| Written by Nabila Putri Kencana, on Sunday, 31 July 2011 |
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Angklung Orchestra in Concert IX "Angklung: The Musicals" by Keluarga Paduan Angklung SMAN 3 Bandung (KPA3), Indonesia was held on Sunday, 17th July 2011 at Esplanade Concert Hall Singapore. Approximately 700 people came into this concert. This concert was attended by Laos' ambassador for Singapore, Cambodia's ambassador for Singapore, Indonesia's KUAI for Singapore, invitation from the staff of Indonesian embassy, Indonesian embassy cultural attache social education, and attended also by students of junior and senior high schools in Singapore who study angklung and Indonesian Students' Association in Singapore (PPI Singapura).
Heydiaspora, an online media of PPI Singapura, made a review about Angklung Orchestra in Concert IX. Here's their review (source):
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By Joice Vania Gumala
Having been somewhat introduced to this musical instrument called angklungwhen I was in senior high school, I had high expectations when attending the Angklung Orchestra in Concert IX, presented by SMAN 3 Bandung. And the show, which took place at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Sunday, 17thJuly 2011, definitely didn’t disappoint. When I finally got inside the concert hall shortly before its start at 730pm, the first amazing thing that I observed was the concert hall. It was splendid, as I had never seen that kind of stage before. Must be pricey, indeed.
I met two friends at the show (let’s call them K and R), and in order to provide a wider and more objective view, they agreed to help me (V) give some comments about the show.
1. How would you rate the music? And yes, that includes all the other instruments besides angklung: grand piano, drum, contra bass, and also gendang. Which one stood out the most?
K: 3/5.They started with a great premise: a large angklung ensemble joined by various contemporary musical instruments. The gendang was fun. The trumpet was jazzy. But they never really took off.
V: 3/5. It was not as impressive as I thought it would be, but it was pretty okay. The transition was not smooth enough as everyone heard that ticklish sound of angklung when it was supposed to be a perfect silence. It was off-beat at some points, but the other instruments did improve the way it sounded. I’d say I liked the contra bass most.
R: 4/5- The angklung ensemble definitely made the whole show outstanding. I’ve been to a few angklung concerts before but the sight of simple bamboo instruments being played together at the right harmony to make music never ceases to amaze me. Other instruments also served as a great complement to the entire set. However they tended to be off-beat at times and the perhaps the sound mixing wasn’t that good. The sound of the contrabasses, for example, was often overwhelmed by the angklung.
2. What about the voices?
K: 3/5. The singers sure have quite some pipes and sounded pretty amazing at times. Sadly, they are also often consumed by the stage and couldn’t sustain.
V: 4/5. They were great, I must acknowledge. And the appearance of a bitchy female singer was quite entertaining, especially since her English was pretty decent.
 R: 3.5/5- The ladies especially gave me shivers with their sweet angelical voices! Great harmonization too. But again, I don’t know if it all goes back to some technical issue or sound projection problem, we couldn’t hear their singing clear enough to make out the words. Even though angklung was the highlight of the show, singers were there not only to complement the set, but to tell us audiences more of the meanings and story behind each song.
3. Was the show consistently entertaining throughout? Were you thrilled by some element of surprise in the middle of the scene?
K: I didn’t find it boring at all! I believe that they put their heart and soul into the music that they made and I respect them for that. Some people (who were then present in the concert hall) should stop being so unappreciative.
V: 3/5. It was a relief! I liked the gendang boys part. Enjoyable. And they seemed to enjoy themselves as well.
R: No way had I ever had the slightest hint of boredom throughout the entire show. The sudden presence of Rampak Gendang was very fun and enjoyable to watch. But I think this all goes back to each person’s interests. I observed that some from the audience were not as interested as I, and many others, were.
4. They featured some epic and familiar songs such as “Mamma Mia”, “Circle of Life”, “Tomorrow” and “New York, New York”. Did you enjoy them?
K: “Circle of Life” and “New York, New York” -”Mamma Mia” didn’t work for me- were definitely two of the better highlights of the show. The best of the night though, in my honest opinion, is “As If We Never Say Goodbye”. It is angklung playing and arrangement at its best accompanied by great, emotive vocals, with hints of visual catharsis that contributed to a complete experience.
V: 3/5. I would say “Tomorrow” is not very suitable for angklung since the melody is kinda swaying, but the others were fine. “New York, New York” was my favourite.
R: When it comes to musicals honestly I don’t have a broad knowledge about them, but to my relief I was at least familiar with the songs they played. The best to me was “Tomorrow”. The part where the little girl and the singer sang together and held hands totally touched my heart. Call me emotional, but that was real beauty.
5. How was the overall show?
 K: The overall show? Let me give it a 5. I could loathe the fact that the lighting didn’t vary enough. I could complain that the show didn’t flow. But they brought their passion to reality, their dream to the stage. They could’ve just played another computer game like a normal teenager, but instead, there they are holding instruments made of bamboos. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
V: 3/5. They had put much effort into this. I can tell that they have practiced for quite some time. Yet, almost half of the seats were empty, and most of the other half were occupied by friends and families of SMAN 3 students, teachers, and organizers. Much more effort (and talents) needed to perform an impressive angklung show.
R: I’m gonna have to agree with K; the show deserves a 5/5. It may have slight imperfections here and there. But looking deep inside, what should matter is the reason why these young ambassadors went on stage that evening and played in front of us here in Singapore; their ambition, and pride that they have about Indonesia. I give them all my respect.
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Thank you for coming and your support. See you on our next events! ;)
"Unlimited, together we're unlimited. Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been" - Defying Gravity (Wicked)
(images courtesy of Keluarga Paduan Angklung SMAN 3 Bandung)
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