JAM! (Jom-Ayuh-Mari!) (SSA)

JAM! (Jom – Ayuh – Mari!) is three-way play on words! (1) In Colloquial Malay, Jom, ayuh, and mari all have similar meanings – “come, let’s go!” Nada, in the context of singing, means vocal tone. (2) The catchy, repetitive, and conversation-like musical themes would also suggest a group of musicians coming together to make music (akin to a jam session). (3) “Jam” in Malay also translates to “clock” – suggesting a passing of time, represented by the consistent snapping of fingers in the music.

In essence, the music is saying “Come, let’s go make some music together and sing while passing time! Leave your worries for a while.” Each of the words – Jom, Ayuh, Mari – has its own distinct melodic theme. The body percussion’s ostinato rhythm, inspired by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)’ drum groove, brings a sense of unity and contemporary flavour to those varied folk-inspired musical themes.

This is the second of a set of two short choral pieces commissioned by Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir (CNCC) & Amanda Nelli, Artistic Director. Both the first piece, All Things Pass (3 part choir, a cappella) and JAM! (Jom – Ayuh – Mari!) was composed in a way where each could be performed back-to-back as a set, or as standalone pieces. The set is based on my discussions with members of CNCC who requested the following treatments to the music:

*a strange limbo of singing styles
*modern, unexpected, slightly awkward
*canon and round-inspired
*reminders during confusing times

My deep appreciation goes to Chorus Niagara Children’s Choir and Amanda Nelli (CNCC Artistic Director) for this collaboration, and St Catharines Cultural Investment Program for funding these commissioned works.