Albert Tay
Conductor and Composer
Albert Tay was the choir master for Singapore’s first local production of The Flying Dutchman (2016). He maintained such a delicious sense of humour while putting the chorus through their paces and cleaning up their German diction. When he came for one of my shooting parties, he brought me some exquisite tea. Albert is a man with wide-ranging interests and makes a great conversation partner. His children probably inherited his good humour, nicknaming him “Albert ‘Gold Cross’ Tay,” as he is the first Singaporean musician to be conferred the Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit by the president of Hungary.
For a man of few words, I guess my best response is via music. I immediately got out of bed after reading your email, went downstairs to my workstation, and recorded a little piano improvisation as a gift for you. I sought to capture in the music your warm and gentle demeanour, as well as the highly creative, ad libitum, welcoming atmosphere at the shooting party. The music was done in one take, completely free flowing, in the same spirit as the Drama Mama portraits I experienced with you. THANK YOU for capturing, so wonderfully, these ephemeral moments and portraits!
With deepest appreciation,
A