Concert Review: That Which Prevails by Symphonia Choralis

 Programme: 

 Ariadne’s Love - Chen Zhangyi 

 Choralimus Chamber Choir and Strings 

 Este / Evening - Zoltán Kodály 

 Choralimus Chamber Choir 

The Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams 

 Symphonia Choralis Chamber Orchestra (Violin Soloist: Natalie Koh) 

Carmina Burana - Carl Orff, arr. Paul Leonard Schäffer 

Choralimus Chamber Choir, Symphonia Choralis Chorus, Canary Choir, Symphonia Choralis Chamber Orchestra (Soloists: Kira Lim, Jongwoo Baek, Tseng Wen-Yu)

Conductor/Artistic Director Chong Wai-Lun

SOTA Concert Hall

4 July 2026, 7.30pm 

Review by Steven Ang

After being featured in numerous high-profile collaborations with many orchestra and opera companies, local choral group Symphonia Choralis celebrated their 10th anniversary with a gala concert that went exceedingly well, executing a programme that characterized artistic director's growth throughout the years. 

The first half was a quiet affair, with understated pieces by local composer Chen Zhangyi and Zoltán Kodály lovingly fleshed out by artistic director Chong Wai-Lun and his team with great detail and care. Similarly, Ralph Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending for solo violin and chamber orchestra, is competently played by Natalie Koh, evoking the composer's characteristic sound world of the British countryside. 

Violinist Natalie Koh

But where the first half passed by with tranquility, the energy certainly picked up with a well-honed and finely executed performance of Carmina Burana in the second half. Carl Orff's gargantuan symphonic-choral work calls for large forces including an orchestra, chamber choir, full-size choir, children's choir and three vocal soloists. 

The collective effort of these large forces coming together in the iconic opening movement certainly created the earth-shattering effect that the composer desired, as wave after wave or sound reverberated through the excellent acoustics of the SOTA Concert Hall. Yet as conductor Chong led his charges through the piece's many movements, the energy never sagged nor threatened to fall apart, bringing the evening to a thrilling close as we get the experience the stunning opening movement again as the work's finale. 

Vocal soloists Jongwoo Baek, Kira Lim, Tseng Wen-Yu

The three vocal soloists, young artists active in our music scene, brightened the evening with their crystal clear voices and entertaining stage presence. While certain moments could use more projection (it certainly didn't help that they were placed behind the orchestra), their collective performance was clean with no signs of vocal strain and clear enunciation. Countertenor Tseng Wen-Yu even sang with the chorus in between his solo number! 

Artistic Director Chong Wai-Lun

Known primarily as a choral conductor, one would expect a high level of choral excellence from Chong, and tonight's vocal forces certainly lived up to these expectations. Loud but never strained, strong yet flexible and never whispery in the lighter passages, these 100-strong community performers responded to Chong's every direction with utmost sensitivity and well-honed experience. They maneuvered the score's challenging rhythms with clockwork precision, showing great teamwork and cammeraderie while doing so. The children's voices sounded transcendent as their blended tones descended from the balcony. 

Every community choir and it's members will admit to problems finding competent male members, which made the men's sections tonight such a luxury to hear, their robust sonorities booming through the hall. The ladies are no slouches either, maneuvering the scores treacherous high passages with the sweetness of nightingales. 

Overall, I had a wonderful time sitting through this concert. It was a good reflection of what Symphonia Choralis has achieved in the decade since it's inception, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the next 10 years.