In The Media
New Straits Times, 26 July 2005
Children's choir soars with joy
By
Hafidah Samat
THE Operafest Children's Choir is on a mission to spread goodwill and cheer in To Music, a two-day recital at the Securities Commission auditorium in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur which begins on Aug 26 at 8pm.
Kam Sun Yoke, the dynamic force behind the choir, is the founder and artistic director of these vibrant young souls. Kam said: "My children (which is how she calls her choir members) are just so excited and can't wait to perform at the Securities Commission.
"We're in the midst of rehearsing for the show as well as for upcoming shows throughout the year. I can tell you that the children are going to be busy at least till the end of the year."
The ensemble will perform a string of choral compositions including Extracts of Merry Widow, Classics & American Pop Classics.
In December, the children's activities will include a road tour to Penang, Ipoh and Malacca. They will perform Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols under the baton of guest conductor Dr Roy Bmhana from Wales, Britain.
The choir is also expected to perform in a Christmas concert with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 18. The one-day show will be conducted by MPO's Kevin Field.
The choir has gone places. Under the leadership of Kam, the children have performed in Macedonia, Argentina, Spain, India and Australia.
A critic and adjudicator wrote a glowing appraisal of the ensemble for its stylish artistry after a performance in Wales recently. Christmas of Joy, the choir's independently-released Christmas album, has also sold well abroad.
Fresh from its stint in the United States in June last year, the choir caused quite a buzz when it was ranked among the top 20 out of 150 choirs worldwide. More interestingly, Operafest was rated on par with world-renowned choirs from Russia and Austria.
Closer to home, Operafest has played host to choirs from Spain, Denmark , the United States and Hong Kong. Last year, it staged a joint concert with the Kokopelli Choir from Canada.
"Through grit and grind, Operafest has been on its own since 1986. Everywhere we went, we were treated with ambassadorial grace although we were not officially appointed to such posts," said Kam.
"Being the only Malaysian children's choir that has won accolades abroad, we have achieved much for Malaysia in the field of arts. If Austria can stand tall and proud beside its Vienna Boys Choir, likewise, why can't Malaysia support a truly home-grown made-in-Malaysia talent?"
* Admission is by donation. For details, call 016-215-1048 (Lim), 03-7726-2152 (Cynthia) or 03-6081-5781 (Kam). |
