Penny, Daniel, Clarence. Photos courtesy of ImageGarden
Our heartiest congratulations to Daniel and Penny!
Band: Bevlyn & Clarence (guitar)
Repertoire:
The Gift (Solemnisation march-in), Always You, One Boy One Girl, 給我一個吻 (Give Me A Kiss), Close To You, Sway, 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), Lover’s Concerto, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Kiss Me
If We Hold On Together (1st march-in), L-O-V-E (1st dish), 宝贝 (Babe), Grow Old With You, So Nice, Everything, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), What A Wonderful World, 喜欢你 (Liking you), It Might Be You, 我要你的爱 (I Want Your Love)
La Vie En Rose (2nd march), 感恩的心 (Grateful Heart) (dedicated to parents) That’s What Friends Are For (dedicated to friends)
Compliments from Penny:
Hi Bev,
Thanks for your performances on our wedding. It really makes a difference with you around.
Best Regards,
Penny
Tonight, I want everyone to fall in love again; fall in love with your friends, with your family and with one another! - Esther
You seldom hear couples talk about their differences on their wedding day. Yet, Esther and Jeff mentioned several times during their wedding celebrations at the Church and The China Club, that they were "not a perfect couple". Their candour was refreshing and sincere; it showed to me that Esther and Jeff are not the kind of couple to build their relationship on fairytale promises of happily ever after, rather, their love is based on a rock-solid foundation of trust and acceptance in each other.
It's no wonder that one of the must-sing songs that evening was Inside Out by Bryan Adams.
I'm waitin' for you - there ain't no one else
talk to me baby - scream and shout
I want to know you - inside out
I wanna dig down deep - I wanna lose some sleep
I wanna scream and shout - I wanna know you inside out
I wanna take my time - I wanna know your mind
ya know there ain't no doubt - I wanna know you inside out
Their wedding celebration at The China Club is one I'll remember in years to come. First of all, they chose a beautiful venue. The view from The China Club was literally breathtaking. Although the couple had to be a little bit creative with the seating arrangements and table layout due to the dimensions of the Club, Esther and Jeff got around it by spending more time on their feet and talking to everyone of their invited guests.
Take a look at the ornate decor of the Club. You feel as if you've stepped into another world.
Esther, whom I've known for some time prior to the wedding, really outdid herself by planning two surprises for Jeff. The first surprise was engaging Bevlyn to sing at the Church reception. The second was more elaborate, and personal.
In spite of having to deal with last-minute crises at work before the wedding, Esther found time to create a video specially for Jeff! She interviewed friends and family, and cajoled them into sharing their first impressions of Jeff. The best part of it was that Esther provided the video soundtrack by singing an unplugged version of Can't Help Falling In Love! Her voice was gentle and pure, and moved me to tears from her first note to the last.
After the video, I went over to Jeff and whispered, "Hey man, now it's your turn to surprise her! Why not invite her for a dance?" Jeff nodded, and his eyes gave me a conspiratorial twinkle. When I announced that it was time for the guests to hit the dance floor, Jeff went over to Esther immediately. Esther was clearly not expecting it, and she was thrilled! Buoyed by the mood and music, more couples joined in, until the night ended as every wedding should: with everyone laughing, singing and dancing.
Band: Hsin Yeow, Juliet, Matthew, Brad
L-R: Couple's friend, Matthew, Juliet, Brad, Esther, Jeff, Hsin Yeow
Repertoire:
When I Fall In Love (1st March), Somebody, Two Sleepy People, La Vie En Rose, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Come Away With Me, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), A Love That Will Last, Lonely Afternoon, Misty, Inside Out
Everything, Love Will Keep Us Alive, Mr Bojangles, Chasing Cars, Butterfly Kisses, I Just Called To Say I Love You, That's What Friends Are For, Something Stupid, Somewhere Out There, Quando Quando Quando, 爱得正好 (The Right Kind Of Love), Sway, Save The Last Dance For Me
Compliments from Esther:
Thank you for the wonderful performance. We had one of the happiest nights of our lives and our guests too. They all raved about the band. Best wishes to the rest of the crew too :)
Compliments from Jeff:
Really thanks to Hsin Yeow, Juliet, Brad and Matthew, we had the most memorable night of our lives.
Our guests all enjoyed your performance thoroughly and more importantly, so did we with a more relaxed setting, I sure did enjoy the performance more then anything else.
My compliments to the band and also, for your kind words and soulful tunes from your band. It really did made a difference.
You all made what we envisioned a reality. A night for everyone to take home for many years to come. :)
- Jeff
Cathy was one of the nicest colleagues I had worked with – sincere, easy-going, bubbly, and always ready to lend a helping hand when needed, whether it was during work or after office hours. I was really happy for her when I met her then-fiancé, John, as they are really compatible – both are sweet-natured, friendly and have close-knit families.
This close family bond was evident when Cathy and John decided to do only one video for their wedding dinner. Instead of a montage of photographs showing their growing up years, they decided to do a thank-you video to express their gratitude to the ones that they love – their parents, siblings and siblings-in-law.
It started humourously with phrases such as, "Yeah I know thank you speeches are boring. Why didn’t you think we did a video?" and John as the ‘Executive Producer’ of this ‘Raintree’ production which was later crossed out and replaced by Cathy’s name, which elicited laughs from the guests.
In the video, John and Cathy explained why a particular family member was important to them during their lives, with heartwarming footage of their family activities that must have took them quite a while to compile. I was truly moved and touched by these happy images and as I looked over my shoulder at John and Cathy’s parents, I could see tears of emotion shining in their eyes.
After the video, it was my cue as one of the emcees to invite John and Cathy back on stage as John had ‘forgotten to do something’. I could see Cathy’s eyes went ‘Huh?’ as I announced that. It was John’s surprise item for Cathy – to serenade her with one of their special songs - I Will Still Love You by 98 Degrees. He sang extremely well, with none of the tentativeness showed during our quick rehearsal, and the audience gave him thunderous applause after his performance.
It was a night of get-togethers and reunions. Besides my ex-colleagues, I met Qinzhong (KC) of Greymatter photography, whom Jixiang and I engaged for our wedding a few years back. Jixiang also caught up with Project Superstar finalist Jeremy Kwan whom they have performed together previously and Jeremy sang Right Here Waiting to dedicate to the newly weds.
Congratulations, Cathy and John! May your lives continue to be filled with laughter, happiness and love.
Band: Hui Bing, Junxiong and Jixiang
L-R: Ji Xiang, Hui Bing, Cathy, John, Jun Xiong
Photographs were taken by the talented KC of Greymatter photography
Check out KC's blog entry
Repertoire:
爱是永恒 (Love Is Eternal) (1st march in), Can't Take My Eyes Off You (1st dish), Love Will Keep Us Alive, Crazy For You, 追 (Chase), L-O-V-E, When You Say Nothing At All, Something About You, More Than Words, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Fly Me To The Moon, Love Me，Lovin' You, 恋爱频率 (Love Frequency), 梁山伯与茱丽叶 (Liang Shan Bo & Juliet)，Kiss Me, Fallen, 传说 (The Legend), Quando Quando Quando, Dream A Little Dream, Way Back into Love, Sometimes When We Touch
Song requests:
Right Here Waiting (performed by Jeremy Kwan), Forever Love, 今天你要嫁给我 (You're Marrying Me Today)
Song to Recommend:
传说 (The Legend)
- A new duet by Lin Youjia and Liu Ruiyang, finalists of a renowned singing competition in Taiwan 超级星光大道. Simple melody which grew on me after listening to it for a while.
Earlier this year, Esther had kindly invited me to write a couple of articles for My Paper, and I have always been very thankful for the opportunities. When I got wind that she would like to engage A Little Dream for her wedding, I was thrilled beyond words!
It turned out that Jeff loves one of the songs in my EP album titled "失了踪" (Lost), but since it is not a suitable wedding song, Esther requested that I sing "When I'm 80" as the first song, her hope was for Jeff to be surprised by my live singing because I was supposed to be a surprise item for him. Then, as with many busy wedding couples, Esther let the cat out of the bag at the 11th hour. I was laughing in stitches when she described how that actually happened.
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
It was nevertheless a good gig. I relished singing some new covers like How Deep Is Your Love and Auld Lang Syne, both taken off the soundtrack of Sex And the City
It was our very first time jamming with Brad who has been in Singapore for only 2 months! Welcome, and we look forward to more jamming sessions with him!
Band: Bevlyn, Matthew, Brad
Repertoire:
当我八十岁 (When I'm 80), Everything, Save The Last Dance For Me, Wishin' and Hopin', We've Only Just Begun, Top Of The World, La Vie En Rose, Girl From Ipanema, Que Sera Sera, What A Wonderful World, Beyond The Sea
Love Will Keep Us Together, How Deep Is Your Love, Bubbly, These Are The Moments, More Than This, Wave, The Nearness Of You, L-O-V-E, C’est Si Bon, And The Angels Sing, Auld Lang Syne
Compliments from Jeff: My Thanks
My brief but 'surprising' encounter with Bevlyn, and also with the huge turn out meant that I had very little time to hear her soulful voice in its entirety.
But that little time which I manage to stop and listen, was really just bliss.
I thank you Bevelyn, Brad and Matthew for being present on our special day.
My compliments to you all for taking time out to celebrate with us.
- Jeff
The story goes that Kathleen was mesmerised by Alvin's voice one day when both of them were at a karaoke joint.
Alvin sang 你的名字我的姓氏 (Your Name, My Surname), a moving ballad with beautiful lyrics and a soaring melody.
I particularly like the simplicity of the chorus:
(From now on, I have no worries or desires)
故事平淡但当中有你
(My story may be simple, but because you're in it
已经足够
(It is enough)
The couple's friends were so sure of Alvin's ability to sing under pressure that they only told us of their plan to surprise him just before we started our performance! And when the surprise was announced, Alvin did a double take, but recovered quickly and rose to the challenge.
I could see Kathleen's face blush in happiness as Alvin began to sing. She looked overjoyed as Alvin serenaded her with his strong and clear voice. When he finished, the audience gave a few rounds of thunderous applause!
Bevlyn and I had a great time performing with Ein Ein and Feri. The musicians' chemistry was finely honed after numerous performances together, and their different styles of playing complemented each other well.
Congratulations Kathleen and Alvin! Thank you for engaging us. Alvin, we'll call you if we need another male singer for Cantonese songs, okay?
Band: Hsin Yeow, Bevlyn, Feri, Ein Ein
Repertoire:
We’ve Only Just Begun (1st march), La Vie En Rose (1st dish), Everlasting Love, Fallen, 你的名字我的姓氏 (Your Name, My Surname), Kiss Me, Happy Together, 给我一个吻 (Give Me A Kiss), When You Say Nothing at All, I Love You, Wonderful Tonight, 恋爱频率 (Love Frequency)
A Moment Like This (2nd march), Daddy's Little Girl, Way Back Into Love, 求婚 (Proposal), 世界唯一的你 (The Only You In This World), Wishin’ and Hopin’, I'm Yours, Bubbly, Grow Old With You
Song request:
Angels Brought Me Here
Song to Recommend:
Daddy's Little Girl, written and sang by 萧萧 (Xiao Xiao)
- An uptempo number that is perfect as a song for fathers.
( Lyrics )
Organised by Philips for its staff, the lunchtime concert's aim was to let the staff enjoy live music while they have their lunch, and it was to mark the end of the 'Health and Wellness' week. I was kind of envious, and felt slightly nostalgic of having a meal in a canteen, having colleagues around me all the time and taking part in company activities. Yes I know how weird this sounds, but we all know the grass seems to be greener on the other side...sometimes.
Other than providing great guitar accompaniment, Wilson also did a few duets with me, and even delivered a great vocal percussion on 我只在乎你 (I Only Care For You). We were overwhelmed by the response, and were more than happy to do an encore with the song 你是我心内的一首歌 (You're A Song In My Heart).
Thank you Philips for inviting us to do the lunchtime concert. We look forward to perform for you guys again!
Band: Bevlyn & Wilson
Repertoire:
至少还有你 (At Least There Is You), Eternal Flame, 爱很简单 (Love Is Very Simple), 你是我心内的一首歌 (You Are A Song In My Heart), Suki Yaki, Anymore, 爱是你眼里的一首情歌 (Love Is A Song In Your Eyes), Ever Ever After, 遇见 (Encounter), Crazy For You, 专属天使 (You're My Angel), 一人一半 (One Half)
Kiss Me, Because You Loved Me, 绿光 (Green Light), First Love, 梁山伯与茱丽叶 (Liang Shan Bo & Juliet), Play With Me, La Vie En Rose, Hero, 我只在乎你 (I Only Care About You), Endless Love, Bad Boy, Fly Away
Jessica and Clarence felt the first stirrings of romance, time and distance were not on their side.
They were close friends for a while, but they really started to miss each other when Jessica took on a job in Hong Kong. A long-distance relationship soon developed over frequent late-night MSN conversations, and the couple officially got together on Christmas Day three years ago.
While Clarence was "pining" for Jessica, she made the monumental decision of changing her job last year to be close to her man.
Before I started singing On The Wings Of Love, my corny sense of humour started to manifest, and I said, "When Jessica was flying back to Singapore, she must be doing so on the wings of love!"
I had so much fun performing for Jessica and Clarence! Joel and Leo were on fire that night, and their chemistry was amazing.
But what made my evening was the enthusiasm of the guests. A few, in particular, sang loudly with me. In fact, their voices were so robust it seemed as if I had a backup choir echoing me! It was fantastic!
Congratulations Jessica and Clarence! May the both of you be blessed with joy and happiness always.
P.S. When I had a few minutes with Jessica and Clarence before the wedding reception, I asked Jessica what made her decide to return to Singapore. She simply said, "Because he's worth it!"
Band: Hsin Yeow, Joel, Leo
Repertoire:
That's Amore (1st March in), From This Moment, Grow Old With You, If We Hold On Together, Just The Way You Are,
Close To You, Magic Moments, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, You To Me Are Everything, Dream A Little Dream, Sway
L-O-V-E (2nd March in), As Time Goes By, The Rose, On The Wings Of Love, You Were There, Quando Quando Quando, 爱很简单 (Love Is Very Simple), 但愿人长久 (May All Live Well And Long), 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), Stand By Me, Wave, Save The Last Dance For Me
Songs To Recommend:
Stand By Me by Shayne Ward, winner of the second series of The X Factor - The song starts off slow and quiet, and builds up to an anthemic chorus. A great wedding song!
On The Wings Of Love - I'm so glad Jessica chose this song. Do click on the link and listen to Jeffrey Osborne's masterful live performance of the song.
Pei Ling and Kok Hiang had a novel idea for their entrances into the ballroom. Before their first march-in, they had put together a slideshow of photographs, and timed it to end after two verses and two choruses of the march-in song, The Gift! They used the CD recording of the song to gauge the length of the video, because they wanted to start walking in at the lengthy instrumental part of the song (about 2:20 min into the song), before the final repeat of the chorus.
We were happy to help Pei Ling and Kok Hiang with this, and after two short rehearsals, we knew what to do. The amazing thing was that the couple had absolute trust that we could fulfill their wishes, since they had not heard us perform before.
The couple's second entrance was also specifically timed together with another photo slideshow, this time of the couple's solemnisation ceremony. When I saw the lyrics appear on screen, it was my cue to start singing the song, You Raise Me Up.
Another memorable part of the evening happened right at the end, during our 'encore'. One of the guests (surprisingly a non-Chinese) wanted a song by singer-songwriter, Guang Liang. I chose to sing 童话 (Fairy Tale), a collosal hit in Asia. When I started singing, I was tickled to see two tables of friends standing up and waving their hands in unison, as if they were groupies at a concert. Thank you, guys, for making it so much fun!
Congratulations Pei Ling and Kok Hiang! Thank you so much for your faith in us, and we look forward to seeing you again!
Band: Bevlyn, Hsin Yeow, Joel
Repertoire:
The Gift (1st March-in), When You Say You Love Me, Love Me Tender, Can't Help Falling In Love, Grow Old With You, Every Day I Love You, The Love I Found In You, Love Of My Life, L-O-V-E, A Moment Like This, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet)
You Raise Me Up (2nd March-in), 但愿人长久 (May All Live Well And Long), Lover's Concerto, Fly Me To The Moon, My Valentine, Because You Loved Me, The Prayer, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, In Love With You, 今天你要嫁给我 (You're Gonna Marry Me Today)
Audience Request:
童话 (Fairy Tale)
Compliments from the groom: Having our little dream
L-R: Joel, Bevlyn, Pei Ling, Kok Hiang, Hsin Yeow
Hi Hsin Yeow,
Err..the honest truth is that both Pei Ling and myself only started planning full-time for the wedding 4 days before the actual big day and we came up with what we wanted to do for the wedding on Thur, just in time for Sun. We believed that by focussing on the dreams that we have for the wedding, it would be translated into reality and everything else would fall in place.
Calling it naivety, we believed that everything would turn out well, and we put our faith in your team. When we walked on the red carpet and saw everything performed as clockwork precision, the immense happiness was, priceless.
Thanks again to Bevlyn, Joel and yourself for making it happen. It proves that all it takes is to start with a little dream and the rest will take care of itself.
Regards,
Kok Hiang & Pei Ling