GOING GLOBAL
Under the coaching of a Japanese conductor, the UiTM Chamber Choir makes strides overseas, writes Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli
THE Faculty of Music at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has a reputation for having one of the best choirs in the country.
Although it had performed at functions and events, it had never participated in competitions overseas. That is, until Dr Masashi Kishimoto came along.
The holder of three Masters and one PhD in vocal performance and choral conducting, Kishimoto joined the teaching staff in 2014 as choral conductor.
He saw potential in the students’ vocal abilities and formed a Chamber Choir the following year.
Under his tutelage, the team went on to win last year’s Bali International Choir Competition, the largest choir contest in Asia.
It was also named champion at the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod National Choir Competition in August this year.
Its biggest victory to date though was its recent win at the Prague International Choir competition, also called Praga Cantat.
Performing in the mixed and female categories, the UiTM Chamber Choir (UCC) won three gold awards at the event held between Oct 27 and 30.
Praga Cantat is in its 30th year, but no Malaysian team had ever taken part.
“Perhaps the international industry players didn’t know Malaysia had a chamber choir. That’s why we were given such a warm reception,” says Kishimoto, 38.
“After we finished performing, the head of the organising committee told us that they were surprised to witness our performance.
“We were praised for our ability to produce a clean and clear sound. It made me very happy because that was my aim for the team.
“We were even told to come back for another round of competition. It made us very proud to be able to wave the Malaysian flag in Europe.”
The choir was also awarded a Special Prize by the Bohuslav Martin Foundation for performing a song by Czech contemporary composer Bohuslav Martinů.
Kishimoto, who has experience performing as a tenor and bass internation- ally, says that choir teams usually avoid singing the Martinů music because it’s very demanding.
UCC put in a lot of effort to perfect its pronunciation of the Czech language. Aside from watching videos of Czech choir performances, it had help from the International Phonetic Alphabet system to get the pronunciation right.
“At the same time, we worried about perfecting the musical technicality. Thankfully, our performance was judged as excellent. It was a nice surprise,” says Kishimoto.
THE COMPETITION
In Praga Cantat 2016, there were 23 choirs from 12 countries competing. The UCC had prepared 15 songs, including Rasa Sayang,
Suriram and Getaran Jiwa.
“A rule stated that we couldn’t sing only folk songs. Our repertoire had to include songs from different eras,” explains Kishimoto.
“Choosing songs for a competition is different from choosing songs for a show performance. We had to be extra careful and we took a longer time to decide.”
Going against many experienced ensembles wasn’t easy for a first-timer, and a young choir at that.
“First and foremost, since it’s an international competition, our standards had to be international as well,” says Kishimoto.
“Every year, different countries took part, so we didn’t know our opponents’ strengths until the competition day itself. European countries are known for their choir teams. They have larger body frames than Asians, so naturally they have huge vocals. “We also had to sing foreignlanguage songs that they might be more
familiar with.”
The experience was overwhelming for the choir, but it approached it with a positive mindset.
UCC president Muhammad Amirul Abdul Hamid says: “We thought that each team had its strengths so we were fairly confident. We consistently practised three times per week, two hours each time, for six months. This was a lifetime opportunity so we had to give it our all.”
However, their stay in Prague wasn’t pleasant as some of the choir members were not used to the cold climate. One student was rushed to the hospital due to an asthma attack.
“I was very nervous because I was told that we were fully supported by the university and that we must live up to its expectations. I couldn’t just come back empty-handed,” says Kishimoto.
THE PLAN
Prior to teaching at UiTM, Kishimoto coached a university choir in Thailand.
“Unlike in Malaysia, the music education system there is very behind. Many of its students don’t speak English, so we couldn’t communicate,” he says. He adds that he had listened to choirs from various Asian countries but found that the Malaysian choirs possess a strong sound quality.
When he met UiTM music students, he thought they had really great vocal instruments, but there was no one to instruct them.
“I specialise in choir, and our win in Prague proves that we’re a match made in heaven,” he adds, laughing.
Amirul says Kishimoto is a fun teacher with his own unique way of teaching.
“He’s very punctual!” adds Amirul. “He’s strict about time management. If he says he’ll teach us for two hours, he means it. No more, no less. He knows what’s best for our team.”
The UCC is now preparing for a performance at the 7th UiTM-KLPaCMalaysian Composers Concert Series 2016. It will take place from Nov 22 to 26 at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul West.
The choir also plans to perform in Akashi, Japan (where Kishimoto comes from) in May next year.
“But first, the choir members are going for a long break as they have been working hard, non-stop, for the past year,” says Kishimoto.
“I told them there would be no choir practice for more than a month after the KLPaC show. In late January, we will prepare for the Japan tour.”
He hopes to enter the team in more competitions in Europe mainly, so that the students can see how the choir teams there succeed.
“At the same time, I don’t want to just compete. It’s also important for the students to share experiences with and learn from other choir teams.”
The UCC’s participation in the Praga Cantat 2016 was made possible by the UiTM Excellence Fund and sponsorship from Tenaga Nasional Bhd.