Hey Mr Phil! in the news

From http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/26/soundnstage/21632100&sec=soundnstage

Thursday June 26, 2008

Get your phil

By N. RAMA LOHAN

The Philharmonic Society of Selangor celebrates its 50th anniversary with ... what else but a whole lot of great music.

THE uninitiated may think that the nation’s classical music pursuits began with the formation of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in 1998. On the contrary, half a century ago, the Philharmonic Society of Selangor (The Phil) had already begun its sojourn of bringing enthusiasts of classical music and performing arts together, an initiative instigated by expatriates living in the country then.

The Phil is one of the oldest and most established performing arts societies in Malaysia. From its humble beginnings in 1958 as a group of music lovers who got together to put up shows, it now counts among its successes productions like The Sound of Music, The King and I and Guys and Dolls. Classical offerings from the organisation include Rutter’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation and Orff’s Carmina Burana and contemporary treats such as Music from Movies and Musicals and In The Mood. Imagine this, it all began with eight men and three women, a dream and the then sum of RM179.44 in a bank account.

Conductor for the night, John March, leading the troupe through rehearsals (pic).

It’s not all about history lessons though as The Phil looks to celebrate its golden anniversary in style, according to Alain Boey, chairman of the movement. Hey, Mr Phil!, the first of The Phil’s upcoming productions in conjunction with its anniversary, kicks off the festivities from July 4 to 6.

“The songs are a collage of the productions over the last 50 years. It’s basically all the songs from the musicals. There’ll be some opera, excerpts from classical compositions and some modern music as well, all done in a medley sort of fashion,” Boey revealed.

“In August, we’ll have Phil It Up! – A Three Course Recital, which is basically a collage of a few genres ... classical, jazz and contemporary. This will be performed by the past members of The Phil, some of whom are very senior and returning just for the show. Over the past 50 years, the Phil has developed many talents ... like Maya Karin, Peter Williams, Adibah Noor, Doreen Tang and many more,” he continued.

Alain Boey (pic): ‘The songs are a collage of the productions over the last 50 years.’

This year looks to be a busy one for the Phil and it culminates in the staging of The Boy Friend (staged across the months of November and December and directed by Philip Chai), a particular favourite of Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng, Group Chief Executive of the MUI Group, the main sponsor for the arts society. “For Boyfriend, which is set in the French Riviera, we’re bringing in new talents.”

While the settings for most of the productions have a more global touch to it, the Phil will be looking to giving it a feel that’s closer to home. “We’re trying to adapt some of the music into more local settings, for example, some of the medleys will be from Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserable and so on, but there’ll still be a local sense about it,” Boey explained.

While the Phil’s endeavours over the years have not gone unnoticed, retaining recognition hasn’t been all that simple. “In the earlier days, The Phil was the only society catering to performing arts but as the industry developed over the years, there have been many more foreign productions coming in and a lot of our talents have made it into various other productions as well. So in terms of awareness to our work, I would say it was stronger during the early years but in the 1990s, as Malaysia began bringing in more foreign productions, things have picked up.”

Naturally, this has affected the level of interest among potential members as well. “In terms of recruitment, all members have to go through a series of auditions. In terms of spectators, it’s hard to garner interest, but where singers are concerned, it is slightly challenging because there are a lot more productions these days, and too few singers to go around, especially with conflicting schedules.”

Hey Mr Phil! will be staged at Panggung Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur, from July 4 to 6. For ticketing details, e-mail tickets@thephil.org.my or call 017-659 4583. For more information, visit www.thephil.org.my.

Article on Circlesongs - The Star

Article in The Star on The Phil's preview of Circlesongs at The Annexe, Central Market
(From http://thestar.com.my/youth2/story.asp?file=/2007/10/17/youth2/19160766&sec=youth2)

Get Into The Groove
by SHARMILA NAIR

17 October 2007

Feel free to let loose as the audience is always welcome to be a part of Circlesong.

YOU do not always need expensive instruments and hours of lessons to create beautiful and entertaining music. Humans have been tapping their feet and clicking their tongue forever to make sounds, but we have never quite taken their musical potential seriously.

Bobby McFerrin did. The infamous Don’t Worry, Be Happy singer is the person behind the brainchild that is Circlesong – a musical performance that incorporates choral improvisations with body sounds to create the perfect blend of music.

Circlesong is a novel way of music making, combining oral sounds (such as singing, poetry recital, rap) and beats made by actions into a performance worthy of the stage. It is essentially a free-flow and free-style form of expression through music. Performers only need to hone their skills in making actions that produce sounds.

A typical Circlesong performance would have the performers standing or sitting in a circle. There is no script. Someone would start with a beat, and others would join in at their pace. The beat, rhythm and mood of the performance change according to the group dynamics, and the audience’s response.

In Malaysia, Circlesong groups are budding where people are willing to experiment with art and self expressions. Musician and actor Melvin Ho started a Circlesong group and recently led about 25 amateur singers to stage a performance.

“I’m not going to claim to be the first person to bring Circlesong into Malaysia. It’s been done here and there across the country and is slowly gaining popularity among its audience.

“This is quite experimental and the reason why I wanted to bring it here is to show Malaysians that there are various ways of expressing one’s self,” says Melvin, who is also Circlesong’s art director.
Melvin and his group of Circlesong performers have put up performances in Central Market and Bangsar Actor’s Studio to introduce a new form of music making to the Klang Valley audience.

The concept is gaining tentative acceptance from the public. The environment they perform in also affects Circlesong’s appeal. It works better when there is ample opportunity and encouragement for the audience to participate, or be part of the action.

The audience is always welcome to be part of the performance as Circlesong thrives on spontaneity, and the camaraderie formed as everyone gets into rhythm.

They jam without relying on any music scores, lyrics or even choreographed movements, for Circlesong doesn’t believe in restraining its performers' talents and capabilities.

“This is not a bunch of conventional singers following a set of notes on pieces of paper. These performers follow their mind and listen to their hearts while adjusting themselves to the tone of the group,” adds Melvin.

At their inaugural performance in Central Market, they drew a strong number of people who watched the performers with mixed emotions – some in awe and others in plain confusion.

Edmar Rashid who was there to witness Circlesong’s maiden performance was impressed by the group’s creativity and spontaneity.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. At first I thought they were ‘not normal’ but later, I realised that this is how they express themselves,” says the 21-year-old Graphic Design student with a laugh.

Looking like a bunch of weirdoes is not a label that scares Circlesong member Mohd Fahazrul Mohd Hatta. The 23-year-old aspiring singer is happy to be part of a group that allows him to be spontaneous and create music through vocal exploration and improvisation. And to think that he almost didn’t make it into the group.

“I was one of the late participants. I auditioned at the last minute and thought that I blew my chance of performing in the Circlesong,” says the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Public Relations student.

After being accepted, Mohd Fahazrul didn’t take long time to show his vocal prowess, which he says also came late in his young life.

“I am a late bloomer. I only found out that I could sing when I was 17,” he says.

Aminda Faizura is also another good singer in Circlesong. She was invited to join the group by Melvin, her former choir coach, and she didn’t think twice before agreeing.

The 19-year-old A-Levels student easily captivated the audience when she stepped into the limelight, especially during the solo performances.

During the Circlesong performances, the audience is allowed to pinpoint and select a performer of their choice. The person who is picked has to come up with a spontaneous performance on the spot.

The receptive crowd was very encouraging especially when they joined in the fun and created harmonious music along with the Circlesong performers.

“I’m glad to have had this experience of singing in harmony with people I don’t know. This has taught me to be more receptive of my surrounding and also to be in-tune with myself,” says Mohd Fahazrul.