Jazz affair in Words & Music

A NOVEL jazz musical production will open the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Arts Festival this year - one that will showcase original songs to jazz standards, and played by small ensembles to a full band of jazz musicians.

Words & Music: A Love Story Told in Jazz takes its inspiration from American playwright AR Gurney's classic, Love Letters, and is a unique collaboration between professional and collegiate musicians. "Because it's not really a musical, but really a combination of words and music, we've decided to bill it as such," explains NUS law graduate Wang Liansheng who came up with the structure and the words, while Singapore jazz veteran Jeremy Monteiro is directing the music.

Wang used the Love Letters' format - which is essentially letters written by two lovers, which they read to each other - for the piece. Then Monteiro selected the songs that moved the story along, using a combination of his compositions as well as classic jazz standards.