At The Beginning...
A Little Dream seeks to move, inspire and engage our wedding couples and guests with the magic of live music. A professional wedding live band comprising more than 20 versatile singers, emcees, songwriters and musicians, A Little Dream provides a one-stop service for your music needs. From 2006 - 2009, A Little Dream performed at over 800 local and overseas weddings. Read about them here!
To start you off, here are our answers to your burning questions.
And do read our quick round up of 2008.
To start you off, here are our answers to your burning questions.
And do read our quick round up of 2008.
I was initially afraid that KK and Irene's wedding would be affected by the roaring engines from the Singapore Grand Prix, but my fears turned out to be unfounded.
No one was even loitering to catch the live action at a projector screen the couple so graciously provided just for their guests.
Everyone was there to celebrate the union of KK and Irene, two lovely people who were clearly in love. Their friends even put up a special item and serenaded the couple with a recent hit 心愿便利贴 (Wishes On Sticky Notes)
My night was made complete when one of the guests was asked to perform onstage. I was gobsmacked when I realised the guest was none other than Ken Tay! I used to listen and sing along to his songs back when...I was younger.
He sang the Teresa Teng chestnut 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), which brought the evening to a wonderful close.
Congratulations, Irene and KK! Thank you so much for engaging us.
Band: Hsin Yeow, James, Brad
L-R: Hsin Yeow, Irene, KK, James, Brad
Repertoire:
Irene and KK wanted the songs to be evenly divided into two different genres: pop for the first set and jazz for the second. It was a novel idea!
1st set - pop
Stand By Me, I Do (Cherish You), Can You Feel The Love Tonight?, Everything I Do (I Do It For You), Grow Old With You, More Than Words, So Much In Love, Close To You, Love Me Tender, Wind Beneath My Wings
2nd set - jazz
Unforgettable, Our Love Is Here to Stay, The Way You Look Tonight, What A Wonderful World, Beyond the Sea, Dream A Little Dream, For Once In My Life, It Had To Be You, Let’s Fall In Love, L-O-V-E, Moondance, 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet)
Sometimes our band takes a break from performing to lovestruck couples and sings at corporate functions instead. This involves switching gears, and we need to get used to performing in front of a very different crowd.
The guests at Comstor Singapore's Anniversary Dinner still found time from high-powered networking to appreciate the music from Eleanor, Matthew and Brad, who performed a repertoire of jazz and standards. The trio was so well-received, the organiser asked for a 15-minute encore!
Thanks for engaging us, Comstor!
Band: Eleanor, Matthew, Brad
L-R: Matthew, Eleanor, Brad
Repertoire:
Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love), Paper Moon, Pretty World, Sway, Besame Mucho, If We Hold On Together, Moon River, Blue Bayou
Fever, Fire, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, What A Wonderful World, Girl From Ipanema, Fallen, Cheek To Cheek, Fly Me To The Moon, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Close To You
I had a great time performing for Caleb and Wendy, that I was still slightly high the day after their wedding. (good way to beat the Monday blues!)
The guests definitely have a part to play in this – they are one of the most spontaneous and fun-loving groups I had ever seen. They gave loud cheers during the 1st march-in and laughed loudly over baby pictures of the newly weds during the morning.
They also loved the songs that Caleb and Wendy had chosen for the night, comprising mainly oldies. We were indeed thrilled by their encouraging response as some guests (especially the table next to us) clapped and sang along to our performance such as "Can’t Take My Eyes off Me", "Every Breath You Take", "Way Back Into Love" and even "Hero".
Singapore Idol 1st runner-up Sylvester Sim was the emcee for the evening, and he managed to coax Caleb into singing a few phrases of the classic <<月亮代表我的心>> (The Moon Represents My Heart) to Wendy. He later brought the house down with an almost perfect rendition of Alex Toh song <<把你藏起来>> (To Hide You Up).
Another highlight was receiving three beautiful roses (just nice, one for each of us) from the children of the guests. One sweet little gal, who I think is about two years old, shyly waved goodbye to me after handing me the flower, which melted my heart to bits.
Thanks, Wendy and Caleb for inviting us to be part of your wedding. We had a blast performing for you guys.
L-R: Huibing, Wendy, Caleb, Feri, Brad
Band: Huibing, Feri & Brad
Repertoire:
Vincent (Starry Starry Night), I Believe My Heart, Someone Like You, Going Home (Instrumental), Can't Take My Eyes Off You, You Raise Me Up, Endless Love, Over The Rainbow, Wishes, We've Only Just Begun, Too Much Heaven
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (2nd March-In), Unchained Melody, Sweet Happy Life, Every Breath You Take, Lost In Your Eyes, Look of Love, When I Fall in Love, Hero, Falling In Love With You, Way Back Into Love, Can't Help Falling In Love.
Songs to Recommend:
Wishes – One of my favourite songs of the night.
Someone Like You – And this was Feri’s favourite, from the Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde.
Going Home (instrumental) – Brad received loud applause for this Kenny G classic. If you have a saxophonist or violinist as part of the band, do include one or two instrumentals in the songlist for variety.
A Little Dream has had the honour of serenading many banquets, but it was the bunch we met on Tuesday which might have worked the hardest ever for their fine fare.
On Tuesday, the Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden Banquet Room hosted the happily worked-out contestants of the Golf Tournament finals. The hale, freshly showered golfers and their charming companions filled the lovely room with the view of the sprawling greens, all smiles and appetites as they awaited their well deserved fine fare, after a full day's exertions in the harrowing heat.
Amidst flu season, it was lovely to see a room full of healthy, friendly faces which applauded warmly along to the requested repertoire of jazz, evergreens and Shanghai jazz....regardless of race or native language.
It's not that often that this team gets to break out all the evocative classics from the old school, and I personally had a blast giving these styles a workout - hopefully one as satisfactory as the golfers from Tanah Merah Country Club got that day.
Band: Jo, Brad, Shawn, Feri
It's about time our instruments got their close-ups!
Repertoire:
The team was made up of Feri on guitar, Shawn on percussion, Brad on saxophone and myself on vocals, and the songs we were delighted to bits to perform were:
夜上海 (Night In Shanghai), 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), 如果沒有你 (If I Don't Have You), 我要你的爱 (I Want Your Love), 夜来香 (Fragrance In The Night), Let There Be Love, Fly Me To The Moon, Dream A Little Dream, Top Of The World, Close To You, What A Wonderful World
It was refreshing to take on corporate events once in a while amongst the weddings. It was an eye-opener for me, well, we're musicians, so we do not have our own D&D of these styles (we just had our own AGM, but we'll blog about it very soon, watch out for it!).
I found this D&D special because the reception was exceptionally thought-out - the company had hired a caricaturist to sketch caricatures for their staff for a full hour (I didn't had time after setup else I would have tried to pose as a staff) among other fun items; they even had a booth specially set up for the staff to play 5-stones! How nostalgic!
And since it coincided with Chinese New Year, how could they have missed out on Yu-Sheng:
And this magician Johnny Walker took me by surprise. He was really funny with his antics and tricks!
And while we were waiting at the lounge area for the event to start, a guest from the other ballroom walked up to us to ask who we were. When she knew that we were a live band, she immediately asked if we could go over and perform for them! We would if the timings had not clashed. What spontaneity!!
Band: Bevlyn on vocal, Daniel Purnomo on guitar, Brad on saxophone, Shawn on percussion
Repertoire:
When You Say Nothing At All, Love Me, Close To You, So Nice, Moon River, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, I Wanna Make It With You, Love Me Tender, If, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Wonderful Tonight, Can't Help Falling In Love, What A Wonderful World, Have I Told You Lately, Sway
"Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!"
Jazzed-up arrangements of Christmas carols were heard over three nights as A Little Dream entertained patrons of a restaurant at Far East Square with a set of Christmas carols and jazz standards.
With Shawn on the djembe, Feri and myself added more funk and reggae to our playing. It started out rather quiet, but after a few numbers, we managed to get some people's attention. Best of all, 2 or 3 groups stopped to listen to us, then walked into the restaurant for dinner!
Loved the acoustics of the place and the atmosphere we created. It really felt as if Christmas was just around the corner. Can't wait to sink my teeth into a sumptuous Christmas dinner...
Band:
4 Dec - Clarence, Shawn, Brad
9 Dec - Feri, Shawn, Brad
16 Dec - Feri, Shawn, Jon Lim
L-R: Jon Lim, Feri, Shawn
Repertoire:
Girl From Ipanema, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Summertime, Sunny, Fly Me To The Moon, Jingle Bells, Rudolf The Red Nosed Raindeer, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Auld Lang Syne
The wedding season is upon us! I'm due to sing for three weddings in consecutive nights, and the first is Alvin and Jennifer's wedding at Mandarin Oriental.
It was indeed my pleasure to perform for the loving couple. Jennifer was from Hong Kong, and she moved to Singapore a few years ago mainly because of Alvin. Hence, there were two emcees that evening --- one who addressed the guests in Cantonese, while the other spoke in English.
The song list was also a representation of the couple's varied influences and backgrounds, as it contained Cantonese numbers and a fair mix of jazz and pop. It was quite a challenge to perform all these songs, as I was singing some for the first time! Luckily, I had Ji Xiang, my long-time collaborator with me; it was also a joy to work with Brad, who infused the songs with a jazzy style which was a pleasure to my ears.
Congratulations Alvin and Jennifer, and thank you for engaging us to be a part of your special night!
Band: Jun Xiong, Brad, Ji Xiang
Repertoire:
Sway, Just The Way You Are, Fly Me To The Moon, Can’t Help Falling In Love, Beyond The Sea, Love Me, Save The Last Dance For Me, Sometimes When We Touch, Have I Told You Lately, Paint My Love, 就是爱你 (Just Loving You), 爱很简单 (Love Is Very Simple)
You're The Inspiration (2nd March-in), Forever Love, 两只恋人 (Two lovers), 世界唯一的你 (Only You), 星晴 (Clear Starry Night), 你是我最深爱的人 (You're The One I Love The Most), 童话 (Fairytale), 爱你一万年 (I Love You For 10,000 Years), 富士山下 (Below Mount Fuji), 幸福摩天輪 (Ferris Wheel)
Ee Lin and Benjamin are one lovely couple to sing for. The wedding lunch banquet was a simple and cosy affair for the couple and their guests. It was the first out of 2 weddings for me that day, and what better way to start the day off with all the standard jazz classics! With James on piano, and Brad on his tenor saxophone, it was an enjoyable experience, especially when some guests stayed back after all the food had been served, and clapped louder and louder towards the end of the lunch.
I have to make special mention that Ee Lin dazzled my band and I with a gown which showed off her beautiful white-washed back. And though her second gown is also white colour, it really brought out the best of her fair skin and figure :)
Thank you Ee Lin and Benjamin for having us at your wedding. We wish you everlasting bliss and many more good years to come!
Band: Bevlyn, James on piano, Brad on saxophone
Repertoire:
Desafinado, (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons, More Than This, Let’s Fall In Love, C’est Si Bon, Come Fly With Me, Fever, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, For Once In My Life, Girl From Ipanema, Night and Day, I’m Beginning To See The Light
Isn’t It Romantic, It Had To Be You, So Nice, My Baby Just Cares For Me, Misty, Our Love is Here to Stay, Wave, La Vie En Rose, And the angels sing, Cheek To Cheek
Brad told me the most memorable moment at Josephine and Colin's wedding was when the groom grabbed the microphone in a moment of spontaneity and belted a song from an "Elephant Show". Curious to find out what that song was? Click on the video below.
I was very tickled by Colin's choice of song. Apparently, Eleanor joined in by doing the hand actions. I wish I were there to watch it!
According to Josephine, Eleanor, Kim Chye and Brad delivered a "solid performance" that evening. Credit must also go to Josephine and Colin, who chose timeless love songs, such as What A Difference A Day Made and Just The Way You Are, for their wedding.
Thanks for sending me the beautiful photos, Eng Hong!
Congratulations Josephine and Colin!
Band: Eleanor, Kim Chye, Brad
L-R: Brad, Eleanor, Kim Chye
Repertoire:
A Love That Will Last, Cheek To Cheek, Dream A Little Dream, It Had To Be You, La Vie En Rose, L-O-V-E, Something Stupid, Unforgettable, What A Difference A Day Made, When I Fall In Love, Let There Be Love, Just The Way You Are, C'est Si Bon, Quando Quando Quando, Sway, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, I've Got You Under My Skin, Fever
Compliments from Josephine:
Thanks to the band for delivering a solid performance! Colin and I were swamped yesterday and didn't really get to enjoy it, but what little we heard was good!
It was a sweet, sweet wedding. Literally. Jasmine and Weide had a 2-metre tall tower stuck with lollipops, chocolates, strawberries, macaroons and all sorts of sugary goodies. Many guests, especially the kids, had a hard time deciding which stick to take.
Another sweet moment was when two of Jasmine's friends went on-stage to recite a poem that they specially composed for the bride. I thought it was a unique, one-of-kind wedding present - more precious that the usual gifts and ang-paos as it was a recollection of all the times they have shared together. After the poem was recited, Jasmine engulfed her friends in a long bear hug.
Jasmine and Weide's friends also got them to play a little game on stage. Jasmine needed to feel the ear lobes of Weide and several other guests, and guess which one belonged to her husband's. Quite a difficult task I thought as ear lobes all felt the same? But Jasmine guessed it correctly without a hitch.
Thank you, Eng Hong, for sending me your beautiful photographs!
Jasmine and Weide had engaged the band all the way till 11pm and it was almost like a party by then, with guests mingling around and children dancing happily on the dance floor. Some even gyrated to the uptempo numbers that we have arranged for this last set. Jasmine and Weide also danced to our last song Can't Take Our Eyes Off You, ending the night on a high but very sweet note.
Band: Hui Bing, Clarence, James and Brad
L-R: Clarence, James, Brad, Hui Bing
Repertoire:
Grow Old With You (1st March-in), C'est Si Bon, 但愿人长久 (May All Live Well And Long), Dream A Little Dream, Girl from Ipanema, Magic Moment, (Where Do I Begin) Love Story, Lover's Concerto, La Vie En Rose, Wishin' and Hopin'
月亮代表我的心 (2nd March-in), I'm Beginning to See The Light, Beyond The Sea, Let There Be Love, Hooked On A Feeling, Fever, 至少还有你 (At Least There Is You), 我只在乎你 (I Only Care About You), Sway, Fly Me To The Moon, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Kiss Me, Fallen
Song To Recommend:
Hooked On A Feeling - The original song was done by BJ Thomas but I found a version on Youtube by Vonda Shepard. What a happy song!
Compliments from the Couple: Thank you!
Just a little note to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who have made our wedding night a special and memorable one for us and our guests.
Weide & Jasmine
I was honoured to be invited to perform at Kanto Kagaku Singapore Pte Ltd's Gala dinner, all thanks to one of the staff who attended a friend's wedding, because he had heard our band in action then!
Singing for a Japanese company usually means I have to sing Japanese songs to a roomful of Japanese. Till date, I still have to fight the jitters singing Japanese songs! Luckily all went well (kudos also to the brilliant piano and saxophone accompaniment by Kenny and Brad respectively), and we were almost amused when one of the guests followed us out of the function room during our break to check out the title of a song we performed.
This is the song (which incidentally is suitable for weddings, if you understand or like Japanese):
Repertoire:
Can't Help Falling In Love, Cheek To Cheek, La Vie En Rose, Wonderful Tonight, Hadamari No Uta (Kiroro), 爱是你眼里的一首情歌 (Love Is A Song In Your Eyes), I Only Want To Be With You, Close To You, Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves), It Had To Be You, Yuki No Hana (Mika Nakashima), Crazy Little Thing Called Love
La Mer (Beyond The Sea), Love Me Tender, 世界唯一的你 (The One And Only You In The World), C’est Si Bon, First Love (Utada Hikaru), What A Wonderful World, Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours (I Wish You Love), You’re Everything (Misia), Sway, Can't Take My Eyes Off You
I was overjoyed to be invited to perform at the Joint Singapore Paediatric Congress banquet, as I could sing a diverse set of songs to fit the theme of "All Over The World".
I could not have put together such a list when I first started performing at weddings over four years ago. In fact, I just learnt two Japanese songs for Calvin and Misako's wedding. Glad my efforts paid off!
My appreciation to Clarence and Brad as well, for gamely taking on the challenge. From the first number, Come Fly With Me to the last 一人一半 (One Half), they thrilled the guests with their solid chemistry and vibrant music.
Hope the guests enjoyed taking this trip with me "all over the world"!
P.S. It was great meeting up with Jac again!
P.P.S. Clarence and Brad also played a short instrumental set before the dinner. Note to self: Sheraton Towers is able to provide a speaker and portable mixer, especially useful for instrumental sets during cocktails.
Band: Hsin Yeow, Brad, Clarence
The photographs you see here were taken by Kao, a doctor and photography enthusiast. Thanks Kao!
Repertoire:
Come Fly With Me, Paper Moon, 夜来香 (Fragrance In The Night), 夜上海 (Night In Shanghai), La Vie En Rose (French), Sakurazaka, That’s Amore (Italian), Besame Mucho (Spanish), Girl From Ipanema, 一人一半 (One Half)
Paul and Charissa's wedding is the middle of a triptych of weddings that started with Joanna and Mark's union in January, and would end with Frederick and Sarina's reception in December. All three couples are close friends, and I feel honoured to be invited to perform at their weddings.
Joanna was the emcee that evening, and I asked her if she would be springing any sort of surprise on the couple. At first she demurred, and said she wasn't sure if Charissa's family would mind. So I said, "Why not ask Paul to do something?" Joanna's eyes shone with an 'evil' glint as a plan germinated in her mind.
With Joanna and Mark
True enough, Joanna surprised Paul by asking him to give Charissa a passionate (by which I mean "French") kiss. Paul obliged after protesting mildly, to everyone's delight.
Another highlight were the speeches by Paul and Charissa. Every word was spoken from the heart, as they did not have prepared scripts in hand. Paul almost teared when he thanked his sister (for her boundless creativity in creating a beautiful slideshow) and his brother (for sharing his hopes and dreams and supporting him in whatever he did). Charissa made special mention of her sister, who went through a lot of trouble to apply for leave and fly back to Singapore to attend the wedding. She also thanked her in-laws for renovating Paul's room to welcome her. She said, "I know what the 'before' room was like, so I'm aware of how much effort all of you put in to make the 'after' room!"
I took a gamble when Brad and Clarence were playing Can't Take My Eyes Off You, and it paid off handsomely. When I did was walk up to Paul and Charissa, who were on the verge of being made to drink copius amounts of alcohol, and asked Paul to sing the chorus of the song to Charissa. Paul, who was probably already slightly drunk at the time, agreed without a moment's hesitation, and belted with gusto, "I love you baby, if that is quite all right, I need you baby, to warm a lonely night!" Charissa was very amused.
Congratulations Paul and Charissa! Paul, thanks for being so sporting! Thank you once again for engaging us.
Band: Hsin Yeow, Clarence, Brad
L-R: Clarence, Brad, Charissa, Paul, Hsin Yeow
Repertoire:
La Vie En Rose (1sta march-in), What A Difference A Day Made, Longer, Better Together, Fallen, Unbreakable, Angels Bought Me Here, Love Me, For The First Time, Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You, One Boy One Girl, I'm Yours
月亮代表谁的心 (2nd march-in), 追 (Chase), Forever Love, 童话 (Fairytale), 就是爱你 (Just Loving You), 你是我最深爱的人 (You're The One I Love The Most), 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), Everything, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Sway
Song To Recommend:
Unbreakable by Westlife - Learnt this new song for Paul and Charissa. Take a listen!
What an excellent night! A unique blend of local and Korean culture, all brought together by the holy matrimony of Lily and Sebastian. It was indeed a night of fun-filled celebrations amongst relatives and friends, highlighted by a first dance (to Zheng Quan's performance of Someone Like You), performances by budding singers and ending off with a bang with sing-a-longs on stage.
I, for one, couldn’t have enjoyed it more: performing classic and jazz numbers for the most spontaneous and joyous party, 69 stories up in the sky! It was indeed the perfect setting for a wedding as such, with the backdrop of the most breathtaking city skyline as the proceedings of the wedding dinner went along as planned. Many thanks to Gordon, the wedding planner, for guiding us through the night!
It wasn’t long into the night before the impetuous “YUUUM SENG” started to pick up amongst various tables. Guests also started to volunteer other members, who happily obliged to sing dedicated songs with the band on stage. This naturally led to the special request for the couple to sing 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), along with a bunch of friends and family members. Interesting enough, the song that literally got everyone singing along with gusto and which probably left us all with the “last song syndrome” (the one melody that keeps ringing in your head after the end of the performance), was no where to be found in the planned repertoire for the night! The band however, played the impromptu request with zest and accompanied the jolly crew till the end of the night, finishing off with a classic jazz number.
This celebration was definitely a fun and memorable occasion for me. 감사합니다 (Thanks) Lily and Sebastian, for having us be part of your special day! To many more years of bliss and blessings to you both!
P.S. I should also highly recommend couples looking to book the Equinox ballrooms, to also consider it for the cocktail as a prelude to the grand banquet. One would be invited to soak in the awe-inspiring sight of the setting sun, as it paints the canvas sky orange and purple! I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures, enjoy! =)
All photographs above were taken by Clarence
Hsin Yeow's thoughts: The Way You Look Tonight
When I entered the Equinox ballroom (located on the 69th floor of Swissotel The Stamford), I was amazed at the sight that greeted me.
Sebastian, the groom, and a bunch of eight or so other men were linking arms onstage and singing the Teresa Teng classic 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet)! They were so relaxed and seemed intent on letting their hair down and having fun. Surely, this is what a celebration should be about?
Unfortunately, I was only in time to catch the band's final song, The Way You Look Tonight. The trio of musicians, Brad, Clarence and Jeremy, performed together like a well-oiled machine, while Zheng Quan's sublime vocals floated across the room like a summer breeze.
After the band's performance, I spoke to Lily and Sebastian, who praised the band for making great music.
My heartfelt thanks to Gordon, of Wedding Matters, for engaging us, and giving us the chance to liven up Lily and Sebastian's wedding with live music!
Congratulations, Lily and Sebastian, for getting married! We wish both of you all the very best!
Band: Zheng Quan, Clarence, Brad, Jeremy
L-R: Zheng Quan, Brad, Lily, Sebastian, Clarence, Jeremy
Repertoire:
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (1st March-in), 追 (Chase), Have I Told You Lately, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), Close To You, Can't Help Falling In Love, L-O-V-E, 情非得已 (Can't Help Myself), 童话 (Fairytale), 每天爱你多一些 (Every Day I Love You More), Everything
You Are So Beautiful (2nd March-in), Someone Like You(1st dance), Angels Brought Me Here, For The First Time, Love Me, Sway, What A Wonderful World, Dream A Little Dream, Fly Me To The Moon, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, The Way You Look Tonight
Special request:
甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet)
On 6th September 2008, Xavier and Kelly were wed, and A Little Dream was fortunate enough to be part of the Franco-Singaporean festivities.
That's right, Xavier the dapper Frenchman swept Kelly the Singaporean sweetheart off her beautiful feet, and consequently has made a promise to be her support in our sunny island for the rest of their lives.
To witness this promise were a multitude of guests from both continents including one table from France, though from the very vociferous and happy French cheers and singing coming from the tables, even during the very Chinese Yum Seng ceremony, one might be forgiven for thinking it was a largely French crowd.
Kelly & Xavier
Indeed, it was an evening full of cross-cultural celebration, with the multilingual Kelly and Xavier waxing lyrical in French and Mandarin speeches respectively and very respectably, and with Xavier even made to show off his growing prowess in Chinese dialects. But whether English, French, Mandarin or Hokkien, there was a universal language flowing merrily and warmly through the ethereally decorated ballroom -- one of kinship and love.
A video was played showing fond pictures of the beautiful bride and gorgeous groom from their wide eyed youth to their weak-kneed romance, drawing sighs and smiles from the guests, and Kelly and Xavier went onstage to demonstrate an authentic French Kiss by a Frenchman. Kelly's friend since forever came up to bravely play a charming rendition of 'Canon in D' dedicated to the newlyweds, making Kelly effusively grateful.
And that was indeed the other universal language of the day: Music. Songs in several languages were performed by a very moved and delighted ensemble including Linus on the piano, Brad on the saxophone and yours truly on vocals.
It was a warm, wonderful, altogether stunning wedding, showing how love speaks across the continents, and A Little Dream was honoured to be part of it.
Congratulations and very best wishes, Xavier and Kelly!
Band: Jo Tan, Linus, Brad
L-R: Brad, Jo, Xavier, Kelly, Linus
Repertoire:
Let There Be Love (1st dish presentation), (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons, All Of Me, 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet), , Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Close To You, Dream A Little Dream, Fly Me To The Moon, It Had To Be You, La Vie En Rose, Let's Fall In Love, L-O-V-E
Forever In Love (Kenny G) (2nd march-in), The Moment (Kenny G), What A Wonderful World, Misty, The Look Of Love, The Nearness Of You, The Way You Look Tonight, The Wedding, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
Compliments from the couple:
Hi Hsin Yeow,
We have just received the photos from our wedding day. Thank you so much for this wonderful performance!
Regards,
Kelly & Xavier
Louis and Maria were brought together by their strong Catholic faith. That vital connection, once made, meant that their love was unstoppable. It crossed time zones and continents and strengthened with each passing day. Louis, the unflappable groom, had this to say, "I know some of you thought I was going to be a fair weather friend, but I proved you wrong."
Maria chimed in, "Louis is a Singaporean boy at heart. He loves Chinese food, including char siew bao (pork buns)!"
Louis also likes the Teresa Teng chestnut, 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet). I chose to perform the song as the couple made their second entrance into the ballroom, and I couldn't resist the chance to get everyone into the act. The guests were extremely sporting, and all the guests sang the song with me as the doors opened. It was a pleasant surprise for Louis and Maria!
The emcee, a former school mate of Maria's, even asked Louis to give his own spin to the lyrics of 甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet). To his credit, Louis did a fabulous job, and he serenaded Maria with his own version of the song.
Another highlight for me was their first dance. I was thrilled when Maria chose the beautiful John Lennon classic, "Grow Old With Me", because it is one of my favourite songs. Louis and Maria hugged each other tightly as they danced to this song, and when I sang the final lines
I was reminded of how they fell in love.
Congratulations Louis and Maria! May your love for each other remain sweet and everlasting!
Band: Hsin Yeow, Clarence, Brad
L-R: Hsin Yeow, Louis, Maria, Brad, Clarence
Repertoire:
La Vie En Rose, Dream A Little Dream, Quando Quando Quando, On The Wings Of Love, Isn't She Lovely?, I Will Be Here, The Way You Look Tonight, Fly Me To The Moon, Besame Mucho, Quizas Quizas Quizas, Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World
甜蜜蜜 (Honey Sweet) (second march-in), 一人一半 (One Half), Close To You, L-O-V-E, Moon River, Wonderful Tonight, Truly, Through The Years, Grow Old With Me (1st dance), Everything, Sway
Song request:
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World
Songs To Recommend:
Truly - This song gives Maria goosebumps, I was happy to learn it for her.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World - I love this version!
Compliments from Louis and Maria:
Hi Hsin Yeow,
We just got back our photos from the photographer. Attached are the pix that have you and your team in them :o)
Thank you for delivering such an awesome performance! Our parents and guests have only praises for you guys. Another job well done! :o)
Regards,
Louis + Maria
Shennon from the Marriott Vacation Club contacted and confirmed the band just 4 days before the event, and it was most fortunate that Ein Ein (keyboardist) and Brad (saxophonist) were still available to play for me!
We set up at the entrance of the 14th floor sales gallery, and I imagined ourselves greeting the guests with our music, like the musicians who usually perform at the boarding entrance of a Star Cruises ship (Do they still do that? It's been ages since I've been on one).
Shennon also showed us around the office before the performance, and I have to say that it's really a cosy place to work at with the neat interior designs and warm lightings.
Thanks to all the staff who gave us applause, it made all the difference! Incidentally, we met one staff who was at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront wedding fair!
Band: Bevlyn, Ein Ein, Brad
Repertoire:
Cheek To Cheek, So Nice, La Mer, Dream a Little Dream, Come Fly With Me, My Cherie Amour, Fly Me to the Moon, Someone to Watch Over Me, Let’s Fall In Love, L-O-V-E, C’est Si Bon, Pretty World, Our Love is Here to Stay, Besame Mucho, Sway, The Nearness of You, For Once In My Life, The Way You Look Tonight, Wave, A Love That Will Last, What A Difference A Day Made, Unforgettable, La Vie En Rose, What A Wonderful World
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.
Photo by Juliet
Photo by Juliet
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
Photo by Juliet
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 :)
Above two photos by Zenith Stills Photography
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
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.
Above photos by Zenith Stills Photography
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
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