FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT : OPERA “SOLACE OF PAPAN”

The Classical Opera “Solace of Papan” is first and foremost an anti-war statement that was written by acclaimed director Chin San Sooi as librettist with music composed by accomplished conductor Lam Siu Chong, founder of the PJ Philharmonic Orchestra and the L & J Conservatory of Music. The current day backdrop is the ongoing war in Ukraine and the recent conflict in Gaza which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The “Solace of Papan” is set in British Malaya during the Second World War in what was once the thriving tin mining town of Papan in Perak where Dr Abdon Clement Kathigasu and his wife Sybil Daly established and ran a medical clinic. They were inevitably accused by the Japanese occupiers after being betrayed of aiding the wounded and the Resistance to their detriment.

The “Solace of Papan” depicts the cold calculated cruelty of the Japanese Occupation, the internment and torture of Sybil and the people of Papan at the hands of the Kempetai. The ravages of war bring desolation to any place, an eerie aftermath of physical destruction and of personal isolation. San Sooi in the lyrics convey the dark depths of Sybil’s despair but also depicts dramatically her own inner solace drawn from the steadfastness of her faith.

Siu Chong’s music as composed transformed the arias into an ethereal experience in the realm of the divine as Sybil struggled in her suffering alone in her prison cell and among the vermin. The lamentations of the languishing townsfolk are contrasted with the spiritedness of the Japanese soldiers promising their vision of a greater coprosperity sphere.

Soprano Ang Mei Fong in the lead role together with her formidable cast backed by the 60-piece PJ Philharmonic Orchestra has brought together a forceful performance that can only portray both at the same time the desperate desolation and the solace amidst the horrors of war. So little has changed from the dark days of 1943 as we now see more of the same in 2024 enacted elsewhere in our present world, some 81 years later.

The Opera “Solace of Papan” is anticipated to open in May 2024.

The highlights of the Opera will be performed in a special preview at 6.00 pm on 21st January at the Estate@Federal Hill, 333 Jalan Damansara, Kuala Lumpur with rehearsal at 5.00 pm on the 20th January. All supporters, benefactors and well wishers of this grand operatic effort, the first of its kind to be attempted in Malaysia are welcome to attend and to meet with the producers, director, composer, cast and orchestra members.

This Opera “Solace of Papan” is another project undertaken by the Camerata Dell Arte of Kuala Lumpur, an informal network of music teachers, students, supporters and enthusiasts from around the city and the Klang Valley. Attendance is free but registration by RSVP is required to ensure seating is available. Members of the media who wish to find out more and arrange interviews can contact Ms Mayli Lim: maylilim@gmail.com Tel no: 018 361 8900

Venue website : https://theestatekl.com.my/
https://maps.app.goo.gl/PLDaQALyCXGdT7g67

Issued 17 January 2024