In The Media
New Straits Times, Life & Times, 3 December 2001
Low note in Operafest's success
By
Gerald Chuah
KAM SUN-YOKE runs through her notes and programme schedule and looks a little unhappy.
While most people her age are enjoying a leisurely life, the 58-year-old Kam has been running around.
But organising events, finding new talent, training children and seeking publicity are not her only worry.
She is frustrated that the Operafest Children's Choir still finds it hard to get support and sponsorship locally despite having gained so much popularity abroad.
Her frustration was triggered again recently, during the preparation of Carmen, which was staged last weekend at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre. It will also be staged between Dec 7 and 9.
Kam, who is the founder and musical director of the Operafest Children's Choir, has been vocal about her cause. At a recent dinner show, she was asked to tone down her speech and not to bring out her frustrations that the children's choir hasn't been getting enough support.
However, she told the organiser: "You produce Malaysian products that we are all proud of. The Operafest is a Malaysian product too, why shouldn't we be proud of it?" The choir has won numerous awards and recognitions abroad since it was formed in 1986.
The group was set up to promote the arts and provide a sound education through music. The talented children, ranging in age from seven to 18, have travelled the world performing in prestigious choir festivals in the United States , Spain, Greece, Argentina, Macedonia, Australia and Singapore.
In 1991, Operafest became the first Malaysian choir to win second and third places in international choir competitions in Wales and Holland respectively.
She said Operafest had a heroes' welcome in India, and it performed to a full house in Singapore, but back home there is still hardly any awareness and acknowledgement of its achievements, not to mention getting the much needed sponsorship.
For Kam, her passion for singing goes way back to her schooldays when she had singing classes as part of the school's syllabus.
"We used to have singing classes twice a week. Those were the most enjoyable periods I had in school," she said.
She remembers having to practise for a whole year just for a single performance, and when she did not do so well, she cycled home and cried. By founding Operafest, she hopes to give back the joy of singing to children.
"We stage a series of performances every year so that the children can have ample opportunities to express themselves."
Full of pride, she explained that the children now choreograph and stage their own shows.
Carmen is one of the most popular opera pieces. It tells the story of a gypsy woman with anti-heroine traits. When it premiered in 1875, the opera was considered too liberated.
It is also a depiction of the true Spanish lifestyle: a life of singing, dancing and devil-may-care, irrational gaiety and the defeat of sentimental love.
This is the second time Kam is staging Carmen: "It's 2 1/2 hours long and we're featuring 12 songs. The first time we presented it was in 1993.
"Like most operas one cannot change the script, or the sequence of songs because they are specially woven to tell the story."
However, Kam has changed the dialogue to suit the children's delivery and speech pattern.
"As long as my children still have a song in their hearts we shall continue to share joyously the beauty of music."
* The Operafest Children's Choir will present Bizet's `Carmen' at the Petaling Jaya Civic Centre from Dec 7 to 9 at 8.30pm. Tickets are available from Siew Fong at 019-2644015, Mrs Siva at 03-79811724 and Leng Lan at 03-26915573.
* The writer can be contacted at geraldchuah@nstp.com.my |
