The Mazu Chronicle
PUBLISHED July 15th, 2015 02:29 pm | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am
The Mazu Chronicle is an innovative symphonic dance-theatre performance featuring orchestral and choral music by Singaporean composers that pays homage to Asian folklore and the maritime pioneers of Singapore.
This special one-time only performance is helmed by Cultural Medallion recipients, Maestro Lim Yau and Choreographer Angela Liong, the artistic team behind the successful sold-out performance in 2013, The Rite of Spring : A People’s Stravinsky. This collaboration features the works of Leong Yoon Pin, Phoon Yew Tien, Er Yenn Chwen and Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai. Together they represent the establishment of 50 years of composition in Singapore.
Real-life stories of early seafarers of the Maritime Silk Road are interwoven with the legend of Mazu, the patron goddess of the sea, to create a magical tale that bridges myth and reality. It tells the story of early settlers in Singapore, who arrived in vessels via the Marine Silk Road. Besides engaging in commerce and trading activities, these pioneers seized upon the opportunities of a thriving maritime industry to create better lives for themselves and to settle down in this tiny island they would eventually call home. The stories of these early seafarers have inspired subsequent generations of seekers, armed with the same spirit of adventure, extraordinary strength, courage, and vision – qualities necessary to navigate the changes and uncertainties of today’s modern world. This is especially poignant given the 50th year of our nation’s independence.
The inter-generational performance incorporates the creative energies of seniors and youth from the community, with professional dancers from The ARTS FISSION Company and musicians from The Philharmonic Orchestra and The Philharmonic Chamber Choir. This production also features innovative staging elements. The unique placement of the orchestra onstage (as opposed to in an orchestral pit) will be something that has not been attempted before in the Esplanade Concert Hall. The acoustic settings have also been designed to allow audiences to experience the orchestra anew. Audiences will also be immersed in a visual spectacle. New media artist Ong Kian Peng, (a President’s Young Talents 2015 nominee) will use projection mapping to transform the Esplanade Concert Hall into a vessel that traverses the landscape of memory and imagination.
This performance will be held on the 30th of August 2015, at the Esplanade Concert Hall. The performance will last for one hour with no intermission. Tickets are priced at $26, $21, and $17, available now at [Sistic](http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/mazu0815). Click [here](https://www.facebook.com/mazuchronicle) for more information.
