CCMO hosted by UNM Music Society (MUSSOC)

This year’s Choir and Chamber Music Orchestra event marks MUSSOC’s 10th year anniversary since its inception – a special including highlights from previous CCMO performances, spanning from anime theme songs to Mariah Carey covers. A total of 20 songs was brought onto stage, and it was truly a wonderful experience to behold in my final semester in University.

The giant room, accompanying 390 spectators, was dimly lit, a soft yellow light shun on the stage giving the impression of moonlight reflecting off water, illuminating the choir and orchestra. Wearing classical suits and black dresses, their faces emerged from the darkness of the Great Hall. Above, silver star decorations scattered the air, catching and refracting soft light, its glittery shimmer truly reinforcing this year’s theme of the Hall Of Fame.

The line up of performances brought upon the audience a sense of nostalgia, as we were taken back to childhood favourites and recent popular songs.

Below you can find a breakdown of the performances:

THE GREATEST SHOW YET?

The event started with an explosion of confidence with the orchestra and choir playing the popular The Greatest Show. My favourite moment in this opening was when the orchestra stomped their feet on the stage, mimicking the songs signature beats and rhythms.

With this surge of energy, the event continued. From Mr Bean mashups to deeply mournful songs, the event took us on a rollercoaster of emotions and intensities. I had to hold back my closeted love for anime when the orchestra played one of my favourite anime openings, Unravel, from Tokyo Ghoul (this, of course, ultimately failed as I openly sung the lyrics to the instrumental cover). What I loved about the event was how each performance didn’t overpower the other, and instead every piece had its own strengths and beauty.

The MC engaged us throughout, providing further context and shared his own stories, as the orchestra and choir transitioned between performances – and one must commend them for their sleek transitions. Carrying instruments in the dark is no easy task! The pacing between transitions was perfect, for it gave the audience time to savour each piece until the next one.

A projector was set up to show video trailers of the song – it was almost like watching a trailer of a show with live music and singing! Stimulating both visual and auditory senses, your eyes could wander from the stage to the projected videos on display.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES

My personal favourite was the instrumental mashup medley of BTS. I do listen to K-pop songs, but I wouldn’t say my undying loyalties lies in that genre of music. Being, however, a huge fan of instrumental music and having listened to a few BTS songs, this performance proved to be a surprising highlight to the event. The medley was a pleasant and upbeat composition arranged and composed by Neoh Jing Yi and Sherlyn Cheah. It incorporated the key sections to five of the boy-band songs – Epiphany, I Need You, Fake Love, Blood Sweat Tears and Idol.

Why was this one of my favourites? Halfway through the performance, a member from the orchestra arose from his seat, put on a pair of sunglasses and blew a whistle in a repeated, constant rhythm until the end of the performance piece. This was the most memorable moment of the event for me. It was a bizarre twist, a little comedic and amusing, but also so refreshing to see. The dedication and precision of the Whistler, who was committed to ensuring each note was in perfect rhythm only added to the buzzing atmosphere, and resulted in an eruption of both laughter, surprise and admiration from audiences. I later found out that this was an attempt to evoke the South African vibes of the original song, Idol.

SHOUT-OUT TO THE CONDUCTORS

The conductors were nothing short of captivating to watch. Having been in an orchestra in high-school, I have always appreciated a skilled conductor.

The video above highlights the importance of the conductor’s role in orchestrating a performance. The conductors’ baton works like an extension of their arm, ensuring that each of their movements can be seen by even those at the very back. Each hand itself symbolises different things. The right hand is to maintain the rhythm and beat patterns of the music, whereas the left hand is freer to do things out of the ordinary – from showing where a phrase in the song is, to the speed of a bow. Their performance is an anticipatory art, as the musicians anticipate from the conductor their movements.

Chin Yu Qiong particularly caught my attention – her conducting reflected her own passion – a fiery display of sharp, precise movements paired with sudden soft swerves – she captured not only the eyes of the orchestra, but also the audience who were pulled in by her exuberant energy.

All photos, videos, gifs, podcasts and infographics used in this blog are self-produced unless credited otherwise.