Andreas Bocelli in Singapore 2010

Didn’t / couldn’t publicize this earlier coz apparently all 12000 tickets were gone instantly, but what a night at the Botanic Gardens, save some confusing unrehearsed bits, but overall enchanting on a hot and humid night.

During sound check after the rain:

Audience streaming in with their goodie bags:

Unfortunately as part of the contract there isn’t any recording of any sort permitted, so here’re some of my favourite pieces that was performed.

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Despite the often chiding of Andrea Bocelli by the traditional opera industry, he and the entire marketing machinery around him manage to connect him to people of different social status, background, circumstances, which is important in the bridging of the gap between lay audience and some of the more classical masterpieces that has fallen out of favor. Even in the programme, you can hear louder applauses for his contemporary pieces in the 2nd half, than the “pop selection” of opera excerpts in the 1st half of the concert. I mean, how do you excite an audience like President Nathan, Mah Bow Tan, and other VIPs like them, such that they leave with the right impression of the artistic value of the music, instead of its pure celebratory value in YTL’s business interest on the island?

Another big take away for me is how “business” this whole night was, with Francis Yeoh praising LKY over and over, hundreds and hundreds of hands and legs for every facet of hospitality services despite the super down pour at 3pm (we had at least 20 people just mopping the stage at one point), the amount of fireworks for the length of 10 minutes (Hallelujah!), the screaming and shouting of some unidentified guests next to President Nathan (“Bravo! Bravo!!!”), the on-the-spot topping up of YTL’s donation of $850,000 by $150,000 to make it a million to the Community Chest (“here, take this $150 and don’t mention my name”), and the subsequent dinner which we didn’t attend, but which a Bocelli branded wine was served, and the emcee insisting that Andrea would appreciate that they immediate consume it and not bring home. Gesture is everything. I’m just glad they didn’t say we need to double the size of the orchestra / choir so that it looks bigger.

So, are we doing this every year now of what?