今天不想听黑胶，一眼却看到这张CD .......... 30多年就这样过去了，看到CD册子上那些昔日熟悉的名字，有些已经过世或失联多年，一时百感交集！.......... 不管里头曾经有过多少恩怨，还是很为当年一起努力的同事同仁们感到骄傲。如今重温当年的现场演奏录音，可以自豪的说，在那个无师自通自力更生的年代，我们的合奏水平并不比中港台科班出身的乐手差 .........

人协岁月

         离开人民协会（人协）不觉已经十六年了。自一九七四年加入刚成立的专业人民协会华乐团至一九九二年离开，除了当中四年（一九八零年至一九八三年）暂别到澳洲留学之外，总共在人协工作了十四年。从普通团员做起到最后的副指挥，经历了吴大江，林哲源以及顾立民等不同指挥年代。

         现在回头来看，我在作曲方面所取得的一点成绩，和在人协的日子不无关系。至今在新加坡甚至中国和台湾还常演出的《奋勇前进》序曲（原名为《人协二十五周年庆典晚会序曲》）以及一些其他曲目，都是在人协工作期间创作的。记忆中当时人协华乐团的工作并不算繁重。除了半天的排练和一些夜间例常演出和次数不多的正式音乐会以外。其余时间都挺自由的。从七十年代末期乐团指挥林哲源离开之后，我便代理了乐团指挥的一些日常职务－编曲与指挥。这工作虽然没有多少金钱上的收获，但给我提供了很好的编曲和作曲机会。更重要的是给了我一个极为方便的学习写作，实验和发表作品的场地。一九八四年代重回人协之后，更因有机会和人协舞蹈团艺术总监编舞家林飞仙合作而创作了舞剧音乐《唐璜》，《席方平》以及舞蹈音乐《奋勇前进》，《新加坡舞曲》（人协三十周年庆典晚会）《诗人的冥想》（西洋管弦乐）等等。

         在人协的最后八年除了指挥乐团参加了人协二十五及三十周年庆典晚会演出以外，重要演出除了参与舞蹈团的舞蹈晚会演出以及日本巡回演出之外，就是包括一九八八年艺术节人协华乐团专场在内的三场正式乐团音乐会。在这几场音乐会里个人原创曲目包括

         舞剧《女娲》选曲，弹拨乐合奏《谜》，四重奏《新婚别》，《乐队变奏曲》，《颂歌与联想》等等。改编曲目包括《忆周璇》，《青年钢琴协奏曲》等。

         现在重温这些曲目录音，也不禁回想起当年和乐团一同努力的种种情景。以当时乐团的水平和条件（团员大多基本自学起家），演奏瑕疵在所难免。但每一次的演奏和录音我们都全力以赴，以期尽善尽美。以今天的专业华乐演奏水平来看，这些演奏录音也许没有什么大不了。但希望你能感受到其中的心意和激情。同时也谨以此制作纪念我们英年早逝的同事洪彩兰，洪木进，陈雅琴，杨培贤以及吴晓钟。

7.7.2008

MY YEARS WITH THE PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION

BY PHOON YEW TIEN

It has been 16 years since I left the People’s Association (PA). From 1974 when the professional PA Chinese Orchestra was formed to my departure in 1992, apart from four years (from 1980 to 1983) of studies in Australia, I had worked in PA for 14 years. From an ordinary member I was promoted to become the assistant conductor under various conductors Ng Tai Kong, Lim Tiap Guan and Ku Lap Man through the years.

Looking back now I had produced some works to my credit thanks to my time at PA. My People’s Association’s 25^th Anniversary Concert Overture, which has often been performed in Singapore and even in China and Taiwan, were completed when I was working at PA. My workload at the PA Chinese Orchestra was not really heavy. I seem to recall.Apart from the daily half-day rehearsals and occasional concerts in the evening, I was quite free the rest of the time. After conductor Lim Tiap Guan left in the late 1970s, I took over the duties of the orchestra conductor, which included arranging and conducting. Though that additional responsibility did not give me any monetary gains, it was a good opportunity for doing musical arrangements and compositions. More importantly it provided me with a ready platform to write and to experiment, and it also provided me with have an audience. When I returned to PA after my studies in 1984, I had an even greater opportunity to collaborate with the artistic director of PA Dance Troupe, choreographer Lim Fei Shen, in dance productions such as Tang Huang, Xi Fangping, and dance music such as P A 25^th Anniversary Overture，Singapore Dances and Meditation of a Poet etc.

During my last eight years with PA, apart from conducting the orchestra in the 25^th anniversary and 30^th anniversary concerts, I also participated in the dance troupe’s performances and its Japan tour. Besides, there were three concerts of the People’s Association’s Chinese Orchestra in the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1988. In these concerts my original compositions included selections from Nu Wa dance drama, Riddle for pluck instruments ensemble, Separation of the Newly-weds, a quartet, Variations for Orchestra, Paean and Reflections . My arrangements were Reminiscence of Zhou Xuan and Youth Piano Concerto.

Listening to the recordings of these compositions now, I recall how the orchestra and I worked very hard together back then. Given the standards and conditions of the orchestra at that time (most of the members were self-taught), there were naturally flaws in their performance. However for each work we performed or recorded, we put in our best efforts trying to perfect it. If judged by the standards of the professional Chinese orchestra today, these recordings are perhaps not so great. But I hope you can feel the intentions and passion in them. I would also like to dedicate this to the memory of our colleagues Ang Chai Lan, Ang Bok Cheng, Chen Ya Qin, Yeo Puay Hian and Wu Xiao Zhong who passed on at their prime.

7.7.2008