FIVE
The
Graduate Singers
Chijmes
Hall
Tuesday
(10 November 2015 )
This review was published in The Straits Times on 12 November 2015 with the title "Elevating choral music".
The high ceilinged nave of Chijmes Hall
(once the chapel of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) provides such a
natural space for voices to resound that it is a surprise why it is not
regularly used as a venue for choral concerts. For the 5th
anniversary concert of The Graduate Singers (TGS), its reverberant acoustics
was exploited in the best possible way.
Formed by alumni of the National
University of Singapore Choir, the Singers are mostly in their 20s and 30s. Led
by young conductor Adyll Hardy, their voices enveloped the hall with a warm and
welcoming glow, beginning with American composer-conductor Eric Whitacre's Lux Nova. In this stunning opener, the
singers stood far apart, spread out within its wide confines, and the
surround-sound effect made an immediate impact.
The rest of the concert was performed on
stage, and completely from memory. The succession of songs, from Josef
Rheinberger's Abendlied (Evening Song) in German, Toru
Takemitsu's Shima-E (To The Island) in Japanese, Guy Forbes' O Nata Lux in Latin and Whitacre's Water Night in English, all made a
luxuriant play of rich harmonies.
Morphing through a wide range of
dynamics, the swell of voices as they hit climactic highs was a joy to behold.
In the Mongolian Se Enkhbayar's Ba Jun Ma
(Eight Chestnut Horses) sung in
Mandarin, a galloping rhythm was provided over which Gabriel Cheow's rousing
tenor voice (above) rode through with brimming gusto.
 |
| Composer Chen Zhangyi speaks to the audience about his works. |
The world premiere of Singaporean Chen
Zhangyi's Three Nansi Songs seemed to
break the mould of the choral fare offered. These are varied and interesting
settings of selected poems by Indian-Singaporean writer Pooja Nansi. Harping On What Should Be is an excerpt
from A Rant, which made a repetition
of the words “think”, “dream” and “harping” like a broken record that its title
suggested. Listening To Mukesh
mimicked a popular Hindi song heard on a radio, while It Will Never Be The Same saw a simulation of the drone of
traditional Indian instruments.
A TGS
Christmas Medley,
arranged by three singers of the choir, brought together verses from five
carols including Joy To The World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sings and Angels We Had Heard On High, if anything
to remind listeners of the festive season ahead. Gabriel Cheow's arrangement of
Dick Lee's ubiquitous Home had
several unusual touches, including an erhu solo from Aditya Santoso, conductor
Adyll's crooning tenor voice, and a soaring descant solo.
There was time for two encores, a groovy
arrangement of Michael Jackson's Man In
The Mirror and a more traditional send off in the form of the Scottish hymn
Auld Lang Syne.
Photographs by the kind permission of The Graduate Singers.
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