The Symphony for the Nation concert in August had the audience in awe. Led by conductor and music director of The Resonanz Music Studio, Avip Priatna, the performance paid tribute to Indonesian artists.
This year’s theme was ”Dari dan untuk Anak Indonesia” (from and for the children of Indonesia), and featured two renowned choral groups, The Resonanz Children’s Choir (TRCC) and Batavia Madrigal Singers (BMS). These groups were the perfect example of how Indonesian talent can contribute to national pride by showcasing genuine Indonesian musical crafts.
In commemoration of the 73rd Independence Day, Jakarta Concert Orchestra opened the show with the national anthem. The performance flowed naturally with a noble narrative performed by the youth.
Held annually since 2010, this year’s concert maintained the same, high calibre variety of songs associated with the concert over the years. Avip Priatna also included a few emerging talents including clarinettist Sean Alexander and violist Nasya Lilananda.
“This concert aims to appreciate the work of the nation’s children and manifest the spirit of respecting the rights of children to songs that are truly suitable for them. We offer this concert not only for the homeland but also for the world,” Priatna said.
The Resonanz Children’s Choir cheerfully sang ‘Kembali ke Sekolah’ (return to school), followed by a performance by children from TRCC Senurai who sang ‘Pergi Belajar’ and ‘Ular Naga’ with playful choreography. A quartet comprising Jacqueline Hartono, Joel Wijaya, Josephine Sunarko, and Liesi Anggijono harmony performed a piece from the classic movie soundtrack ‘Lihatlah lebih Dekat’, originally sung by Sherina Munaf.
In collaboration with the Batavia Madrigal Singers, Tenor Farman Purnama paid homage to his teachers with the song ‘Hymne Guru’ (Teacher’s Song) and ‘Terima Kasihku (my gratitude)’, while sopranos Jessica Januar recalled audience’s memories with ‘Masa Kecilku’.
A total of 26 songs were splendidly performed including the homage to traditional music from all over the region. Pencak Silat and Nayaga group from PERSINAS ASAD who theatrically played West Javan ‘Kolear – Tonggeret – Oray-Orayan’, The spirit of ‘Unity in Diversity’ was also seen through ‘Keraban Sape’ (Madura), ‘Ampar-Ampar Pisang” (South Borneo), ‘Kampuang Nan Jauh di Mato (West Sumatra), and ‘Waktu Hujan Sore-Sore’ (Molucca).
The show closed with the optimistic message through the song by Chandra Darusman ‘Pemuda’, AFI theme song ‘Aku Bisa’ and the original performance from Farman Purnama who sang the original track ‘Padu Maju Bersama’ for the first time, which expressed hope for a bright future for the nation.
At the end, Purnama, Januar, BMS, and TRCC returned to the stage to perform ‘Lagu Latihan’ from “Suara Hati” a musical by Reh Francisca, as they waved goodbye to the audience.
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This article is originally from paper. Read NOW!Jakarta Magazine September 2018 issue “Music and Nightlife”. Available at selected bookstore or SUBSCRIBE here.
