Lim Kang Ning (b.1994)

Serenata del Caffè

Whenever I think of serenades, I think of it as an embrace — warm and comforting; something almost coaxing. This piece was written in January and completed in May 2020 for my friend, Cherilyn. When I first met her, I always knew her as a reserved and measured person. Yet whenever I see her post snippets of herself playing the classical guitar, I am reminded time and again, of the warmth and sincerity that belies her cool exterior. Perhaps it is the innate timbre of the classical guitar, fused with the romanticised idea of the troubadour or the simple fact that she was my friend. But whenever she plays the instrument, I am deeply moved by the warmth of her musical tone and sensitivity to phrasing. It was as if she was giving her friends a big hug through the medium of music.

So when she shared some of the difficult moments she experienced as a classical guitarist with me, I wanted to do the same for her. I wanted to comfort her, but words did not seem to suffice. Music seemed to be the only medium that would justify the ‘words’ of consolation I wanted to express. I wanted to compose a guitar piece that she could seek solace in, and associate friendship and all other positive emotions with. A guitar piece that allowed you to luxuriate in its rich sonorities through a gentle, swaying rhythm. A guitar piece that would return the hug she so generously gave us before.

In order to achieve that, I used a lot of pitches on the open strings and frequently utilised the bass strings to maximise the instrument’s resonance. Arpeggiac figures were also used to accentuate the undulating motion of the piece and propel the music forward. Unbeknownst to the listeners, the spontaneity of the improvisatory-like melody is actually attributed to the fluid change of time signatures in the score. The music oscillates irregularly between having four and three beats in a bar, hence creating a sense of unpredictability.

In terms of the composition’s overall structure, it can be broadly thought of as being in rondo form (ABACAD…) with a coda. It mainly alternates between an arpeggiac section and a chordal section. However, when the arpeggiac section returns for the last time, it arrives in a different harmonic centre, colouring the music with a hue that is completely different from the one the music started in.

Serenata del Caffè was premiered by guitarist Kevin Loh at Kris Foundation’s “Ray of Light” on 17 August 2022 at the Esplanade Recital Studio.