CANDOMINO CHOIR |
A Post-Christmas Concert Presented by Caldwell Arts Pte Ltd |
|
TAUNO SATOMAA conductor (Candomino) |
OVERALL NOISE RATING:
2 (One camera rewound in the middle of the religious Bach
Arioso… tsk, tsk, sacrilegious!)
The Noise Rating Index is a partially-objective measurement of pager and handphone blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits, intra-audience conversation and other mind-bogglingly inept noises emitted in the concert hall during actual performance of music. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.
The tickets for this concert have been kindly sponsored by Caldwell Arts
Pte Ltd, with thanks also to Paula Parvianen at the Finnish Embassy.
by Ng Yeuk Fan
There in the first row, I was feeling like a child, elated, excited and
extreme. I was brought back into my memories - about being in Finland,
the hours of transit spent in Helsinki, the Sibelius monument, while at
Sibelius' grave and in the Church carved in the cave... Then, Finnish
culture did not leave enough of an impression, young as I was - nor did
the music of Sibelius fire me.
Then, in 1996 - when Professor Erkki Pohjola visited Singapore together with the famed Tapiola Choir - I remember being moved to tears in the concert of 24 July, by a force that was more than just the youthful voice in me - I quote from my writings "Much like a pure one emanating the essence of life, I found myself seeking more of it"... Prof Pohjola communicates the meaning of music
effortlessly - music is relegated to a secondary role - that of a medium
- in his hands. "The purity of the message is not marred, the beauty
glows even brighter...the message is simple - of love, hope, freedom and
peace" (Erkki Pohjola retired as Conductor of the Tapiola Choir in late 1995/early 1996. The concert was led by Kari Ala-Pollanen.)
Since, I have been fascinated by Finnish choral music. In this state of
heightened emotions, few would receive my seal of unreserved recommendation and I am glad to report that the Candomino Choir did not disappoint on all accounts.
Tauno Satomaa, the conductor of the Candomino Choir, explained that
though many factors went into the making of the choir's distinct sound,
the Finnish language and their Finnish diction made up a significant
proportion of this uniquness. And indeed, even in Latin works, this
very forward accent came across with such consistency that one would
find it instantly recognisable - the Candomino Choir, a youth mixed
choir, has a unique sound that is inherently bright - very forward, very
buccal and with almost combative colour. This latter quality adds tremendous impact and character to choirs who are not short in volume. The singing is fiery, heart-shuddering and full of quiet pride. Try as I may - wall of sound, superb understanding of the music, transparency of feelings - I am unable to explain the source my being proud for them - just by listening to them.
Especially interesting and beautiful is the music of Sibelius - En
etsl valtaa loistoa (I seek no power, no glory) and the Finlandia
Hymni. Also close to perfection were Leevi Madetoja's Katson virran
kalvohon (River in your surface dark) and the power-packed
resonance of full fledged fortes in Toivo Kuula's Sävel (The
Melody). Saarella palaa (Fire on the island) however, did not
achieve the full impact of the written score, troubled by problems in
ensemble work.
It is a great pity that the work Credo, written specially for them by the great Finnish living composer Einojuhani Rautavaara (b.1928) was not performed. I heard bits of it during the afternoon workshop and hark this - it is nothing short of MARVELLOUS! (I must find a score for this work...)
The kantele music was very interesting - almost sounding like a harpsichord though very soft - its intimate nature and extreme vulnerability heightens the contrast with its people - creating a stunning presence that transmits the supreme qualities of patience, restraint, resilence and meditation. Married to the religious Arioso by J.S. Bach, the effect is spellbinding! It reaches the depths of one's heart and searches one's soul for the impalpable, the inexplicable and the infinite. Utterly magical!
The Singapore Youth Choir was a bit of a diamond in the rough
when pitched against the silken blend of the Candomino Choir. The
standing arrangement was also awkward and for the first time in the
night - I could hear unpleasant echoes. Nevertheless - their feature
folk songs by Chen Yi are personable and sincere - a good palette of
creative choral writing brough out effectively by conductor Jennifer
Tham - though I think the suspended sonoroties in Jasmine Flowers
and further, the Gamelan sounds of Setiap pagi rahmatmu segar dan
bara got out of hand in the CHIJMES acoustics. These are probably
due to inexperience - more performances in different venues should
sort that out. Ikaw, a Philippino song, was easily among the most
enjoyable pieces of the night.
This able choir will
have its international career clipped if local sponsors do not wake up
from their misguided illusion that only foreign groups are good enough
to deserve their support.
It is very sad to realise that the SYC has
not had a single properly recorded testament of its living mission and
colourful repertoire even though it bears the name of one of the richest
countries in the world.
Though I think both choirs should smile more often during the
performance, altogether, there was a seriousness in their concert at the
beautiful CHIJMES Hall this Tuesday. This was a night of some very in
depth soul searching and one feels the burden and the miracle of life
upon one's shoulders. Bittersweet - but thankfully so.
In Singapore for a
Post-Christmas Concert, they presented a wide variety of Finnish traditional folk music - which even included music for the kantele - a traditional Finnish plucked-stringed instrument (four specimens are shown on the right). The exchange of folk songs also saw the Singapore Youth Choir join forces with the Candomino Choir to sing Kesälllalla ("On a Summer Evening") and Rasa sayang together.
The Candomino Choir is especially sensitive to the needs of their music
- and this includes their unexpected arrangement in the CHIJMES Hall. I figured during the concert that it was probably ingeniously devised to use the acoustics to their advantage. Most of the Finnish numbers were successful depite the foreigness of the language and this I attribute to the unique feeling of 'pride' I mentioned above.
I feel that the Singapore Youth Choir has been too long in the shadows
of premier choirs of the world. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this
year (the Candomino Choir is only 30) in two concerts in 16-17th March
1999, the Singapore Youth Choir has an unbeatable record for
consistency and awards from all over the world.
Ng Yeuk Fan recounts gambling on the Silja Cruise through a stormy baltic
sea...
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