Malaysian choirs

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Although there are no professional choirs in Malaysia, there are a handful of state-backed semi-professional choirs and many active amateur choral groups throughout the country. Many choirs in Malaysia are linked to schools, tertiary educational institutions, churches and other religious institutions, performing arts groups or registered musical societies.

Contents

[edit] List of notable Malaysian choirs

[edit] Large mixed choirs

  • National Choir of Malaysia - Above 80-strong state sponsored choir.

[edit] Mixed chamber choirs

  • Cantus Musicus - Malaysia's best international choir with 48 singers and its own integral musician-singer ensemble. Founder/Music Director: Lisa Ho. Repertoire ranges from Renaissance music to contemporary choral works in 15 languages. [1]
  • Chee Tze Soo Pau Tze Choir[2]. - The choir was founded in 1945 but only assumed its present name in 1949. The choir has 30 singers and boasts of its own concert hall. Choral director: Mr Ho Tzan Lin.
  • Fingerprints Chamber Choir[3] - Ranked 864 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000 choirs.
  • Johor Bahru Chamber Choir - Ranked 518 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000 choirs. JBCC is a well-known chamber choir in Malaysia. Since its establishment in 1999, it has been playing its active role in promoting the art and popularity of choral music. In the past 2 years, the choir enjoyed several international choral recognitions through winning 2 Silver diplomas in the 2nd Choir Olympics held in Busan, Korea; and clinching 2 Gold and 1 Silver medals in the 1st International Choral Festival held in Genting, Malaysia.
  • Johor Bahru Rainbow Choir[4]
  • The Dithyrambic Choir - Gold Winner in its category at the 1st Asian Choir Games 2007. Choral director: Ian Lim.[5]
  • The Summer'Singers[6]
  • Young Kuala Lumpur Singers

[edit] Mixed vocal ensembles

  • Cantus Musicus Quartet - Actually consisting of 5 classically trained singers with one of them accompanying on the piano at any one time. Specialists in Lieder (German art songs). The singers are all soloists or accompanists of the international chamber choir, Cantus Musicus (see above under Mixed Chamber Choirs).
  • Dolci Voci - Penang-based a capella group drawn from an international background known for charity and private performances. They mainly sing 20th century close harmony arrangements.
  • Flexi tones[7] - Ranked 618 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000 choirs[8]
  • The Swinglow Singers - Formerly known as "The SnL Singers". A 10-person a capella group specialising in close harmony contemporary pop songs and jazz, with a bit of madrigals and modern sacred songs thrown in for good measure.[9]
  • VerSes
  • Wicked Pitches - This group has been in decline since 2006 and now only perform in shopping malls.[10]

[edit] College and university choirs

  • Malaysian Institute of Arts Choir[11]
  • UTM Choir - Choir of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Ranked 967 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000 choirs.

[edit] School and junior youth choirs

  • Chung Ling Butterworth High School Choir
  • The Little Noise Choir
  • SMK Batu Lintang Choir
  • SyncTone Choir - A teenage up and coming choir.
  • Foon Yew Choir - A choir from Johor Bahru which is formed in 1974 by Mr. Tan Hooi Song.

[edit] Church and Christian choirs

  • Canticle Singers- Interdenominational choir which has branched off into Broadway musicals. Uncertain whether or not the choir should be re-classed as a secular choir.[12]
  • Petaling Jaya Gospel Hall Choir
  • Jalan Imbi Chapel Choir - 12-strong choir formed on 7 April 2004.
  • Sanctuary Choir, Trinity Methodist Church (Petaling Jaya)[13]
  • Sacred Heart Choir, Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Men-only Gregorian schola and polyphonic ensemble.[14]
  • Yin Qi Choir - Interdenominational choir specialising in larger classical sacred works.[15]

[edit] Non-Christian religious choirs

  • Kuala Lumpur Sai Baba Chinese Choir[16]

[edit] Men-only choirs

  • Greenhill Choir - Ranked 973 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000. [17].
  • Japanese Glee Club - Consisting of elderly Japanese singers based at the Japan Club in Kuala Lumpur.
  • Yan Keng Male Chamber Choir - Ranked 835 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000 choirs.[18].

[edit] Women-only choirs

  • IWA Choir - Choir of the International Women's Association in Penang. Known for fund raising concerts and performances at charity homes.
  • The Hollies & Ivy - Choir of the Association of British Women Malaysia (ABWM) in Kuala Lumpur. Choral Director: Ivy Winter.

[edit] Children's choirs

  • Operafest Children's Choir[19]
  • Klang Hokkien Association Youth, Teenagers and Children's Choir - Ranked 612 in the Musica Mundi World Ranking List for the top 1,000.
  • Kuala Lumpur Children's Choir[20]
  • National Children's Choir of Malaysia

[edit] Choral societies

  • The Philharmonic Society of Selangor - Although strictly not a choral society, the choir element of this society staged the heavily criticised Circle Song performances in 2007. There is an ongoing attempt to revive and improve the choir element in 2008 and expert assistance is being sought from outside the society. [21]
  • Muar Viva Chorus Society Choir

[edit] Other choirs

  1. ^ Exhibition choir, 5th Young Singers Choral Festival, 30 May 2007 to 3 June 2007 at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
  2. ^ Chee Tze Soo Pau Tze Choir Official Website
  3. ^ Exhibition choir, 5th Young Singers Choral Festival, 30 May 2007 to 3 June 2007 at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
  4. ^ Listed choir under World Choir Games. * Klang Chamber Choir
    • La Voce Choir - A 34-strong choir all in their 20s. This choir was formed in April 2006 and conducted by Mr Lim Hock Siong and Ms Tang Hui Kung.
    • Muar Chong Hwa Old Student Association Choir
    • Nantah Choir (JB)
    • Penang Philharmonic Choir
    • Penang State Symphony Orchestra & Chorus - Funded by the Penang state government with its own dedicated performing venue at the Dewan Sri Pinang Concert Hall. Choral conductor: Ms Khoo Hooi Lay.
    • Seremban Chung Hwa Alumni Choir<ref>Exhibition choir, 5th Young Singers Choral Festival, 30 May 2007 to 3 June 2007 at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre</li>
    <li id="cite_note-4">'''[[#cite_ref-4|^]]''' Article by BERNAMA entitled ''Late Night Shopping @ Starhill Gallery'', 15 December 2007</li> <li id="cite_note-5">'''[[#cite_ref-5|^]]''' [http://mysummersingers.blogspot.com/ The Summer' Singers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-6">'''[[#cite_ref-6|^]]''' Exhibition vocal ensemble, 5th Young Singers Choral Festival, 30 May 2007 to 3 June 2007 at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre</li> <li id="cite_note-7">'''[[#cite_ref-7|^]]''' http://www.choirolympics.de/fileadmin/pdf_data/interkultur/MUSICA_MUNDI_World_Ranking_List.pdf.<ref/>.
    • [[Six2Eight]] - This group has been in existence for 12 years (previously known as '''Bubur Chacha''') performing mostly at corporate dinners and functions.<ref>[http://www.six2eight.com/ Welcome to the official website of SIX2EIGHT<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li>
    <li id="cite_note-8">'''[[#cite_ref-8|^]]''' Reference in Wikipedia entry on '''Cantus Musicus'''</li> <li id="cite_note-9">'''[[#cite_ref-9|^]]''' [http://www.thewickedpitches.com/about.htm About us<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-10">'''[[#cite_ref-10|^]]''' Participating choir, 5th Young Singers Choral Festival, 30 May 2007 to 3 June 2007 at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre</li> <li id="cite_note-11">'''[[#cite_ref-11|^]]''' [http://thecanticlesingers.com/ The Canticle Singers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-12">'''[[#cite_ref-12|^]]''' Article in The Star newspaper, 12 December 2007</li> <li id="cite_note-13">'''[[#cite_ref-13|^]]''' [http://sacredheartchoir.blogspot.com Sacred Heart Choir<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-14">'''[[#cite_ref-14|^]]''' www.yinqi.info</li> <li id="cite_note-15">'''[[#cite_ref-15|^]]''' Listed choir under Asian Choir Games. http://www.worldchoirgames.info/index.php?id=1292</li> <li id="cite_note-16">'''[[#cite_ref-16|^]]''' http://www.choirolympics.de/fileadmin/pdf_data/interkultur/MUSICA_MUNDI_World_Ranking_List.pdf.</li> <li id="cite_note-17">'''[[#cite_ref-17|^]]''' http://www.choirolympics.de/fileadmin/pdf_data/interkultur/MUSICA_MUNDI_World_Ranking_List.pdf.</li> <li id="cite_note-18">'''[[#cite_ref-18|^]]''' www.operafest.net/about.html</li> <li id="cite_note-19">'''[[#cite_ref-19|^]]''' Article in The Star newspaper, 23 March 2007</li> <li id="cite_note-20">'''[[#cite_ref-20|^]]''' www.thephil.org.my/joinus.htm</li></ol></ref>