University choir revives 15th century madrigals

University choir revives 15th century madrigals

By Arif Suryobuwono

JAKARTA (JP): The Parahyangan Catholic University choir of
Bandung, West Java took listeners on a lively journey from the
15th century madrigals to modern times during unaccompanied
voices (a cappella) performances on Friday and Saturday at
Erasmus Huis, the Dutch cultural center in Jakarta.

The choir brought 15th century madrigals back from the dead to
join a series of contemporary songs, including a "rap"
presentation titled Supermarket Minuet by American composer Bayne
Dobbins.

Of course, the conservative, respectable choir -- winner of
the compulsory song contest in the mixed big choir category at
the 1995 Dutch International Choir Festival -- did not actually
rap the way today's rappers do.

Instead, its female members -- in long, black dresses with
maroon brocades -- were involved in a husband-and-wife
conversation with their male counterparts about what to buy in a
supermarket.

The song basically had no melody and was spiced with, among
other things, portions of The First Noel and Blue Danube. This
speech song was the only performance of this type in the program.

Choirmaster Avip Priatna told The Jakarta Post he included
some contemporary songs such as the Supermarket Minuet in the
concert because he wanted people to know the choir did not only
sing religious, Gregorian or gospel songs.

Besides, the songs, covering a wide time span and featured
chronologically in the program (from the 15th century to the 20th
century), were also meant to showcase the choir's large
repertoire, said Avip, who won a scholarship in 1992 to study at
the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria.

The other songs were six madrigals (from 14th to 16th
centuries), which included Thomas Weelkes' Hark All Ye Lovely
Saints, Michael East's Quick, Quick, Away, Dispatch and Clement
Janne quin's Le Chants des Oiseaux.

Four songs from the romantic period followed: Felix Mendels
sohn's Andenken and Entflieh mit Mir, Johannes Brahms' In Stiller
Nacht and Waldesnacht, and Gioacchino Rossini's Toast pour le
Nouvel An. They were more difficult than the madrigals in that
they required longer interval jumps and more advanced breathing
techniques.

After a 15-minute break, seven 20th century songs were
presented, including Claude Debussy's Trois Chansons and Ralph
Vaughan Williams' Three Shakespeare Songs. Of the seven, Dennis
Kam's Two Moves and the Slow Scat was particularly impressive.
The song produced various sound effects, including the noise of a
crowd and a shouting woman. The Supermarket Minuet ended the
concert.

Jakarta Art Council chairman Otto Sidharta, who organized the
event, commented that the 34-year-old choir sang better last
year. "The choir is not exactly the same as last year. It has
been rejuvenated. But its new members are getting better."

Only two songs -- Albert Ammond and Mike Azelwood's I Am a
Train (which imitates the sounds of a train) and Neri Per Caso's
Le Ragazze -- had been prepared as encores. The two encores
proved insufficient because the audience, at the conclusion of
the concert's opening Friday evening, gave a standing ovation,
clapping incessantly and whistling, demanding more songs.

However, the concert ended because the choir had not prepared
any other songs. Actually, Avip had considered Carl Orff's Quando
Corvenvont as the third encore, but decided not to rehearse it.

After all, the choir had sung a total of 27 songs during the
concert. In terms of time, the songs ranged from one-and-a-half
minutes to six minutes.

However, it seemed that none of the songs -- despite their
secular nature to cater for a wider audience -- were familiar to
the ears of most of the Indonesians in the audience.

However, Avip said it was his intention to expose the audience
to the relatively unknown songs. Moreover, even though the songs
may have sounded alien to the audience, Avip had said a day
before its opening that after all, the concert featured human
voices and hence, he was sure the audience would enjoy the choir.
He was right.