Friday November 6, 2009
Melodic journey
By TERENCE TOH
Picture by SIA HONG KIAU
The nativity story – a tale of love, hope and triumph against the odds – was recently retold through a harmonious production by The Canticle Singers.
THE story of Christmas is probably familiar to most people. In the town of Galilee, Mary, a young virgin, has just gotten married to Joseph, a carpenter. She is visited by an angel, who tells her she has been chosen to bear a child. This child, according to Scripture, will rise up from humble beginnings to be the Saviour of their people, and eventually bring hope to the entire world.
When reading this story, it is very easy to get caught up in grand themes such as hope and salvation, to the point we tend to gloss over the human elements of the story.
What was it like for Mary, accepting the call of the angel? And imagine the heartbreak and scandal for poor Joseph, having his newly-wed wife inform him she was pregnant, with a child that wasn’t his. How does a marriage survive with something so dramatic like that in the picture?
These themes were examined in the musical Two From Galilee, recently staged by the Canticle Singers at Panggung Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur from Oct 23 to Nov 2.
Evocative: The Canticle Singers’ production of Two From Galilee featured many powerful and touching Broadway-styled numbers performed by the cast who were garbed in colourful Middle Eastern-inspired attire. Adapted into a screenplay by Robert Sterling and Karla Worley from the best-selling novel by Marjorie Holmes, Two From Galilee featured the talents of Joanne Poh, Low Tze Liang, Patricia Ngo, Colin Wong, Cheah Jan Mie, Caleb Tan, Geoffrey Woo and Agnes Yeow.
Featuring beautiful melodies and soaring harmonies performed by an accomplished cast, the musical was a delightful watch, bringing to life a beloved nativity story while exploring classic themes such as the power of faith, hope, and love.
The Canticle Singers are an accomplished vocal group who have been singing since 1992. Their previous productions include 2003’s The Rose of Sharon, 2004’s Do You Hear The People Sing?, and 2007’s For the Love of Music.
Two From Galilee featured many powerful and touching Broadway-styled numbers, many needing impressive vocal ability, and the cast succeeded in performed these very well.
The voices of the 25-member strong choir blended together seamlessly while delivering the musical’s catchy, emotionally-charged songs, resulting in group numbers such as A Match Made In Heaven and Another Journey being the highlights of the production.
The solo numbers also impressed. Joanne Poh performed well as Mary, as did Low Tze Liang as Joseph, and the numbers in which they performed together, such as All I Ever Wanted, were a delight. Patricia Ngo was also impressive in her role as Hannah, Mary’s mother, managing to convey both strict and loving tones when performing her musical numbers.
Despite being unseen for the majority of the production, Geoffrey Woo and Agnes Yeow also came through in their number Gloria In Excelsis Deo, their well-trained voices effectively bringing to life the splendour of an angelic chorus proclaiming the birth of a saviour.
Set design was simple in Two From Galilee, with the production team utilising effects like projected back-drops and a raised shelter to portray life in biblical Galilee. Props were usually minimal, but used effectively, most strikingly during the wedding scene of Joseph and Mary.
Much credit must also be given to the costume team, who did a great job garbing the cast in colourful Middle Eastern-inspired clothing, complete with headdresses and robes, and also ensured that each individual character had a distinctive appearance.
From details such as the full dress of a rabbi, to the exotic, almost camp costumes of the Three Wise Men, it was obvious that a lot of work had got into the costume styling of the production, and this really helped in ensuring the production was visually appealing.
Acting-wise, the production was inconsistent. Voice delivery during non-singing parts was unpolished throughout. Most of the cast delivered their lines with a stilted, exaggerated theatricality, resulting in their dialogue seeming artificial and at times, a bit contrived. The actors seemed more at ease while expressing emotion through song or conduct.
Credit must be given to Low, who delivered the touching number Say A Prayer with genuine tenderness and sorrow, and Ngo and Colin Wong, who portrayed Mary’s bickering yet loving parents. The Three Wise Men, a source of comic relief, proved very popular with the audience, their actors Brian Cheong, Christopher Sam and John Ti looking like they were having a lot of fun with their roles.
The play ended on a bit of an abrupt note, and some aspects of the story line were a little bit undeveloped.
It would have been interesting, for example, to see scenes like the village’s reaction to Mary’s sudden pregnancy, or have greater elaboration on the background of Mary’s parents, who despite being thrown together through an arranged marriage, learnt to love each other.
Despite this, however, The Canticle Singers’ production was still a very entertaining watch, and a joy to listen to, with its beautiful songs and talented cast.
Whether it was through the character of Joseph, trusting that all would be well despite difficult situations; Mary, accepting the blessing of the angel; or even the Three Wise Men, venturing through hostile desert just to follow a mysterious star, Two From Galilee is an inspired tale of the power of faith, and how when one puts trust in God, all things can be overcome.
RSS
