Page 26 - NAFA Annual Report 2017/2018

Southeast Asian choral A Study in

music research initiative Southeast Asian Artworks

and workshops
Following on from Land Before our Time in 2015, this
showcase presented a diverse and intriguing range of
As part of a research initiative on Southeast Asian choral works from a private collection, and gave visitors a rare
music, Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) invited opportunity to view the works in a public space. The curated
regional cultural partners to present three programmes selection included paintings, drawings, lacquer works and
covering Philippine choral music; Thai choral and folk music; other media, produced in Singapore and the region over the
and Acehnese body percussion and sitting song-dances. last eight decades by renowned artists such as Heri Dono,
I Nyoman Masriadi and Chua Ek Kay. Featuring modern
Koro Kalinangán: a lecture recital on Philippine choral artworks and a handful of historical pieces, this study of
music with the PsalmiDeo Chorale showcased a selection Southeast Asian artworks explored the different artistic
of choral arrangements and compositions inspired by languages imbibed then rearticulated by various artists,
Filipino folk and liturgical song genres. It also included a past and present, across the region.
dialogue session offering a glimpse of the rubrics of choral
performance and compositional methodology. In conjunction In February and March 2018, 431 Year 1 students were
with a composers’ seminar, the event invited Professor given a structured tour of the exhibition in collaboration
Joel Navarro and Associate Professor Eudenice Palaruan with the School of Art and Design. Director of ISEAA and
for an academic facilitation, aimed at composition majors Art Galleries, Dr Bridget Tracy Tan, introduced the basic
from across the music diploma and degree courses. exhibitory techniques used, and 187 students from six
classes attended her introductory lecture on the artists and
Thai choral music from the Land of Smiles with The Bangkok their works. Lecturers-in-charge also attended the tours and
Voices was a workshop on Thai choral and folk music acted as ambassador tutors for the remaining eight classes
traditions such as Luk Krung (urban music) and Luk Thung of 244 students. ISEAA also guided the students through
(country music). It was presented by choral conductor questions, to aid them in approaching and analysing the
Dr Kittiporn Tantrarungroj, and included a live performance exhibited artworks. After the tour, the students independently
of Thai traditional and contemporary song genres by the researched the featured artists and artworks, and produced
singers and musicians from the choral ensemble. an art journal as part of their module assessment, which aimed
to enhance their awareness of artists in Southeast Asia.
Artistic director, Alfira O’Sullivan and choreographer,
Murtala of Suara Indonesia Dance presented Art of body
percussion – Acehnese sitting song-dances with Suara
Indonesia Dance. This was followed by an audience-
participated practical session, where performers of Sanggar
Budaya Aceh Nusantara demonstrated various forms of
vocalisation and body movement in Acehnese sitting song-
dances, such as Ratoh Duek, Rapai Geleng and Saman.
These sessions were attended by more than 60 School of
Music (SOM) students.

The research and programmes were commissioned by
ISEAA and were organised in collaboration with SOM.

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