Details
The Redhill Passion – words and music by Kenneth Tay (b. 1992)
directed by Katy Lavinia Cooper
University of Glasgow Chapel Choir with Kevin Bowyer (organ), Gabrielle McCann (Narrator), Euan McDonald (The Boy), and Alex White (The Raja)
The Redhill Passion is an oratorio that intertwines history, folklore, and personal reflection. Inspired by the legend of Singapura Dilanggar Todak (Singapore attacked by swordfish), it tells the tragic yet heroic tale of a young boy whose wisdom saved his people, only for him to be slain out of fear and jealousy. Echoing themes of passion narratives, the work explores suffering, redemption, and remembrance.
A central aspect of this piece is its engagement with language: not just in the interplay of English, Malay, and Singlish (the creole language of contemporary Singapore), but in the way these languages carry the rhythms and inflections of different lived experiences. This premiere is particularly meaningful because the performers, predominantly non-native speakers of Malay and Singlish, have embraced the challenge of learning its unique cadences and expressive qualities. Their commitment to understanding and embodying these nuances is an effort worth celebrating. It highlights how music becomes a site of negotiation where cultures meet, perspectives shift, and the unfamiliar is not only encountered but deeply felt.
Musically, The Redhill Passion integrates Southeast Asian and Western choral traditions. Modal influences, particularly the Balinese selisir scale, shape the choral textures, while rhythmic structures draw inspiration from kompang frame drumming and traditional Malay percussive patterns. The use of handheld percussion, including mortar and pestle, angklung, handbells, and gong, symbolises the persistent violence of the swordfish attack and the innocence of the boy.
In Act I, the peaceful lives of the orang laut are shattered when relentless swordfish invade the shores, injuring fishermen and threatening their survival, prompting the Raja to declare war on the fish. In Act II, the Raja’s soldiers fail to defeat the swordfish, and as the villagers despair, a wise boy steps forward with a simple yet ingenious plan to trap the swordfish using banana stems, offering the kingdom its only hope for survival. The organ solo at the end of Act 2 marks a pivotal transition, where the selisir mode is transformed through the organ’s unique temperament and resonance. Meanwhile, kompang-inspired rhythms evoke the communal effort of preparing for the decisive confrontation.
Act III sees the villagers rejoicing as the boy’s plan succeeds, freeing them from the swordfish threat. But as they celebrate his cleverness, the Raja, fearing the boy’s growing influence, secretly plots his assassination to secure his own power. In the final act, as the boy returns to his home atop a hill and drifts into peaceful sleep, the Raja’s soldiers strike in the dead of night, silencing him forever. His spilled blood stains the earth, and at dawn, the grieving villagers name the place Bukit Merah (Red Hill), ensuring his memory lives on.
Beyond its historical and musical elements, The Redhill Passion is also deeply personal, reflecting my own musical journey, shaped by choral experiences around the world. It is dedicated to my late friend and fellow musician, Low Zhi Yang, whose wisdom and deep passion for the choral art I deeply admire. This work is both a tribute and a postcard addressed upwards: I would like to think Zhi Yang would have found joy in this music, and perhaps even laughed at how seriously I have taken this whole journey.
directed by Katy Lavinia Cooper
University of Glasgow Chapel Choir with Kevin Bowyer (organ), Gabrielle McCann (Narrator), Euan McDonald (The Boy), and Alex White (The Raja)
The Redhill Passion is an oratorio that intertwines history, folklore, and personal reflection. Inspired by the legend of Singapura Dilanggar Todak (Singapore attacked by swordfish), it tells the tragic yet heroic tale of a young boy whose wisdom saved his people, only for him to be slain out of fear and jealousy. Echoing themes of passion narratives, the work explores suffering, redemption, and remembrance.
A central aspect of this piece is its engagement with language: not just in the interplay of English, Malay, and Singlish (the creole language of contemporary Singapore), but in the way these languages carry the rhythms and inflections of different lived experiences. This premiere is particularly meaningful because the performers, predominantly non-native speakers of Malay and Singlish, have embraced the challenge of learning its unique cadences and expressive qualities. Their commitment to understanding and embodying these nuances is an effort worth celebrating. It highlights how music becomes a site of negotiation where cultures meet, perspectives shift, and the unfamiliar is not only encountered but deeply felt.
Musically, The Redhill Passion integrates Southeast Asian and Western choral traditions. Modal influences, particularly the Balinese selisir scale, shape the choral textures, while rhythmic structures draw inspiration from kompang frame drumming and traditional Malay percussive patterns. The use of handheld percussion, including mortar and pestle, angklung, handbells, and gong, symbolises the persistent violence of the swordfish attack and the innocence of the boy.
In Act I, the peaceful lives of the orang laut are shattered when relentless swordfish invade the shores, injuring fishermen and threatening their survival, prompting the Raja to declare war on the fish. In Act II, the Raja’s soldiers fail to defeat the swordfish, and as the villagers despair, a wise boy steps forward with a simple yet ingenious plan to trap the swordfish using banana stems, offering the kingdom its only hope for survival. The organ solo at the end of Act 2 marks a pivotal transition, where the selisir mode is transformed through the organ’s unique temperament and resonance. Meanwhile, kompang-inspired rhythms evoke the communal effort of preparing for the decisive confrontation.
Act III sees the villagers rejoicing as the boy’s plan succeeds, freeing them from the swordfish threat. But as they celebrate his cleverness, the Raja, fearing the boy’s growing influence, secretly plots his assassination to secure his own power. In the final act, as the boy returns to his home atop a hill and drifts into peaceful sleep, the Raja’s soldiers strike in the dead of night, silencing him forever. His spilled blood stains the earth, and at dawn, the grieving villagers name the place Bukit Merah (Red Hill), ensuring his memory lives on.
Beyond its historical and musical elements, The Redhill Passion is also deeply personal, reflecting my own musical journey, shaped by choral experiences around the world. It is dedicated to my late friend and fellow musician, Low Zhi Yang, whose wisdom and deep passion for the choral art I deeply admire. This work is both a tribute and a postcard addressed upwards: I would like to think Zhi Yang would have found joy in this music, and perhaps even laughed at how seriously I have taken this whole journey.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published or Performed - 11 Mar 2025 |