May 1, 2009 ... Berzanji + Silat exercise. Call of the Dawn – lyrical chants followed by traditional
exercises. 6.30am. Sunset Sojourn – lyrical chants. 6.30pm.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Esplanade launches A Tapestry of Sacred Music A new festival that invites all to experience the joy of life through music SINGAPORE, April 15, 2009 – Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay introduces A Tapestry of Sacred Music. This new festival invites its audiences to immerse themselves in the moment, to experience the sanctity and joy of life as they encounter different forms of sacred music from all over the world. This inaugural festival is all about introducing new sounds and experiences, encouraging our audiences to interact with the presentations in Esplanade, to allow the artistry of the experience to touch them in its own unique way. Commented Ms Norhayati Yusoff, Programming Officer, The Esplanade Co. Ltd, “Music is a common denominator that transcends all boundaries, touching us at the fundamental core of our being. In these unsettling times, we hope these forms of celebration - that have evolved over generations - can refresh each individual and rejuvenate us as a community.”
Running from 1-3 May 2009, the festival will present a range of sounds from Asia, the Middle-East and Europe, showcasing music from antiquity and the evolution of these sounds into the contemporary forms as they exist today. This latest addition to Esplanade‟s festival calendar will add to the increasingly diverse range of sounds and art forms presented at the centre. With over 30 free performances and two ticketed concerts, the festival offers our audience a deeper form of engagement - inviting them to learn about the music as they invigorate their minds and body.
Free Programmes Each day of the festival will begin with Call of the Dawn. These presentations will take place at the Esplanade Waterfront from 6.30am. Audiences are invited to refresh and awaken the mind with the rhythms of simple chants followed by basic exercises.
Participants can awaken the body with basic Qigong movements, Yoga, and Silat exercises. Return in the evening at 6.30pm for Sunset Sojourn to clear the mind and wind down with lyrical chants, set to the brilliance of the evening sunset.
The journey to Esplanade for A Tapestry of Sacred Music begins even before audiences step into the centre. The power of the voice can be experienced at Voices at the LTA Concourse. This space will be used as a performance venue by Esplanade for the very first time. The venue which allows for a natural confluence of human traffic is open and accessible while also being acoustically suitable for a choir ensemble. Every evening audiences will be treated to tranquil 16th century Christian liturgical music like Ave Maria, Kyrie and Ave Verum Corpus as well as evocative African-American spirituals like Were You There and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot performed by local group khorale. Esplanade‟s Outdoor Theatre will be home to the Sacred Rhythms presentations during the festival. To open A Tapestry of Sacred Music a traditional Japanese purification ceremony will take place at the Outdoor Theatre. This opening performance by TENKO Kagura and Taiko Group will take place at 7.15pm on 1 May. This ancient Shinto presentation was traditionally used to unite the community in celebration of the harvest. Audiences are invited to get swept into the uplifting energy of the performance as they gather at the Outdoor Theatre. For more of these invigorating rhythms the TENKO Kagura and Taiko Group will present the rare art form of kagura – an ancient Japanese music and dance - accompanied by taiko: traditional Japanese drumming. On other evenings catch the cascading melodies and interlocking rhythms of Balinese Court Gamelan Music, which is rarely heard outside of Indonesia. A complete seven-tone samara pagulingan gamelan orchestra played by 26 musicians from Mekar Bhuana conservatory from Indonesia will delight our audiences in their first performance outside of their homeland.
Stirrings will take place each evening at the Esplanade Concourse. There, audiences can soak in the poignant beauty evoked by a quieter form of music. Be swept away by the evocative tones of the Japanese shakuhachi, played by shakuhachi Master Hideyuki Ueno from Japan. Move to the lyrical music played in the ancient Thai courts as presented by Chulalongkorn University‟s Thai Music Ensemble and the soaring soprano and tenor voices of European sacred music by Zhou Qian and Friends. Audiences will
also be treated to the soulful strains of the classical Indian sitar played by sitar guru Chandranath Bhattacharya complemented by the lively rhythms of the tabla as performed by tabla guru Mihir Kundu. Ticketed Programmes When asked to define qawwali, Rizwan Ali Khan - nephew of the late legendary qawwali singer Nusrat Ali Khan - once called it a message of love. Expressing the beauty of love is exactly what qawwali performers do. Audiences can come and see how the devotional poetry of Sufi thinkers has been put to music in Sounds of Ecstasy, a performance by Rizwan Muzzam Qawwali Group from Pakistan. Cousins Rizwan and Muzzam are the lead singers for the group which includes five secondary singers, two harmonium players and a tabla player. The performance will take place at 9pm on 1 May at the Esplanade Recital Studio.
Audiences can also enjoy a rare insight into the ancient living culture of the Tuareg people in Music of the Desert. Presented by Ensemble Tartit comprising four men and five women from the Timbuktu and Goundam region of the Niger River, the ensemble was formed in 1995 in a refugee camp amidst the Tuareg Rebellion of the 1990s. Despite the conflict from which they were born, the group presents to audiences the joyous sounds of their people with music that celebrates the everyday. In the Tuareg culture, music is intrinsic to the very nature of being. It is a way of life that graces almost every rite of the human passage. Communal in nature, the joyous and infectious rhythms will leave audiences amazed at the resilience of the human spirit. Listen to their stories about ordinary people, heroes, family ties, freedom, hopes for peace and more accompanied by traditional instruments such as the tinde, imzad and tehardant as well as the modern electric guitar. The performance will take place at 9pm on 2 May at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Visual Arts and Engaging with the Community To encourage more of the community to experience the festival, Esplanade reached out to children, youths and senior citizens from the Singapore Association for the Deaf, the Singapore Boys and Girls Homes and Kheng Chiu Loke Theng Kee Home respectively to share with them the basics of Arabic calligraphy. Sharing the message of peace, local artists Abu Jalal Sarimon and Rohaya Majid conducted workshops from 3 to 18 April
2009 to teach residents how to write phrase „salam‟, which means peace in Arabic lettering.
Commented Ms Teo Bee Leng, Head of Programmes, Singapore School for the Deaf, “The children had a lot of fun experimenting with the ink, trying out the different brush strokes and writing the various Arabic alphabets on their sheets of paper. Though some of the kids were very young, the artists were extremely attentive and made sure they could always keep up with the activity. It was especially exciting for our non-Malay children who had a chance to try this for the first time. We look forward to more of such workshops.”
Visitors to the centre during this period will also be treated to related visual arts displays throughout the centre. Beijing photographer Mimi Kuo-Deemer‟s works Women in the Pursuit of Spiritual Enlightenment: Portraits of Bhutanese Nuns features the flourishing nunneries in Bhutan. Samadhi: Devotion along the Ganges River, also by Kuo-Deemer, will explore the intersections of gender, culture, spirituality and social and economic change. These works will be on display at the Esplanade Tunnel and Community Wall respectively. You shine like gold in the air of summer by the four young women who make up Indonesian artist collective Simponi, explores female empowerment with the use of recycled skirts hung as lanterns at the Esplanade Concourse. Local artist Zai Kuning‟s installation piece titled Some came with their soul in a bottle and left with their hearts under their souls at Jendela invites viewers to linger, sit and examine the drawings, writings and stories, activities that seem to have receded in the face of urbanisation. The Esplanade Cones will feature soft sculpture installations inspired by the reflected images on water in a piece called Reflection by Singaporean artist Tay Bee Aye.
There will also be workshops on basic Arabic calligraphy (khat), conducted by artists Rohaya Majid and Abu Jalal Sarimon, for members of the public during the festival. Each participant will learn to write the Arabic alphabets and a simple phrase in khat. There will also be a sewing workshop by Tay Bee Aye to encourage participants to spend quiet and meditative moments in simple and repetitive stitching methods. Inspired by colourful stained glass, each participant will select their choice of motifs and fabrics to form a
unique patterned quilt. These workshops will take place at the Esplanade Upper Concourse from 30 April to 3 May from 5pm – 9pm daily. Tickets for Sounds of Ecstasy and Music of the Desert are available at Esplanade‟s Box Office and all SISTIC outlets. More information on the festival may also be found at www.esplanade.com
About Esplanade – Theatres On The Bay Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is one of the world‟s busiest arts centres, officially opened on 12 October 2002. This architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells is sited within Singapore‟s civic district, just by Marina Bay at the mouth of the Singapore River.
Esplanade aims to be a performing arts centre for everyone, and its programmes cater to its diverse audiences. Its programme line-up spans all genres to encompass music, dance, theatre and visual arts, with a special focus on Asian culture.
Esplanade houses world-class performance spaces, supported by a comprehensive range of professional support facilities and services. Its two main venues are the 1,600seat Concert Hall, with acoustics by the late Russell Johnson of ARTEC Consultants, and a theatre with a capacity of 2,000 adapted from the traditional European opera houses in horseshoe form.
In the past year, Esplanade welcomed over eight million visitors and hosted over 2,400 performances.
~ End ~ ______________________________________________________________________ Issued by The Esplanade Co Ltd. For more information, please contact: Danny Chan Manager Programme Marketing The Esplanade Co Ltd Tel: 6828 8364 Email:
[email protected] or Fiona Soh Assistant Director Corporate Communications The Esplanade Co Ltd Tel: 6828 8308 Email:
[email protected]
ANNEX
A Tapestry of Sacred Music 1 - 3 May 2009
An adventure through continents and cultures, A journey through histories and hearts, In love with life, In quest of peace.
Come. Sounds of Ecstasy by Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali Group Pakistan (Pakistan) "Qawwali is a precious thing that has stood the test of time. The songs connect to the human spirit and freshen the human soul. Its main message is love…” - Rizwan Mujahid Ali Khan Qawwali is a breathtaking form of Sufi music with roots in 8th century Persia. Having spread across Central Asia, the Middle East and India over 700 years, qawwali is today enjoyed across cultures as a heartfelt expression of beauty and a time-honoured art form.
Rhythmic and rapturous, qawwali - performed by an ensemble of vocalists and musicians - awakens the heart to wonder, harmony and peace with its songs of love.
Come experience the beauty of qawwali, a music whose joyful passion transcends language, creed and culture.
1 May (Fri) Esplanade Recital Studio 9pm $35 Limited concessions for seniors, students and NSF: $28
Music of the Desert by Tartit (Mali, West Africa) Come into the Sahara desert with its endless expanse, lonely campfires and starry skies as Tartit brings you a slice of the nomadic desert life with its earthy, evocative music. Tartit‟s members are of the nomadic Tuareg people in Northern Mali who have lived in the vast territories of the Sahara and Sahel in Africa for thousands of years, and for whom music and poetry are an integral part of life. Compelling in its mix of melancholy and joy, Tartit‟s music will give a sense of the strength of the enigmatic Tuareg people and their struggle to survive amidst the constant menace of state repression and drought.
Hear them perform - with plaintive vocals, centuries-old imzad (violin), tinde (drums), tehardant (lute), and modern guitar – vibrant songs and heartfelt ballads about ordinary people, freedom, family ties, hope and peace. Immerse yourself in Tartit‟s desert blues and be uplifted by its simple joy and natural beauty.
2 May (Sat) Esplanade Recital Studio 9pm $35 Limited concessions for seniors, students and NSF: $28
FREE PROGRAMMES
Stirrings Soak in beautiful sounds from around the world that stir the soul in myriad ways.
Japanese Shakuhachi by Shakuhachi Master Hideyuki Ueno (Japan) Exquisite, poignant sounds from the Japanese flute, once used in Zen meditation, now heard across genres from traditional Zen music to contemporary fusion jazz, world music, folk and pop. Thai Ceremonial Music by Chulalongkorn University Thai Music Ensemble (Thailand) Flowing, percussive Thai ensemble music with centuries-old Khmer, Indian and Chinese influences, typically performed on festive and auspicious occasions. Indian Sitar by Sitar Guru Chandranath Bhattacharya and Tabla Guru Mihir Kundu from Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (India) Soulful bhajans, ragas and other devotional music from instruments synonymous with classical Indian music, a peaceful antidote to the bustle of modern living. European Sacred Music by Zhou Qian and Friends (Singapore) Li Yang (Soprano), Xue Yuan(Tenor), Zhou Qian(Mezzo-Soprano) with piano accompaniment by Kseniia Vokhmianina. Sublime sacred vocal works of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods of Western art history, arranged for soaring soprano, tenor voices and piano.
1 May (Fri) Japanese Shakuhachi (5pm & 6pm) Thai Ceremonial Music (7.15pm & 8.15pm)
2 May (Sat) Thai Ceremonial Music (5pm & 6pm) Japanese Shakuhachi (7.15pm & 8.15pm)
3 May (Sun) European Sacred Music (5pm & 6pm) Indian Sitar (7.15pm & 8.15pm)
Esplanade Concourse Free Voices Immerse in the reflective sounds of sacred vocal music, arranged for mixed voices sung a cappella.
Choral music by khorale (Singapore) Sacred vocal works from various periods of music history, including chants and AfricanAmerican spirituals, echoed by the voices of this resounding chorus. 1 - 3 May (Fri – Sun) Choral music (5.30pm & 7.45pm) LTA Concourse Free Sacred Rhythms Delight in the joy and spontaneity of music that celebrates life with vibrant rhythm.
Japanese Kagura and Taiko by TENKO Kagura and Taiko Group (Japan and Singapore) Colourful, dynamic drumming and stylised music and dance in rare, authentic performances based on stories from the kojiki (The Records of Ancient Matters) – the
oldest surviving book in Japan – a collection of tales about the creation of the Earth, Japan‟s deities and ancient Emperors. Balinese Court Gamelan Music by Mekar Bhuana (Indonesia) Vibrant, cascading melodies and interlocking rhythms from the Southeast Asian gongchime heritage and rooted in ancient Hindu-Javanese culture - once performed for royals as the pinnacle of Balinese arts and culture, now enjoyed by one and all.
1 May (Fri) Opening event (7.15pm) Japanese Kagura and Taiko (7.30pm, 8.45pm)
2 May (Sat) Balinese Court Gamelan Music (7.30pm, 8.45pm) Japanese Kagura and Taiko (9.45pm)
3 May (Sun) Balinese Court Gamelan Music (7.30pm, 8.45pm) Closing event (9.45pm)
Outdoor Theatre Free
Call of the Dawn / Sunset Sojourn Open your eyes, minds and hearts to the pure, simple beauty of the day with a basic mental exercise practised worldwide - lyrical chants - followed by simple, traditional physical exercises.
Refresh yourself with daily morning and evening sessions at the Esplanade Waterfront. At 6.30am, come breathe in the fresh early morning sea air, take joy in the sunrise and awaken to life with Call of the Dawn. Later in the evening at 6.30pm, return to clear your mind of the day‟s stresses and wind down with a variety of lyrical chants set in the brilliance of an evening sunset
1 May (Fri) Tranquil verses to quiet the mind Buddhist chants + Qigong exercise
2 May (Sat) Simple melodies that inspire peace Sikh Khirtan + Yoga exercise
3 May (Sun) Ancient poems sung in the spirit of love Berzanji + Silat exercise Call of the Dawn – lyrical chants followed by traditional exercises 6.30am Sunset Sojourn – lyrical chants 6.30pm
Esplanade Waterfront Free
Visual Arts Encounter vitality, stillness, celebration, reflection, a moment in time, a suspension of time in our visual arts exhibitions at Esplanade in April and May.
You shine like gold in the air of summer by Simponi (Indonesia) 10 Apr – 10 May (Fri - Sun) Concourse
Some came with their soul in a bottle and left with their hearts under their soles by Zai Kuning (Singapore) 17 Apr – 31 May (Fri – Sun) Jendela (Visual Art Space)
Women in the Pursuit of Spiritual Enlightenment: Portraits of Bhutanese Nuns by Mimi Kuo-Deemer (Beijing) 2 Apr – 10 May (Thu – Sun) Tunnel Samadhi: Devotion along the Ganges River by Mimi Kuo-Deemer (Beijing) 2 Apr – 10 May (Thu – Sun) Community Wall
Reflection by Tay Bee Aye (Singapore) 3 Apr – 10 May (Fri – Sun) Theatre Street Cones
Workshops
Public Sewing Project This sewing workshop aims to engage the public passing by the Concourse to spend some quiet and meditative moments through simple and repetitive stitching methods. Inspired by colourful stained glass, participants will select their choice of motifs and fabrics to form a unique patterned quilt as a collective effort from this workshop. 30 Apr - 3 May (Thu – Sun) Esplanade Upper Concourse 5pm – 9pm Free Introduction to Khat (Arabic Calligraphy) Participants will be introduced to the Arabic alphabets and will learn to write the alphabets and a simple phrase in khat. A number of interesting khat work will be on display to showcase the intricacies of this form of calligraphy. 30 Apr - 3 May (Thu – Sun) Esplanade Upper Concourse 5pm – 9pm $5
A Tapestry of Sacred Music 1 - 3 May 2009 Venue Recital Studio
Sacred Rythms at Outdoor Theatre
Fri 1 May Sounds of Ecstasy by Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali Group (Pakistan) 9.00pm Opening Event by Tenko (Japan) 7.15-7.30pm Featuring Japanese Kagura and Taiko by TENKO Kagura and Taiko Group (Japan & Singapore) 7.30-8.15pm 8.45-9.30pm
Stirrings at the Concourse
Call of the Dawn/ Sunset Sojourn Waterfront
Voices @ LTA Concourse Upper Concourse
Japanese Shakuhachi by Shakuhachi Master Hideyuki Ueno (Japan) 5.00-5.30pm 6.00-6.30pm
Sat 2 May Music of the Desert by Tartit (Mali) 9.00pm
Sun 3 May
Featuring Balinese Court Gamelan Music by Mekar Bhuana (Indonesia) 7.30-8.15pm 8.45-9.30pm
Featuring Balinese Court Gamelan Music by Mekar Bhuana (Indonesia) 7.30-8.15pm 8.45-9.30pm
Japanese Kagura and Taiko by TENKO Kagura and Taiko Group (Japan & Singapore) 9.45-10.30pm
Closing Event by Mekar Bhuana (Indonesia) 9.45-10.15pm
Thai Ceremonial Music by Chulalongkorn University Thai Music Ensemble (Thailand) 5.00-5.30pm 6.00-6.30pm
European Sacred Music by Zhou Qian & Friends (Singapore) Li Yang (Soprano), Xue Yuan (Tenor), Zhou Qian (Mezzo-Soprano) with piano accompaniment by Kseniia Vokhmianina. 5.00-5.30pm 6.00-6.30pm
Thai Ceremonial Music by Chulalongkorn University Thai Music Ensemble (Thailand) 7.15-7.45pm 8.15-8.45pm
Japanese Shakuhachi by Sakuhachi Master Hideyuki Ueno (Japan) 7.15-7.45pm 8.15-8.45pm
Tranquil verses to quiet the mind
Simple melodies that inspire peace
Indian Sitar by Singapore Indian Fine Arts (Singapore) 7.15-7.45pm 8.15-8.45pm Ancient poems sung in the spirit of love
Buddhist Chants 6.30 – 7.15am
Sikh Khirtan 6.30 – 7.15am
Berzanji 6.30 – 7.15am
Qigong 7.30-8.30am
Yoga 7.30-8.30am
Silat 7.30-8.30am
Buddhist Chants 6.30 - 7.15pm
Sikh Khirtan 6.30 – 7.15pm
Berzanji 6.30 – 7.15pm
Choral Music by khorale (Singapore) 5.30 & 7.45pm
Choral Music by khorale (Singapore) 5.30 & 7.45pm
Choral Music by khorale (Singapore) 5.30 & 7.45pm
A Community Sewing Project inspired by stained glass Khat – An Introductory Workshop to Arabic Calligraphy 30 Apr, 1 - 3 May 2009, 5 - 9pm daily
