Ariel’s thoughts: 爱是不保留 (Unrestrained Love)
Weddings are usually unforgettable , and Peiying and Ronald’s wedding reception was even more so for many reasons. I had looked forward to meeting the loving couple after learning of their nine-year courtship, during which both of them had spent two years in a long-distance relationship. One interesting titbit: Ronald had paid for air tickets for Peiying to return to Singapore every six months when she was studying in Perth, even though he was then a mere university student. The ladies attending the wedding that night must have been disappointed at losing such a good catch in Ronald! Peiying ain’t a pushover either; having been trained in physiotherapy, Ronald had shared that she had strong hands and when she massaged his shoulders, his knees would go weak…
We were also heartened by the warm welcome from the couple and their loved ones, who showered us with their praises and song dedications. Sparked by an impromptu request by the newly-weds, Ian Soh did a solo performance of the Traditional Wedding March as the couple made their grand entrance into the ballroom. The band then kicked off the first set with the sweet jazz standard L-O-V-E for the hotel’s first dish presentation. At this point, the guests were pleasantly surprised that there was a live band providing the music all this while and we were greeted with a round of rapturous applause. Peiying had selected a range of songs to entertain her guests of all ages, including Chinese classics like 爱你在心口难开 and English favourites like Close To You and Eternal Flame. With talented and creative musicians such as Ian on piano and Tok Jixiang on guitar, the band delivered refreshing interpretations of these songs, which I think appealed even to the younger audience. The band also performed impromptu dedications to the couple, such as Sway and Can’t Help Falling In Love, as well as More Than Words. The band is thankful to all the guests who personally approached us and complimented our talents: Your support means the world to us and spurs us towards our artistic aspirations!
Ronald and Peiying had also requested for their former JC mates, Jasmine and Aijia, to perform an item for their guests, after learning that Jasmine was learning jazz piano improvisation from Ian while Aijia was a former guitar student of Jixiang! The duo delivered their first instrumental piece, Give Thanks, which was a testament of their gratitude of the friendship they all shared. This was followed by their heartfelt rendition of a Cantonese number, 爱是不保留, which I supported with my vocals. I was moved by the beautiful lyrics of this song that conveyed hopes of everlasting love.
Words cannot express the ecstacy the band felt after our performance… We thank Ronald and Peiying for the pleasure of providing live music for their wedding reception and hereby wish them a lifetime of marital bliss!
Band: Ariel, Ian and Jixiang
Repertoire: L-O-V-E (first dish), Eternal Flame, Love Me, Close To You, Fly Me To The Moon, 一人一半 (Half for You and Half for Me), 爱你在心口难开 (Love You More than I can Say), 好好爱我 (Love Me with All Your Heart), Close To You, 爱是不保留 (Unrestrained Love), Falling Into You 心愿便利贴 (Post-it pad of wishes) (2nd march-in), 在我左右 (By My Side), 家后 (Queen of My Home), 读你 (Reading You), The Way You Look Tonight, When You Tell Me That You Love Me (Surprise dedication to the groom and Peiying’s sister)
Song dedications: Traditional Wedding March (1st march-in), More Than Words, Sway, Can’t Help Falling In Love, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
