Semangat Membara (SAB)

A portion of sales from this piece will be donated to after BREAST CANCER.

after BREAST CANCER focuses on women who have survived, women who don’t have insurance, women who cannot have their basic needs met after a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery. As the survival rates improve, additional resources that support a woman’s Quality of Life (“QOL”) after breast cancer are required to assist women with the various issues that arise during and after treatment.

Semangat Membara is a rhythmic composition for SAB choir and percussion. Inspired by Hildegard von Bingen’s O ignee Spiritus (O fiery Spirit), the piece encourages us to celebrate the human spirit in all its resilience and strength. Original Malay text is merged with excerpts of Hildegard’s Latin text and a small musical reference of her hymn is interwoven with rhythmic word and vocal play, sung in Malay.

Commissioned by St. Paul Academy and Summit School and Tim Kraack (Director), the piece is also inspired by the outcome of a fun exercise as part of its creation process – singers collecting field recordings of environmental sounds.

“The outdoor sounds, while being more “real” to them, were also more exotic and some of the kids had to go out of their way to record them, bringing into question whether those sounds are actually part of their daily lives. On the surface, it seemed like a straightforward assignment, but students started to grapple with the sounds that they actually encounter on a day-to-day basis, versus the sounds that they would like to encounter.”

Drawn to the rhythmic sounds that were collected, the piece has the flexibility to include a non-traditional set of percussion that singers have access to – explore high and low timbres (striking wood panels, boxes, metal sheets, stuffed containers, etc.) that would support and lift your performance in a unique way!

The louder active sections of the piece embody the shared expression of a universal fiery spirit that guides one through life’s challenges and out of danger. The quieter sections capture the reflective moments, giving way to the yearning for new experiences.

I am grateful to the choirs of St. Paul Academy and Summit School and Tim Kraack (Director) for commissioning me to create this work. It is an honour to be a part of this meaningful collaboration.

– Tracy Wong, January 2025