Concert Review: Red Dot Baroque ushers in Christmas with joyous concert

Straits Times, 15 Dec 2025

Nowell, Nowell!

Red Dot Baroque

The Arts House Chamber

Dec 14, 5pm

It was a wet and soggy Sunday afternoon, and it almost seemed a chore to haul oneself away from the comforts of home to attend a concert. However, this was not any concert, but a celebration of Christmas by Red Dot Baroque (RDB), Singapore's only professional period instrument group. The much-needed tonic for one nursing a cold, its infectious high spirits instantly drove away the blues.

Opening with the distant wail of Law Chi Yan's bagpipes, the tenor voice of Reuben Lai followed by Teng Xiang Ting's soprano began this uncommon procession, a Yuletide offering from the British Isles not previously encountered in sunny Singapore. RDB knows how to put on a show and the 75 minutes were a treat.

With music from the Emerald Isle, this was a programme built around legendary harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), considered Ireland's national composer. His Welcome was the perfect greeting for the dances, which sounded familiar by the Celtic fiddling, in Cup and Favourite Jig to come.

After RDB founder and leader Alan Choo made his entry, the floor of the Old Parliament's chamber was transformed into some country barn. Joined by fellow fiddlers - Brenda Koh, Placida Ho and Gabriel Lee - they began to make merry. Their freewheeling moves abetted by foot-stamping by the audience made for an enjoyable musical spectacle.

The famous Wexford Carol, shared by Teng and Lai, well and truly ushered in the spirit of Christmas. Crossing the Irish Sea to England, Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, brought in more cheer.

Other RDB's instrumentalists, Gerald Lim on electronic keyboard substituting for harpsichord and Christopher Clarke on archlute, accounted for more intimate music by William Byrd and John Dowland. The alternation between instrumental and sung pieces worked very well, with the English segment closing with Nowell, Tidings True and Masters In This Hall, adapted from Frenchman Marin Marais' music.

Climbing over Hadrian's Wall into Scotland, there was more intoxicating fiddling in On The Wings Of Skorie and Old Grey Cat. The soothing Skye Boat Song was sung by Lai with a distinct Celtic accent, while the witty and bawdy verses of Henry Purcell's 'Twas Within A Furlong Of Edinburgh Town were captured perfectly by Teng.

Returning to Eire, O'Carolan's final work before his passing, Farewell To Music, made for some poignant moments before the jigs Apples In Winter and The Mason's Apron closed the show with a proper hurrah. RDB's splendid ensemble was completed by Leslie Tan on cello/gamba, Cheryl Lim on flutes and whistles, as well as percussionist Govin Tan.

The audience singalong was suitably rousing with seasonal hymns by, ironically, two German composers, Felix Mendelssohn's Hark, The Herald Angels Sing and George Frideric Handel's Joy To The World. With the current turmoil and violence, the world could do with more of Red Dot Baroque's joyous message of goodwill and peace.