Like the Eagle, We Soar and Rise

Like the Eagle, We Soar and Rise was commissioned by Yuying Secondary School Concert Band and Yuying Alumni Association for the 2010 centenary of the school’s foundation. The piece was named by a friend of the composer named Steven Phua, who originally suggested commissioning a new piece to Satoshi Yagisawa. The piece furthermore takes its name from the text of the Yuying Secondary School song.This composition is based on three different concepts: the first one demonstrates ‘The founders’ passion for education’; the second concept illustrates ‘Hardship in war time’; the third one ‘To the future’ describes the inner strength people find to overcome struggles. Thispiece concludes with a fanfare, which is the sound of hope that leads to a brighter future in a positive direction.The world premiere of this piece was conducted by Faizal Bin Othman, who is one of the leading educators in Singapore, and was performed by the Yuying Secondary School Concert Band.