Last weekend was particularly special. The lofty grounds of the Blue Mansion came alive with melodies that have stood the test of time, complementing this equally historic heritage site. Within its inner quarters and in the courtyard, Echoes of Italy reverberated through its hallowed corridors over a couple of days.
To the uninitiated, this is one of many concerts organised by the Music Makers, a collective of musicians and vocalists known for their classical music performances. Their aptly titled Echoes of Italy sings for itself. Curated by Baritone Louis Ong, alongside his comrades, Tan Jin Yin (soprano), Wong Jun Wen (tenor) and Bernard Tan (pianist), the concert featured music in both Italian and Neapolitan tongues.
Whilst I don’t speak the language myself, it mattered little because, as a musician, I can understand deeply that emotion transcends languages, much like how children can immediately connect to cartoons devoid of speech. They just “get it”.
What matters is whether it was visceral enough. There’s something about raw, unadulterated emotion that cuts. I believe that this is one of those things that makes us all so wholesomely human. Speaking of wholesome, in today’s world bombarded with AI-generated music and images masquerading as art, Echoes of Italy felt like such a breath of fresh air. Here you have four individuals bringing to you the evidence of their hard work, practice and mastery, putting it all out there and being vulnerable at the same time. Louis mentions in the programme notes that this was his very first time attempting this repertoire. Kudos to him; nothing felt amateur, and I am confident that many, if not all, who were present on the Sunday I attended felt the same.
Three voices and a piano. That was it. No fluff. None was needed. The entire performance anchored purely on the capability of the performers. No amplification was needed, and that made everything so much more intimate. From Jun Wen’s very first note on Torna a Surriento, expectations were set. You can tell when someone is truly invested in his craft. He was bold, and his expressions were aplenty. There were moments when he got me up on the edge of my seat with anticipation as he navigated through tough passages. If you have tried singing, then you know that everything being presented that day isn’t something you can “wing”.
Jin Yin’s soprano timbre added flavour to the curation, and hearing all these wonderful tonalities was such a welcome, even to first-timers. The event was attended by people of all ages, and many children were amongst the audience. Most of them were able to appreciate what was being presented and were well behaved. The performers were able to command the attention of the attendees, save for two chatterboxes who were probably unaware of the required etiquette. Much to the chagrin of one attendee, they were promptly hushed.
Among the pieces performed, perhaps the boldest was Louis’s delivery of La danza by Gioachino Rossini. This is a truly ambitious piece to pull off since it requires the accompaniment of a masterful pianist and the confidence of David facing off against a giant. You could see the smile and gesture on Louis’s face as he gave Bernard the signal to begin on the piano. In the contemporary world, musicians have the luxury of “improvising” and delivering their own versions of a song. That ability to present something novel and “original” is largely celebrated in that realm, but when it comes to classical, there are certain strict standards which the musicians themselves are required to respect and adhere to. Perfection is something required, and the stakes get higher when everyone has access to YouTube and is treated to the best performances by world-class virtuosos like Pavarotti. Comparison is inevitable.
I can’t say for sure if Louis felt any ounce of butterflies. I saw nothing of that sort. Not a moment of looking flustered or a hint of self-doubt. He took on the piece head-on and finished to arguably the best applause of the evening. The audience was braced for the incoming musical assault when Bernard cheekily pointed out that even he had to be ready for the required finger-gymnastics that was about to go down. Certain things you can’t fake: a genuine performance and genuine awe from the people watching.
And when all four of them performed at once, the contrast each vocalist offered was musically complementary. It didn’t feel like they were competing; they performed as a unit. Though, for the encore, Jin Yin did playfully step up in front for one of her parts in jest, but we all know that it was an intentional part of the performance and not to upstage anyone.
Though the entire show was curated by Louis, without looking at the programme or being a fan, one might easily mistake that Bernard might be the mind behind the music since he does all the speaking and introductions. It is customary to leave the talking to someone else (in this case Bernard) if you happen to be one of the vocalists, to allow yourself some rest.
Servers were present, and you could add to the whole experience with some wine and light snacks to complement the performance. That’s a delightful addition, I must say. I was told that it was usually warmer, but the weather was forgiving on the day of my attendance, and starting promptly at 5pm, the entire show lasted an hour and a half.
Though music is to be enjoyed with your ears, you can’t deny the impact that visuals, atmosphere and even the temperature contribute to the overall experience. The chairs were pertinently placed, while low tables flanking the main courtyard catered to patrons who preferred to indulge in a drink or two while taking in the sweet choruses. The courtyard relied on natural lighting and, while five to six thirty pm seemed permissible, any later and it would have been uncomfortably dim. Nothing some lights couldn’t fix, but as it was, it worked. Since the weather was “cloudy”, the temperatures didn’t rise, and that is a blessing. It is easy for old courtyards to be kiln-like in our climate, but I guess even the greater powers that be were looking forward to being serenaded.
And perhaps that is what made the evening work so well. The music did not feel as though it had simply been placed inside an old building. The Blue Mansion became part of the performance. The architecture, the courtyard, the fading daylight, the voices and the piano all came together to create something that felt wonderfully removed from the present.
That, to me, is the magic of live music.
About the writer:
Kelvyn Yeang is a dynamic creative leader with deep expertise in music, history, and the cultural arts. Whether he is developing a new project, hunting for a great story, or chatting with people over coffee, Kelvyn is always fueled by connection and creativity.
Seni:Kita (pentaspena.pg@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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