Do Singaporean Classical Composers Incorporate Elements Of

Do Singaporean classical composers incorporate elements of Singaporean culture into their works? SIM LI KERN, MARK Originally submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Music LASALLE College of the Arts School of Contemporary Music Singapore 2018 All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1: DEFINITION OF “NATIONAL CULTURE”. FINLANDIA AND MÁ VLAST. 4 CHAPTER 2: EXAMPLES OF SINGAPOREAN CLASSICAL COMPOSERS INTEGRATING 7 ELEMENTS OF SINGAPOREAN CULTURE INTO THEIR PIECES. CHAPTER 3: THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS 26 CONCLUSION 30 WORKS CITED 31 APPENDICES Interview Questions 36 All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 1 Introduction In an interview with TIME magazine on July 10, 2015, Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Lee Hsien Loong was asked what he thought is the largest challenge that Singapore is currently facing. His answer was, taking into consideration a 50-year timeframe, the sense of national identity. Mr. Lee felt that in order for the Singaporean government to implement any policies effectively and get the citizens to make important decisions, the people must feel that they are Singaporeans. Essentially, Singaporeans need to be united and believe that they are unique and have their own special place in the world (Beech et al.). What, then, comprises the Singaporean identity? Singlish, Singapore’s distinctive patois which blends English with other local dialects and languages? Common cultural traits such as “choping” (reserving) a table at a food court with a packet of tissue? The nation’s hawker food heritage, which features dishes from different cultures, like Indian rojak, bak ku teh and laksa (Tsang 58)? Rallying around what is “native” to Singapore and honoring the unique aspects of the country would be an excellent starting point. Similarly, what makes classical compositions written by resident local composers “Singaporean”? How do certain works of these composers reflect elements of Singaporean culture? Despite Singapore’s short 52-year history the country has a number of classical music composers. The composers whose compositions are featured in this study are Leong Yoon Pin, Phoon Yew Tien, Zechariah Goh, Ho Chee Kong, Law Wai Lun, Tsao All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 2 Chieh, Kam Kee Yong, Eric Watson, John Sharpley and Wang Chenwei. These composers were selected as they often utilise elements of Singaporean culture in their compositions. Although Eric Watson and John Sharpley are not Singaporeans, they have been based in the country for more than 20 years, and can therefore be considered local composers. Regrettably, the study did not include the works of a few well-known classical composers such as Kelly Tang and Tan Chan Boon. This is because Kelly Tang and Tan Chan Boon mainly compose in a Western style without Asian influences and do not employ elements of Singaporean culture in their pieces. The collection of “Singaporean themed” compositions is gradually increasing. For instance, Wang Chenwei’s Sisters’ Islands, revised as recently as 2016, depicts the origin of the Sisters’ Islands in Singapore. Eric Watson’s An Independent Note, written in 2015, commemorates Singapore’s independence and draws from quotes by Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. As mentioned earlier, a number of these “Singaporean themed” works integrate elements of the nation’s culture into their composition. For example, the two pieces by Wang Chenwei and Eric Watson mentioned in the previous paragraph are based on a traditional myth and a significant event in the history of Singapore, respectively. Some other compositions feature Singapore national songs and/or popular folk songs. Other pieces even infuse elements of South East Asian music, such as ethnic Malay music and Balinese gamelan, embracing Singapore’s multiracial culture. These “Singaporean themed” compositions will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 2 of this paper. This study shall attempt to briefly define national culture and describe examples of how composers from other countries incorporated the culture of their homeland into All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 3 some of their compositions. This will then lead into the primary objective of the study, which is to demonstrate how selected works by resident local composers reflect various elements of the Singaporean culture. The study will conclude with reflections on the process by the researcher and a discussion of the wider implications of the research findings. All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 4 Chapter 1: Definition of “National Culture”. Finlandia and Má vlast In this chapter, I will be providing a brief definition of the term “national culture”. I will then proceed to give examples of two European composers who integrated the culture of their homeland into their works. Many definitions of national culture exist – for the purpose of this study, national culture is defined as the set of norms, behaviours, beliefs, customs and values shared by the population of a sovereign nation. National culture also includes perceptions, beliefs and traditions related to significant historical events associated with the country as well as a nation’s historical landmarks and important heritage sites (What is National Culture). Classical music has often been closely associated with patriotism and nationalism, especially in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. During this politically turbulent period, many European countries were still aspiring to full nationhood and had yet to achieve independence– with the people still searching for their national identities. Inspired by “nationalistic” pieces such as the Mazurkas and Polonaises of Frederic Chopin, several composers from some of the non- independent countries were determined to create a unique “national style” of music characteristic of their homeland (Sherrane). One of these individuals was the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Finland in the late 18th century was still a “Grand Duchy”, under the rule of the Russian Empire. In 1899, Nicholas II, then Emperor of Russia, declared via the February Manifesto that Russian law was the law of the land, and Finland was to swear allegiance to Russian All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 5 law (Bickford et al 198). This had an indelible effect on the young Jean Sibelius, who then proceeded to write an outpouring of patriotic music in defiance of the “Russification” of his homeland (Burnett-James 60). One of the most significant works from this period was Finlandia, Op. 26. The work was originally the last of a series of seven pieces performed as an accompaniment to a montage portraying episodes from Finnish history (Finlandia by Jean Sibelius). Sibelius incorporates elements of the Finnish culture into Finlandia via a vivid depiction of the dark period of history during which the Finnish people fought against their Russian oppressors through skilful orchestration and instrumentation. The deep brass chords played by the horns, trombones and tuba in the opening of the piece could be said to represent the ominous Russian Empire. The entry of the trumpets, accompanied by a continuously rolling timpani playing poco a poco crescendo, issues a rallying call to the Finnish people to act in defiance of the Russian Empire’s attempts to undermine their homeland. What follows is the famous tranquil, hymn-like section which describes the beauty of Finland, its landscape and its people. The coda of the work, with its triumphant chorus and boisterous character, surely symbolizes the freedom of the Finnish people, which would eventually come to pass in 1917 (Lowry). Another individual whose music became strongly associated with his country’s aspirations to independent statehood was the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. He is widely considered as the “father of Czech music” (Clapham 10). Má vlast (My homeland), a series of six symphonic poems written between 1874 and 1879, is perhaps Smetana’s best known composition. It integrates elements of the Czech culture All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 6 by portraying some aspect of the landscape, history or legends of Bohemia in each poem. The first poem, Vyšehrad, describes the Vyšehrad castle in Prague. The piece also opens with arpeggios played by two harps, representing Lumír, a bard in Czech legend. In the second poem, Vltava, Smetana utilises the technique of tone painting in his portrayal of one of the great rivers of Bohemia. Šárka, the third poem, is based on the ancient Czech legend of The Maidens’ War. The fourth poem, Z českých luhů a hájů, is a depiction of the Czech countryside. Tábor, the fifth poem, is named after the city of Tábor in south Bohemia. The main theme of this piece is derived from the first two lines of the Hussite hymn, “Ye Who Are Warriors of God”. Finally, Blaník, the sixth poem, is named after a Czech mountain. Once again, the Hussite hymn utilised in Tábor is referenced – the third line of the hymn is used in the march towards the conclusion of the piece (Jacobson 122). In this chapter, I have discussed how Sibelius and Smetana include elements of the culture of their homeland in their works Finlandia and Má vlast, respectively. Similarly, there are a number of Singaporean classical composers who compose works which reflect elements of Singaporean culture. I will elaborate on this in the next chapter, drawing from interviews with relevant composers, reliable web sources and hard copy publications as well as performances of the music. All Rights Reserved, National Library Board, Singapore Sim 7 Chapter 2: Examples of Singaporean Classical Composers Integrating Elements of Singaporean Culture into their Pieces In this chapter, I will give various examples of how Singaporean classical composers integrate elements of Singaporean culture into their pieces. Incorporation of Elements of Southeast Asian Music In an interview published in the Straits Times on May 20, 2017, Singapore Prime Minister Mr.

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