The Radio Orchestra (subsequently known as the RTS Orchestra and SBC Orchestra) must be the longest surviving support group on the Hill. It provided good music for more than 50 years for both a Radio and TV programmes. I remember them well as they appeared frequently to support our local singers. And also when we played the RTM/RTS games both in KL and Singapore, the Orchestra was the team to appear in the exchange of cultural shows hosted alternately by both stations.
Mun Chor Seng sent the article below to let us remember the Orchestra.
"The Radio Orchestra at it was known then was formed in
1945. The string section was predominantly made up of the orchestra were
filled by expatriate musicians. In 1959, the Malayanairs was born, it
produced music went out of the vogue. More musicians and woodwind and
brass instruments were added to provide a more versatile combination under the
leader of the orchestra Mr. Dick Abel. They provided recorded popular and
classical music for transmission to all the section of Radio Singapore.
Some of the programmes featured then were:
a) TIGA SEKAWAN, and
b) RAYUN SUKMA, included mainly
Malay and popular instrumental numbers for 15 to 30 minutes programmes for all
the radio networks. Three to six musicians were involved for the
above programmes.
c) LATIN SIX, a programme that was
mainly music from Latin America.
d) MUSICA VIVA, a classical
programme mainly involved with Chamber Music, for violin, cello and
piano. During that time I heard over the English Network the complete
work of Beethoven's Trio in B-Flat Major, "Archduke" Op. 97.
Such programmes were mainly broadcast over the weekend in the late evening.
e) THE MALAYANAIRS with augmentees
where local Malay and Mandarin and Indian singers were involved in the 30
minutes programme recorded for the respective sections.
The Malayanairs, as the new orchestra was known, started
with only 9 musicians. It had to be augmented when the need arose to
serve the four different radio networks which closed down at 11
pm nightly.
On 1 July 1960, commercial advertising was introduced on
radio. There was a higher demand for radio orchestra for sponsored
programmes which brought in extra revenue and audience participation. The
radio orchestra was then lead by Mr. Gus Steyn who was performing in the
Broadcasting House in Caldecott Hill as well as outside venues such as the
Cultural Centre, Victoria Theatre, Singapore Badminton Hall and City Hall Steps
etc.
In 1963 with the introduction of television, the same
orchestra was known as the Radio & Television Singapore (RTS)
Orchestra. The musicians then were Mr. Gus Steyn (piano), Mr. Ahmad
Jaafar (Saxophone), Mr. Valentine Otega (Baritone), Mr. Reynaldo Lanchica (1st
Alto), Mr. Olimpio Galaura (Trumpet), Mr. Lano (Trombone), Mr. Winston Filmer
(Double Bass) and Mr. Rofino Solinao (Drum). In order to cope with the
normal output for radio, it also had to bear the additional responsibility to
provide additional music backing for the major live television shows.
On 19 Jan 1965, Gus Steyn gave his farewell performance as
leader of the RTS Orchestra at a Chinese Variety show in Victoria
Theatre. At the end of the show, he was garlanded by members of the
audience and gave a short speech. Mr. Loo Koon Fun from the Chinese
Programme Section presented a memento to Mr. Gus Steyn on behalf of the
management of Radio Singapore.
In 1965, Mr. Ahmad Jaafar was the Deputy Director of Radio
Orchestra. He took over as leader in 1966 and as conductor of the
orchestra from 1967 - 1982. During that period, he established himself as
a fine music arranger and composer for theme music for radio and TV
productions.
When the station was converted into Singapore Broadcasting
Corporation (SBC) in February 1980, the total number of musicians was increased
to 31. With those numbers, they could be divided to form two or three
groups of smaller orchestras to meet the needs of the rapid bookings of the
radio and television services of SBC. Should the need arise, these
musicians could be pooled together to perform as a concert orchestra.
In 1980, SBC played host to the visiting Radio Television
Malaysia (RTM) Orchestra which performed successfully in
Singapore. In April 1981, the RTS Orchsestra paid a reciprocal
performance in Angkasapuri in Kuala Lumpur under the title of "Puspasara"
featuring the full RTS Orchestra in Concert. According to the
"Puspasara" programme, which was distributed to the audiences then,
there were 31 musicians featured. It was divided into 4 different
sections, strings, brass, woodwinds and rhythm & percussion. The SBC
Orchestra then featured the following musicians: Strings: (1st Violins) - Wong
Eit Sun, Braulio Bacsafra Jr, Chow Kum Leng & Quek Peng Hoon, (2nd Violin)
Adams Lin Jui Fang, Yeo Teow Meng, Leslie Lim Wave Houng & Tan Kok Hwa, (Viola)
- Julai Tan & Ng Boon Eng, (Cello) - Tham Chaik Kong & Patricia Wei.
Brass: (1st Trumpet) - Jimmy Fong Pak Lee, (2nd Trumpet) Olimpio Galaura, (3rd
Trumpet) Lit Woon Cheong, (1st Trombone) - David Chen Chao Hor, (2nd Trombone)
- Tonni Wei Shi Ren, (3rd Trombone) - Louis Castillo. Woodwinds:
(1st Alto) Reynaldo Lachica, (2nd Alto) Celso Lachica, (1st Tenor) - John Lee
Boon Eng, (2nd Tenor) - Leonard St John Fernandez, (Baritone) - Valetine
Ortega. Piano & Synthesizer - (Organ) - Terrence Cyril de
Souza. (Guitar) - Danny Lim Ai Koon, (Drums) - Louis Soliano, Piano
& Synthesizer - Charles Godfrey Lazaroo, (Bass Guitar) -
Winston Malvern Filmer, (Percussion) - Tan Chin Boo. (Leader &
Conductor) - Ahmad Jaafar & (Deputy Leader) - Rufino Varella Soliano.
The stage production was by Mr. Vernon Palmer and the stage management by Mr.
Steven Lee with Miss Mini Fok Wei Ya as the compere. Orchestrations by: Ahmad
Jaafar, Iskandar Ismail, Charles Lazaroo, John Lee & Sam Gan.
Mr. Ahmad Jaafar was honoured with the Pingat Pentadbiran
Awan (The Public Administration Medal) award in 1969 and the Cultural Medallion
in 1981 for his contribution to music to Singapore. He retired in 1982
and passed away in 2009.
Rufino Soliano took over the leadership of the orchestra
from 1983 till he retired in 1994.
In Jan 1987, Christopher Dainel, a graduate of Boston's
Berklee College of Music was appointed as the new Director of the
Orchestra. By the early 1990s, the Radio Singapore Orchestra was
disbanded.
Listed below are the photographs taken by me over the years
where the Radio Singapore Orchestra took part in the following events:
Photo 1: Inche Yusof Ishak, the Yang
di-Pertuan of Singapore together with Mr. S. Rajarathnam (Minister of Culture)
and Mr. John Duclos (Director of Broadcasting) met Mr. Gus Steyn and Radio
Singapore Orchestra members in the Radio Auditorium.
Photo 2: Launching of the Suara Singapura service of
Radio Singapore by Inche Yusof Ishak, the Yang de-Pertuan of Singapore with the
finale item of the programme on stage.
Photo 3: A sponsored radio programme held at
the Singapore Badminton Hall.
Photo 4: A sponsored "Tiger Oil" Chinese
radio programme held at the Cultural Centre (Fort Canning).
Photo 5: Group photo of Mr. Gus Steyn (left) with
fellow musicians taken in Radio Auditorium of Broadcasting House.
Photo 6: Chinese TV Variety Programme featuring Miss
S.K. Poon at the new TV Singapura Studio.
Photo 7: The Radio Orchestra took part in the TV
inauguration celebrations at Caldecott Hill.
Photo 8: After the National Day Parade, the Radio
Orchestra took part in the multi-cultural variety show at the City Hall
Steps.
Photo 9: The National competition of the Asia
Broadcasting Union (ABU) Popular Song Contest at Studio 5 of TV Singapore.
MUN CHOR SENG
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