Come nightfall, the Civic District stirred awake for the highly anticipated arts event of the year - Light to Night Festival 2024. Held from 19 January to 8 February, this year’s edition of the annual festival was themed Reimagine, beckoning the public to engage with art in new and innovative ways.
The district-wide festival offered over 60 presentations and programmes, from interdisciplinary showcases to various live performances. In the same spirit, the SSG also contributed to the sundown festivities with musical encounters at the Victoria Concert Hall, Home of the SSO.
One of our musical offerings was the operatic showcase VCHpresents Chamber: Figaro in a Pocket on 3 and 4 February, where some festivalgoers had their first brush with opera music. Led by guest violinist Wang Xiaoming, First Concertmaster of Zurich Opera House, a troupe of singers and SSO musicians presented the pocket version of Mozart’s celebrated masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro to over 1,000 concertgoers. A pre-concert workshop was also held to attune first-timers to the comic opera as well.
Bravissimo spoke with two participating youths from the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Youth Choir to learn about their experiences at this year’s Light to Night Festival.
Kilian Muliady, SNYO musician since 2018, was part of the youth orchestra’s percussion ensemble that presented As One, held on 19 January. The concert featured a line-up of genre-defying pieces that urged audiences to rethink their understanding of percussion music.
Share your experience as a returning performer of Light to Night Festival.
Shortly after joining the SNYO, I performed with the percussion ensemble as part of the festival’s offerings in 2019. At that time, my performing parts were small, and I was still getting accustomed to the nature of the ensemble. I remember stressing over getting the right notes, which hindered my musicality and showmanship.
Since gaining experience through the years, I have developed a new mindset of how I perceive performing, which is to have fun while displaying professionalism. Now, I am proud to be one of one of the soloists in the duet piece As One in the Light to Night Festival. Such opportunities have fuelled my interest and motivation to perform with the ensemble and strengthened the bonds with my fellow section mates.
What is a common perception of percussion music that you hope to change through the ensemble’s showcase?
I would say percussion can be perceived in three ‘levels’. Non-musicians may fall under the first level, where only drums and xylophone come to mind. Next is understanding percussion in an orchestra setting, where these instruments are thought to be only providing background support. The third ‘level’ is possessing an appreciation for percussion music, performed by ensembles and such.
The ensemble’s showcase at the Light to Night Festival proves that percussion does not simply consist of drums and xylophone, or a mere supporting section in the orchestra, but rather an independent group of instruments that provides different colours to various genres of music.
Tell us more about As One’s programme.
With the festival's theme Reimagine, we presented a programme that would encourage people to rethink their perception of music. For example, Apple Blossom by Peter Garland challenges the way we understand the layers and intensity of the same timbre in music, and Isopangram by Mark Applebaum questions how we view sound in music as a whole.
Share more about Gene Koshinski’s As One as its performing soloist.
The work is based on the idea of interconnectedness and synergy not only between two musicians, but also in the textures of music that arise from the sounds and visuals of the piece's performance. It challenges the perspective of the way duets are composed, changing the idea of what true unity in music is.
This piece was one of the toughest duets I have ever performed in my life. It did not just challenge how I viewed unity in music, but also my determination to perfect the coordination between both my hands, and with my partner. At the end of it all, I would say that As One is one of the greatest feats of my time in SNYO.
What would you like to showcase on stage in the future?
I would like to perform pieces that spotlight various percussion instruments as both a solo and accompaniment instrument. I would also like to perform pieces that test my performing ability, my methods of practice and how I showcase my musicality.
Cris Bautro, a youth chorister of the Singapore Symphony Choruses since 2019, was volunteer docent for our popular VCH Backstage Tours. Close to 200 participants embarked on the guided tours at the Victoria Concert Hall, where stories were told and secrets revealed about the grand dame of Singapore’s music scene.
What compelled you to join as a VCH Backstage Tours docent?
I’ve been with the Choruses for about four years, so I frequent the Victoria Concert Hall for rehearsals and performances. Hence, I felt bringing around people a place I know quite well seemed really fun and volunteered for the role. This year’s Light to Night Festival is my second time as a tour docent.
How do you add a personal touch to your tours?
The tours are a great way to not only provide a perspective of what performers experience backstage, but also debunk some misconceptions people may have about performances. I like sharing my own experiences backstage, from funny anecdotes of rehearsal nights to the heart-racing experiences of preparing for a concert. My favourite part by far is telling stories and explaining things that you only learn as a performer who frequents the concert hall.
What is one misconception from the participants?
A surprising amount of people thought that our performances were all prerecorded and played through the speakers on full volume! The Choruses, along with the orchestra, almost never require amplification. To back up my claim, I had the pleasure of giving the participants a live demonstration during the tour, where my partner and I sang to showcase the powerful acoustics and resonance of the concert hall.
Share more about the Klais Organ pit stop during the tour.
The Klais Organ is the only fully mechanical organ in Singapore. During the tours, participants got to visit the organ room, learn more about the instrument’s pipes, how it operates, and how performers enter and leave the organ platform. We also demonstrated how stops are manually configured. It was truly an eye-opening experience for everyone!
What do you hope participants can take away from the VCH Backstage Tours?
I genuinely hope that the participants not only view the Victoria Concert Hall as an amazing building with a rich history, but also learn about the precious memories we, as performers, have created in the hall.