Children's orchestra a harmonious affair<\/p>\n
Aendra Medita, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
More than 70 children make up the Indonesian Children Orchestra
\n(ICO), which is led by conductor Frans Gerard Dwiputranto, and it
\nprides itself as being Indonesia's largest children's orchestra.<\/p>\n
During an impressive performance at Plaza Senayan on April 27
\nto help commemorate the plaza's seventh anniversary, the
\norchestra successfully fused the sounds of a Balinese gamelan
\ngroup with electric guitars to the sheer delight of the audience.<\/p>\n
Established last year, the show marked the orchestra's seventh
\npublic appearance. During the performance, the young musicians,
\naged between seven and 16 years, displayed avid enthusiasm to
\nachieve harmony, and hence produced a dynamic blend of music.<\/p>\n
The orchestra presented several Disney music favorites with a
\nnew twist, a departure from the usual repertoire of classical
\npieces -- by Bach or Mozart -- which are usually performed by
\nother children's orchestras.<\/p>\n
The ICO differs from other groups in that it adopts a very
\npersonal approach, enabling some of the children to be ready to
\nperform live on stage only after rehearsing for six months.<\/p>\n
Its repertoire consists of musical pieces that are light
\nenough for children's orchestras and enjoyable to listen to for
\naudiences.<\/p>\n
Opening with the Balinese gamelan and a cello, the orchestra
\nenchanted the audience with Plaisir d'Amor, followed by Hi-Ho
\nfrom the Snow White soundtrack, and Winnie the Pooh from Winnie
\nthe Pooh and the Honey Tree, reflecting the fun and merry aspects
\nof the children's world.<\/p>\n
What a Feeling from the Flashdance soundtrack and You Will
\nWhen You Believe from the animated movie Prince of Egypt brought
\nforth a spirit of hope for success. Next came Circle of Life from
\nthe Lion King and Close Every Door from the soundtrack of Joseph
\nand the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a song dedicated to
\nchildren living in disaster zones, such as the children of Iraq
\nwho have survived a war.<\/p>\n
The orchestra demonstrated strength and vigor throughout its
\nperformance, such as when they neatly presented Hi Ho and Winnie
\nthe Pooh, two familiar children's favorites which brought joy and
\nsmiles to those in attendance and a round of applause from the
\nentire audience.<\/p>\n
Still, the entire performance was not without its flaws. There
\nwere noticeable problems in presenting some of the pieces, for
\nexample in You Will When You Believe, a song which is quite
\ndifficult for children to perform. The Voices Angeli, the
\nchildren's choir singing the song, did not sing the low-pitch
\nnotes quite right and had to slightly shout when it came to high-
\npitch notes.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the drumbeat was not constant and slightly out of
\nsync with the choir. In What a Feeling, the music was
\nsatisfactory although the singers missed getting the notes right
\nin several parts.<\/p>\n
The last piece the orchestra played, Close Every Door, was
\nperformed so beautifully that it prompted the audience to break
\nout in loud applause. An observant ear could still detect some
\nslight errors that the violinists made, for example, the wrong
\ndirection of a bow movement or starting a piece too fast. At
\ntimes, there were disturbing sounds although it has to be
\nadmitted that on the whole, the orchestra got everything right.<\/p>\n
The conductor of the orchestra, Dwiputranto, a graduate of the
\nmusic school of the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), said that the
\norchestra had started up while he was teaching at the Relasi
\nMusic School. ICO was specially set up so that it could stage
\norchestral performances.<\/p>\n
Bandung-based musician Ferry Curtis thought the orchestra's
\nlatest show at Plaza Senayan was quite interesting although he
\nsaid it certainly needed more polish.<\/p>\n
\"ICO has its own peculiar strength as an orchestra because it
\nis generally accepted that when childhood is combined with music
\nit will turn into a strong musical power. At least that has
\nproven to be the case with this colossal performance,\" he said.<\/p>\n
All things considered, their performance deserved a special
\nmention in terms of a colossal music performance by children.<\/p>\n
The orchestra's next scheduled performance will be at Gedung
\nKesenian Jakarta in Central Jakarta in October.<\/p>",
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