Our Voices, Our Songs

Singapore Choral Artists
School of the Arts Concert Hall
April 14

Singapore Choral Artists (SCA), established in 2021, joins a rich tradition of local a cappella groups performing at a professional level, including the Singapore Youth Choir Ensemble Singers, Philharmonic Chamber Choir and, another recent addition, Resonance of Singapore.

SCA’s latest concert, led by veteran choral conductor Nelson Kwei, provided nearly two hours of aural delights from the world over.

Its first half comprised Western compositions, dominated by sacred and liturgical music. The 21-member choir – 11 women and 10 men – opened with Lithuanian Vytautas Miskinis’ Pater Noster (The Lord’s Prayer) and Hungarian Gyorgy Orban’s Nunc Dimittis (Now Lettest Thou Depart), both in Latin, establishing the chorus’ strengths at the outset.

The ensemble sounded larger than the actual number of singers, and the control of voices was largely excellent. Contemporary choral music is far more diverse and dynamic than the traditional soprano, alto, tenor and bass configuration of old strophic hymns, essentially evolving into vibrant vehicles of multiple constantly moving parts.

This was no better illustrated than in American Eric Whitacre’s Sainte-Chapelle, which opened with men’s unison voices, a throwback to Gregorian plainchant, then branching into the myriad riches of polyphony.

The 13th-century Parisian edifice of awe-inspiring stained-glass splendour could not have had a more glorious musical representation. Delivered with passion, the music rose to a high in Hosanna In Excelsis before closing with the calm of Gloria Tua.

That chapel was supposed to have held Jesus’ crown of thorns, the subject of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Crown Of Roses, a more traditional Slavic song of bittersweet sacrifice sung in English. Also in English were Ivo Antognini’s Come To Me, Edward Elgar’s Serenade and McKay Crockett’s arrangement of Marta Keen’s Homeward Bound, sung with innocence and heartfelt conviction.

The second half was devoted to songs and arrangements by Singaporean composers. The choir changed into South-east Asian costumes.

Arranged by conductor Kwei were Indonesian song Potong Padi (Harvesting Rice) and Luo Da You’s The Golden Age, the latter luxuriating in the dulcet tones of men’s voices.

Women’s voices had their spotlight in Xiao Xiao Yang Er Yao Hui Jia (The Lambs Return Home), innocence expressed in Americ Goh’s arrangement.

Kenneth Tay’s luminous Ave Regina Caelorum (Hail Queen Of Heaven) in Latin, which could have belonged in the first half, was like the odd man out.

The evening concluded with the Singapore premiere of Zechariah Goh’s Da Feng Ge (Song Of The Great Wind), comprising three songs inspired by characters in Chinese history, with the titular song, a paean of victory and regret, accompanied by a vigorous drum beat.

If there was a lingering memory, the encore of Latvian Eriks Esenvalds’ Only In Sleep, with a soprano voice wafting above the throng like an angel ascending to heaven above, was just that.