pianomania: 9TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT + 4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX / Review

9TH SINGAPORE

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

OPENING CONCERT

Victoria Concert Hall

Wednesday (23 July 2025)

4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX

Victoria Concert Hall

Thursday (24 July 2025), 7 pm

This review was published in The Straits Times on 26 July 2025 with the title "Stellar singing at the Singapore International Choral festival".

The Singapore International Choral Festival (SICF), now in its ninth edition, opened with an hour-long concert presented by the 40 singers of ONE Chamber Choir led by director Lim Ai Hooi and five-member yIN Harmony, an ensemble of Asian traditional instruments helmed by bansuri virtuoso and Cultural Medallion recipient Ghanavenothan Retnam. Hundreds of foreign singers and delegates in attendance were treated to an all-Singapore musical experience.

Photo: Yeo Kaiwen

Photo: Tan Zexun

Popular National Day Parade staples like Singapura, Sunny Island and Singapore Town were aired, as were songs in the four official national languages – Malay (Dayong Sampan), Tamil (Munnaeru Valibaa), Chinese (Rose, Rose, I Love You) and English. In addition, there were solos and dances by singers dressed in saris, cheongsums and kopi-tiam attire. The strong and abiding message is diversity and cultural appreciation being encouraged here.

Photo: Tan Zexun

The Asia Choral Grand Prix that took place the following evening pitted five choirs, winners of five international choral competitions held in Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore last year in search for the creme de la creme. Each choir was to showcase its vocal prowess and range within a span of 20 minutes.

Concentrating on music from the homeland, such as the University of Mindanao Chorale (Philippines, led by Timothy Paul Atencio) in songs by Eudenice Palaruan (Gapas) and Ian Gabriel Corpuz (Di Man Mawari, Mawari) played to its strengths. Shining with clarity of consonants and warmth of sound, it also hit plangent climaxes in works by Hungarians Magor Bucz and Gyongyosi Levente.

The cuteness of little ones in the Cheorwon Boys and Girls Choir (South Korea, Chang Hae Won) dressed in traditional hanbok was matched by its singing, which came naturally and with unspoilt purity. Sticking mostly with songs by Korean composers, their mimicry of birdsong in Bird Taryeong and choreography with fans in Kook Hyun’s Yalli Yalli Yalla Syeong was simply charming.

Range was the strong suit of the Vocalista Harmonic Choir ISI Yogyakarta (Indonesia, Athiya Monica). It sang in Haya (a language invented by Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist), Italian (Giaches de Wert), German (Hugo Wolf) and Latin (Joszef Karai), before closing with Indonesian composer Nicholas Rio’s Hanacaraka, which had drones, drum-beats and nifty dance movements.

The 16 young women in the Korea Choir (South Korea, Hyun Hangwon) are probably all professional singers, judging by their poise and demeanour. The brevity of its programme was made up by quality, singing in Latin for Josu Elberdin’s Salve Regina and Lee Hyun Chul’s Cantate Domino, the latter featuring an excellent soprano solo. Upping the tempo considerably, Jim Papoulis’ Panta Rhei and Kirby Shaw’s Something Latin were rhythmically exciting.

The last choir to appear was Sola Gratia Chorale (Philippines, Cyril Punay), already familiar with local audiences having been last year’s Grand Prix winner at Singapore International Choral Festival. If anything, this choir has actually progressed.

Francisco Feliciano’s Pamugun – highly impressive with its rapid polysyllables – was reprised, unsurprisingly. Its addition of Sinn Sisamouth’s sentimental Champa Battambang sung in Cambodian, Giovanni Gabrielli’s Jubilate Deo with antiphonal effects, Stephen Chatman’s Warm Summer Sun with clarinet solo, and the sheer warmth of the Afro-American spiritual He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands all provided goosebump-raising moments.

Photo: Chen Chen

Photo: Chan Chen

It did not take long for the nine-member international jury to name Sola Gratia Chorale as the winner of the 4th Asia Choral Grand Prix, deservedly so for its overall excellence and heart-warming range. Do not miss the festival finale on Sunday where the new Grand Prix winner of the 9th SICF will be crowned.