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A display of musical harmony for the nation
After its winning performances at various international choral competitions, the Resonanz Children’s Choir finally wowed a local audience during a recent concert in Jakarta.
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Joyful kids: Children sing a medley of three Indonesian children songs, "Pamanku Datang" (My Uncle Comes), "Kampung Halamanku" (My Home Town), and "Aku Anak Gembala" (I am a Shepherd). (The Resonanz Children's Choir/File)
T
he Ciputra Artpreneur Theater in South Jakarta was packed as the cheerful faces of the children appeared from behind the curtains to perform with their magnificent voices in a concert held to commemorate the choir’s 10th anniversary.
Entitled “A Decade of Harmony”, the concert was staged on April 9 by the Resonanz Music Studio Foundation and supported by Galeri Indonesia Kaya.
The choir made headlines last year after winning at the Claudio Monteverdi Choral Festival and competition held in Venice, Italy.
For the anniversary concert, the children’s choir collaborated with the Jakarta Concert Orchestra, which is a renowned symphony orchestra that has been holding regular concerts since 2009.
The two-hour concert was split into two sessions. For the opening, the orchestra led by composer Avip Priatna played a medley of traditional Indonesian songs that led the audience to imaginary places as the sounds of the instruments created harmonized tunes.
Then, the children performed their first song, “Nyanyian Gembira” (Happy Song), which was followed by a delightfully big round of applause from the audience. For their second song, the children created a mellow ambience as they sang “As Long As I Have Music”.
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Then, a cheerful act was brought to the stage to cure the melancholy as the choir performed “This Song”. The excitement lit up in the theater hall even more with a medley of classic Indonesian children songs like “Pamanku Datang” (My Uncle Visits), “Kampung Halamanku” (My Home Town) and “Aku Anak Gembala” (I Am a Shepherd). These songs were performed by children aged from 4 to 6 years old.
Then, children with ages ranging from 7 to 9 years old also got the chance to show their skills by singing a medley song adapted from the soundtrack of the 1978 American film Grease.
From hip-hop to dramatic songs, the children seemed to have mastered them all. This was proven by the confidence they showed on stage and by how the quality of their performances was not reduced even after numerous songs. To top it off, the children sang “We Will Rock You” at the end of the first session.
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Meanwhile, the second session focused on the 12 songs that had brought them victory in various international choir competitions. The choir is a frequent winner in different international contests. After winning at the Bali Interna- tional Choir Festival in 2012, they won six awards at the 2013 Hong Kong International Youth and Children’s Choir Festival, five awards at the 10th Cantemus International Choir Festival in Hungary and three awards at the Claudio Monteverdi International Choral Festival and Competition in Italy last year.
During the concert, not only did the audience enjoy the rhythms, but they were also fascinated by the fantastic choreography performed by the audience. Ups and downs were certainly felt by the audience during the second session, as the choir kept on performing their best.
Behind this delightful night were coaches who had been willing to patiently teach the children.
“As coaches, we’re very proud and grateful for their hard work and the sacrifices they’ve made, since I know that making a commitment to practice for months isn’t an easy thing for them to do,” said Luciana Oendoen, one of the vocal coaches.
“TRCC isn’t like any other choral groups. It consists of children who have strong willingness and longing to be more positive than other choral groups,” she added.
Performing in front of a big audience is a normal thing for these children, but performing in their home country with familiar faces in the audience was a different experience for them.
Overall, the concert was a rollercoaster ride, leaving the audience with a rich and memorable concert experience.
