In a year where Singapore celebrates 60 years of nationhood and Band Fusion marks its 20th anniversary, Of Orchids and Crimson Sunbirds emerges as a musical symbol of identity, memory and collective growth. First conceived as a brass band score for the Lion City Brass Band under the direction of ME5 Ignatius Wang, the work has been newly reimagined for wind band in collaboration with Band Fusion as part of the SG60 commemorations and ongoing National Education efforts.
The wind band version was premiered by West Winds, Band of the Bukit Batok Community Club, under the baton of Music Director ME6 Philip Tng, on 7 September 2025 in a concert titled Our Spirit Our Legacy, bringing this refreshed sound world to audiences for the first time.
The title draws inspiration from two icons of Singapore. The Orchid, recognised as the national flower since 1981, evokes resilience, beauty and an enduring sense of place. The Crimson Sunbird, often cherished as Singapore’s unofficial national bird, captures colour, motion and vibrancy.
Together they become poetic symbols of a nation defined by nature, modernity and a spirit of continual renewal. Rather than serving as a literal tour, the score unfolds as an impressionistic journey through the sights and emotional landscapes of the Lion City-State, expressed through four seamlessly connected musical sections.
The opening in B-flat major introduces the first subject with confidence and warmth, a musical reflection of the ever-changing skyline. Subtle threads of familiarity surface as the piccolo, saxophones and glockenspiel echo a line from We Are Singapore, while the bass line quietly mirrors the closing phrase of Munnaeru Vaalibaa. A gentle hint of the opening notes of Home appears in the trumpet, placed almost like a quiet promise of what is to come.
The scene then softens into a lyrical portrayal of the City in a Garden, carried by a tender Euphonium solo marked dolce cantabile. Beyond the Euphonium feature, the score also includes optional solo parts for other instruments, giving conductors artistic freedom to choose whom to spotlight or even rotate soloists across multiple performances. The melody grows into harmonised lines and rises toward an emotional summit supported by a resonant, pulsating timpani figure that reflects both stillness and life.
The music then enters a passage shaped by counterpoint and interwoven motifs that reflect the cultural diversity of Singapore. Ideas derived from the earlier themes expand in perfect fifths, building naturally into a variant of the second subject before opening into a proud statement of the chorus of Di Tanjong Katong. A purposeful modulation brings the music back home and sets the stage for the closing section.
The final movement gathers earlier musical ideas and guides them toward a unified and forward looking conclusion. Material from the opening is recalled and reshaped with greater breadth and momentum. The horns now reveal the full chorus of Home, an idea that has been gently foreshadowed since the beginning. Before the work reaches its final flourish, the tenor saxophone, horns and euphonium offer a gentle nod to The Road Ahead, a musical gesture symbolising continuity across generations and connecting the original 2018 brass band version with this SG60 wind band edition. It becomes a reminder that Singapore continues to move, imagine and build upon its collective foundations.
As Singapore’s band community reflects on 60 years of artistic progress, and as Band Fusion celebrates 20 years of nurturing creativity, collaboration and education, this work stands as both tribute and testament.
It honours the evolution of the band movement and the countless musicians, educators and leaders who have shaped a vibrant and distinctive musical culture. It also celebrates the spirit of partnership that has defined Band Fusion’s 20-year journey and its commitment to championing Singaporean composers and the storytelling power of music.
At the heart of this work is the composer, Dax Wilson Liang, a Singaporean musician born in 1989 whose career spans performance, instruction, composition and arts leadership.
He currently serves as the Chief Composer / Arranger of the Singapore Armed Forces Band and leads the Music Composition and Arrangement Office. A trained horn player who began his studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under Jamie Hersch, he later earned a Licentiate Diploma with Distinction from Trinity College London. Since joining the SAF Central Band in 2012, he has shaped training curricula, developed musicianship programmes and written music for major state occasions including the National Day Parade.
His works, including the Lion City series, have travelled across Scotland, Switzerland, Russia, Germany, China and the United States, and have been performed at international festivals such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Virginia International Tattoo and the Musikfest der Bundeswehr. He continues to advocate for creative literacy, musical awareness and the belief that writing music is a natural extension of every musician’s artistic expression.
He is currently pursuing a Master of Music Leadership (MMusL) at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. His capstone research and forthcoming thesis defence examine how the SAF Band can more effectively support Singaporean composers and contribute to the expansion of wind band repertory. The project is positioned as a thought-leadership initiative with an emphasis on measurable post-research impact for the organisation and the wider wind band community. Upon completing the programme’s culminating semester, he will be attending the Joint Leadership Course at the SAFWOS Leadership School from January 2026.
For this commemorative period, the score of Of Orchids and Crimson Sunbirds is available for purchase directly from the composer with an SG60 discount, offered in the spirit of National Education, until 31 January 2026.