Hsin Yeow’s thoughts: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
L-R: Ein Ein, Bevlyn, Joy, Kwang Hoe, Hsin Yeow and Benny
Before we began the set for Kwang Hoe and Joy, Bevlyn turned to me and admitted, “I’m slightly nervous about singing, because I’ve had to learn quite a few songs just for this wedding.”
I told her, “You’ll be fine.” And she was. I don’t think anyone in the audience could tell which songs were new to Bevlyn, and neither could the musicians.
When we became professional wedding singers, we thought it would be easy. Just learn, say, twenty to thirty songs, and sing the same tunes at every wedding. I mean, you can’t go wrong with chestnuts like When I Fall In Love right? Oh how naive we were.
We quickly realised that song choice is a very subjective matter. That’s why we give our couples free reign to select their favourites, and we try our best to accommodate those songs, even though we have not heard them before.
Back to Kwang Hoe and Joy’s wedding. Apart from being a really loving couple (Kwang Hoe cheekily refers to Joy as, “That woman…”), they took pains to make sure we were well taken care of.
One of the highlights of our evening was the generous applause by the guests. They clapped enthusiastically after almost every song, and even came up to us to give us a few words of encouragement during our break. We were also surprised and grateful when the applause at the end of our performance went longer than usual, with some cries of “Encore!” To all the guests: “Thank you! The pleasure is ours.”
P.S. After thanking Kwang Hoe and Joy profusely for giving us the opportunity to perform for them, Joy sent me this SMS, “If you say thanks again, we’ll fine you. We’ll keep in touch soon.”
P.P.S. Through Kwang Hoe’s recommendation, we got to perform for Dawn and Claudio. Thank you!
Bevlyn’s thoughts:
It was my third time back at Conrad, and I have to say that the sound system is still among the best any hotel can provide. As we could hear ourselves better, we really enjoyed the performance!
To couples scouting for wedding songs that are not overrated, I would like to recommend two which I really enjoyed learning and singing: Now And Forever (You And Me) by Anne Murray, and Nobody Loves Me Like You Do by Anne Murray with Dave Loggins.
And for couples sporting enough to do a waltz for their first dance, you might want to consider Could I Have This Dance?, also by Anne Murray. You can find an MTV of the song here.
Band: Hsin Yeow, Bevlyn, Ein Ein and Benny
Incidentally, it was our first time working with Benny, a guitarist from Mantou (馒头), one of the finalists in the local band competition Superband. That makes two Superband members (Ein was from Amber) playing for us that night, making Hsin Yeow and me feel a bit like Superstars flattered.
Repertoire:
嫁给我 (Marry Me), You’re Still The One, The Gift, Love Me, From This Moment, 恋爱频率 (Love Frequency), Beautiful In My Eyes, Could I Have This Dance?, You Are The Love Of My Life, Stuck On You, Endless Love, Now and Forever (You and Me) (2nd March-in), 关于爱情 (About Love), In This Life, Love Of My Life, Longer, 你的名字我的姓氏 (Your Name, My Surname), Nobody Loves Me Like You Do, 爱很简单 (Love Is Very Simple), You Needed Me, Love Will Keep Us Alive, And I Love You So, 爱是永恒 (Love Is Eternal)
Wedding Tip:
Do find a wedding band that can accommodate your song choices instead of relying on a fixed repertoire
Compliments from Kwang Hoe and Joy:
We recalled that during our wedding dinner, the guests politely clapped when the band sang the first song. I remembered Kwang Hoe and myself saying to each other, “Hmm, not bad for a start, let’s hope the guests will continue enjoying the music”.
It was without a doubt the guests exhibited just that!
They applauded the band after each song. a strong indication that they appreciated the music.
Many came up to us during and after the event to inquire about the wedding band, with questions and comments like “Are they your friends?”, “Are they full-time professional singers?”, “We thoroughly enjoyed the food, and how can we not mention, the wedding band as well!”.
This band has certainly come a long way in making a name for itself by word of mouth. Even my cousin who attended our wedding decided that very night that she was going to engage the band for her own wedding this November 06!
In a sense, we must say that it was like “a little dream” come true for Kwang Hoe and myself. Hsin Yeow, Bevlyn and team, we thoroughly appreciate the efforts you guys had put in to make it an absolutely memorable evening! Well done and keep up the excellent work!
Compliments from the Wedding Photographer, Wansheng:
Hi Hsin Yeow,
I had a good time that night listening to you guys perform. The first song 嫁给我 (Marry Me) really got me into the mood and 爱是永恒 (Love Is Eternal) brought back so many nice memories of the yesteryears. For me, getting into the mood is as important as getting the shots, and you guys certainly made it happen.
And I have to say, you guys did great that night! Hope to see more of your performances soon!:)
