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Malaysian Bands, Choirs and Musicals

CANTICLE SINGERS

THE GIFT GOES ON

The Canticle Singers proudly presents the Christmas musical "THE GIFT GOES ON" as a benefit concert for St Nicholas Home

The Musical
The Canticle Singers is proud to present "The Gift Goes On", a Christmas musical to ring in the season of  giving. The musical is an anthology of Christmas music and centres on the essence and substance of a gift as well as the giver and will be staged as a benefit concert for St Nicholas Home, Penang.  The musical offers a few traditional carols and then forges ahead with new Christmas compositions and arrangements by contemporary composers such as Michael W Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Tony Guerroro and others. The repertoire offers spirited and high energy numbers, soulful and contemplative moments, nostalgic melodies,  inspiring duets and rousing anthems. Some of the rich offerings include the dulcet a cappella strains of  "The First Noel" and "O Holy Night"; a rhythmic "Little Drummer Boy" juxtaposed with the chorus of "Bearing Gifts in regal fashion; the expressive and moving duets of "Breath of Heaven" and "The Prayer" and the majestic anthems of "The Christmas Gloria Medley" and "Light of the Stable".  Come and  enjoy this splendid collection of Christmas music.

Conceived in 1992, The Canticle Singers is as an advanced and interdenominational vocal group comprising members who share a commitment to work hard and a passion for music that will encourage, inspire and challenge. Members come from diverse backgrounds and share a common commitment and discipline.   The group strives to offer opportunities for singers to improve and advance their skills and at the same time seeks to enrich and widen the scope of our heritage, promote a keener appreciation of music and the performing arts and contribute towards a more artistically sensitive and vibrant community. The Canticle Singers was nominated for the Best Group Performance – Voice, in 2004 for "Do You Hear the People Sing?";  under the Boh Cameronian Awards. 

St Nicholas Home
St Nicholas Home, Penang is an institution serving the visually challenged throughout Malaysia. Founded. in 1926 originally to care for abandoned children in various hospitals, today St Nicholas Home offers a wide range of services to the visually challenged including the provision of independent living skills or to prepare them to be independent visually challenged parents.

St Nicholas Home often finds itself taking in the most acute cases, which are too difficult for the other homes or centers to handle. In addition the home is the only one of its kind which is equipped to care for children with more than one disability e.g. the blind and deaf. St Nicholas also provides and operates the only retirement facility in Malaysia for the blind as most of the older blind people tend to be single and therefore have nobody to see to their needs in their senior years. Approximately 70% to 80% of the residents of the home are Malays with the remainder comprising mainly Indians and with small percentage of other races.

Tickets and further information
Tickets are priced at RM52, RM32 and RM22 (limited number of  tickets at RM22 for students upon production of identification and only available through AXCESS), inclusive of an outlet ticketing fee and will be available from 24 October 2005, via the following outlets:

• AXCESS Hotline +60-3-7711 5000
• AXCESS Ticketing Outlets at Music Valley Sungai Wang, Music Valley Megamall, Music Valley Leisure Mall, Lot 10 Information Counter, Actors Studio Bangsar.
• AXCESS website www.axcess.com.my
• Glad Sounds, Jaya Supermarket, Petaling Jaya (Tel: +60-3- 7956-6918 )
• Top Hat Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: +60-3- 2142-8611 )

For more information please visit our website www.thecanticlesingers.com or email gnilow@yahoo.com

THE SEASON OF LIGHT

Do You Hear The People Sing?

The Canticle Singers ("TCS") in collaboration with Music Theatre ("MT") proudly present the musical entitled "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 August 2004 at Panggung Dewan Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur. The musical is inspired and drawn from a collection of the more elemental and spiritual songs from the earlier musicals such as Carousel, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; to the more recent arrivals such as Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The Rose of Sharon, etc. as well as some well loved numbers. The musical numbers will be in the form of solos, mixed vocal arrangements, choral numbers and medleys and seek to reassure, cheer, reflect, impart endurance, comfort, encourage, conquer,strengthen, inspire, defend, convict, bring hope, challenge, redeem, pacify, honour, celebrate, express love and bring restoration.

The musical will be directed by director and playwright Chin San Sooi as Artistic Director and H K Chong as Music Director, both old boys of the Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh, Perak. Principal soloists that appeared with the company for the season were Elvira Arul, Michelle Ho, Shirani Amarasingham, Philip Poh, Praveen Abraham, Chang Yow Keong, Timothy Ooi, Brian Cheong; backed by promising new voices and a seasoned and highly acclaimed chorus. Guest artists appearing with the Company include Yudi (independent recording artist), Tan Wei Han (principal tenor with the Xian Conservatoire of Music), Liau Siau Suan (baritone) and Geoffrey Woo (independent recording artist who played Gabriel in TCS's "Two From Galilee").

The production with a cast of 31 and a music ensemble of about 16 musicians who are all volunteers, will feature a preview and run for an estimated 7 performances inclusive of matinees over the weekend. Work on the production began with rehearsals for movement in February 2004 while rehearsals for the chorus began a month later. The Panggung Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur is a historical landmark which offers a wonderfully intimate theatre and great acoustics.

Net proceeds after deducting all production costs will be channeled to Rumah Destiny, a home for abandoned and underpriviledged children which has received the prior assistance of Penyayang. Rumah Destiny which is a social concerns ministry of Metro Tabernacle, is registered with the Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of National Unity and Community Development of Malaysia under the Care Centres Act 1993 and is a member of Children at Risk Network (CARNet). The operation of the Home is managed by a Home Parent who is supported by three Home Assistants. Volunteers offer services such as teaching, gardening, repairs, transportation, handiwork, music and outdoor activities. At the same time this musical production will also benefit Praise Caring Home which provides interim accommodation for out-of-town cancer patients and their families irrespective of their religious beliefs, who are seeking treatment in the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur areas.

Tickets will be available through AXCESS Hotline: 60-3-7491 9999, online at www.axcess.com.my and at all authorised AXCESS outlets from 1 June 2004.

The Canticle Singers presenting The Rose of Sharon

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THE CANTICLE SINGERS

"The aim and final reason for all music
should be nothing else but the glory of God
and refreshment of the spirit"
J.S. Bach

WHO WE ARE

The Canticle Singers is an advanced Christian vocal group comprising individuals from various denominations with a passion for music that will encourage, inspire and challenge. Members come from a diverse background of professions and many are active in the music and worship or drama ministries within their respective communities and share a common commitment and discipline to work hard.

The Canticle Singers strives to offer opportunities for singers to improve and advance their skills and seeks to enrich and widen the scope of our heritage, encourage a keener appreciation of music and the performing arts and contribute to the making of a more artistically sensitive and vibrant community.

HISTORY

Towards the middle of 1992, a few music aficionados got together to raise funds for the Methodist Senoi Missions which required some funding for their ongoing work amongst the Senoi. A vocal group was conceived under the banner of "The Canticle Choir" (subsequently renamed "The Canticle Singers") and "The Word" by Claire Cloninger and Tom Fettke, marked our first production which was staged on Saturday 12 th and Sunday 13 th December 1992 at Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya. Although the group numbered a mere 14 comprising 6 sopranos, 3 altos, 2 tenors, 2 basses and 1 narrator; they rendered a vocally satisfactory performance which was well received by near full houses on both evenings.

Following its inaugural production, The Canticle Singers expanded its scope to include a music ministry amongst various churches venues in the Klang Valley.

PAST PRODUCTIONS
The Canticle Singers have staged musical productions in the form of benefit concerts i.e. as fund raising events, for various institutions and causes and these include

"The Word" for Methodist Senoi Missions
"In Heaven's Eyes" for Dignity and Services Bhd.
"Because He Lives" for Seminari Theologi Malaysia
"Celebrating the God of Our Generation" for the Fellowship of Evangelical Students
"Find Him Faithful" for the Lee Hong Kwang Family Trust Fund
"Two From Galilee", the acclaimed musical drama for Malaysian CARE
"The Rose of Sharon, an oratorio for The Zahida Perveen Fund & Shahnaz Bukhari Shelter
"Make His Praise Glorious", one of the evergreen Christmas musicals

All of the productions except for "Two From Galilee" have been in the form of choral productions.

"Two From Galilee", was a musical drama styled in a Broadway fashion with a running time of 90 minutes in two acts. The production involved a cast of 11 principals and supporting cast of 14 (inclusive of 4 non-singing roles) requiring 60 costumes and a production crew of 25. The production was held as a benefit concert for Malaysian CARE and was very well received by the public.

"The Rose of Sharon", an oratorio for soloists, mixed voices, chorus and orchestra was equally well received. Our guests of honour for the concert were Dr Abraham Sokhaya Nkomo, South African High Commissioner to Malaysia and Jean C. McCloskey, the then Canadian High Commissioner to Malaysia. Net proceeds of the production were channelled to two Muslim women, The Zahida Perveen Fund and The Shahnaz Bukhari Shelter in Pakistan; that were featured on National Geographic Television's documentary entitled "Honour Killings" by Producer Michael Davie.

BELIEFS

Our beliefs are based on the following:-

Only one who has personally experienced Christ's redemptive work can have a harmonious life that produces a true song upon one's lips. Such a person should desire to proclaim that same message as effectively as possible to others so that they too may desire the source of this inner joy.

It is our belief that any Christian with reasonable musical talent and a sincere desire for service, can make a valuable contribution to the Choir. The Choir can only have a worthy music ministry to the extent that each and every member realizes the importance of church music and desires to develop his or her own talent. As individuals become aware of their musical development and increase in spiritual effectiveness, they will realise greater personal satisfaction and joy in Christian service.

A realization by each and every member that the main purpose of this Choir is not mere entertainment or the display of individual talent; rather it is the blending of many talents and personalities for providing inspiration, warmth and unity. Many spiritual truths are more effectively presented through music than any other way.

ATTENDANCE PHILOSOPHY

In order to maintain a high standard of performance, our steadfast commitment to this music ministry and demonstration of unity, we expect our members to be at all rehearsals and concerts, ready to sing. We do not differentiate between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. Regardless of the reason, when someone misses rehearsal, he hurts himself and the entire group.

FUNDING

The Canticle Singers is a voluntary group of individuals. Its ongoing music ministry and the staging of musical productions for charitable causes is a collaborative process involving different talents, partnerships and creative teamwork between our community and ourselves.

The Canticle Singers is dependent on the generous donations it receives from its corporate sponsors and individuals. With support both in kind and cash your generosity is of increasing importance to our ministry and allowing us to maintain a high standard of live concert appearances.

VISIT US

You are invited to visit us at www.thecanticlesingers.com

At all times, whether in practice or performance,
one must keep in mind this basic principal: if a ministry for the Lord
is worthy of our service, it is also worthy of our best effort and effective use
of our God-given talent. To that end may our lives be dedicated and
ministry blessed.
That He alone might receive the honour and glory.
…whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31)

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