Rachel Tan and pianist Tay Chai Ying wow the crowd

The Dithyrambic Singers entertains the crowd with Di Mana Suara Burung Kenari by Saloma

Guest performer, Terence Au Eng Yee (far right), performing alongside Rachel Tan, Shah Johan, Nickson Choong, Stephan Chang and Ang Joonkie in an operatic scene entitled Quando me’n vo

The main performers, Bui Yik Ling, Shah Johan bin Shahridzuan, Rachel Tan Cheng Suan and Tay Chai Ying receive a standing ovation from the crowd

Kuala Lumpur, 23 April 2010 - Crowd favourites such as Pak Ngah’s Keranamu Malaysia, classics by Chopin, Wolfgang Mozart together with songs from well-loved operas such as La Boheme and Le Nozze di Figaro were given a fresh rendition at the Properganda Musical, co-organised by the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall Choir, UCSI University and the Dithyrambic Singers. The Musical, under the artistic direction of Ian Lim Kean Seng starred UCSI University’s alumni, Bui Yik Ling, Shah Johan Bin Shahridzuan, Rachel Tan Cheng Suan and Tay Chai Ying.

The Musical featured opera arias from The Old Maid and Thief and Faust, operatic scenes from Die Lustige Witwe, La Traviata, and powerful vocal solos, duets and quartets from various other operas. A few classic Chinese operas were also blended into the mix, among the most memorable Ala Muhan from the Xin Jiang folk song, performed by Lim Huey Hsiang, Karen Tan, Shah Johan, Ang Joonkie with Tay Chai Ying on the piano.

After the intermission, the Dithyrambic Singers performed Saloma’s Di Mana Suara Burung Kenari, to the delight of the crowd. The Dithyrambic Singers, comprising mostly UCSI University music students, is one of Malaysia’s leading choral ensembles, having made appearances at various international events, such as the 2008 Busan Choral Festival and Competition in South Korea, the 1st Asian Choir Games in Indonesia (2007) and at the 21st Century International Choral Festival, Oriental Concentus in China. A week before the Properganda Musical, the group was invited to the Distinguished Concert in New York, and performed under the direction of Eric Whitcare at Carnegie Hall.

The Musical Properganda featured some of the best vocals from among the performers, and great musical expressions for the operatic arias and scenes which entertained and delighted the crowd. All the four main performers were under the tutelage of UCSI University lecturers, and have been awarded scholarships to pursue their Masters in Vocal Performance and Piano Accompaniment at the Birmingham Conservatoire in the United Kingdom.