My Challenging Piece: Nach Soviel Nebel

Procrastination--putting off or delaying. Despite having the privilege of having 120 hours of surfing, I only managed to write one blog in a week. I kept putting it off for some strange reason or maybe it's because I still have yet to hold on to an inspiration--the one motivation that made me began this blog in the first place. Sometimes when faced with a choral piece that's not too easy to learn, the choir would at times "procrastinate." But eventually, we get it done in time for the performance or competition. Amazingly, we'd be successful at it.

Nach Soviel Nebel is one of those pieces. Composed by Bruno Strobl for the competition in Austria, Nach Soviel Nebel is a challenging piece because honestly, it's no ordinary piece. As Strobl would say in his profile, "My composition style is structurally determined. In the late 1980s I decided to experiment with the partial tone row as a basis for composing. It took me a year, and several compositions, to consolidate the features of this style. Since then, I have been fascinated by the versatility, diversity and the incorporation of many musical elements in which this style can be used." via Bruno Strobl.

Here is the composition as performed by the Paragita Choir. There are parts in the song which is sung in piano or pianissimo--very softly. It's a difficult piece but one that's worth singing.

Filipino Folk Goes International: Iddem-Dem Mallida

Singkreis Porcia was founded in 1956. Members come from the communities of Upper Carinthia. They come from different professions, some of them are into music as a profession. The choir has developed more intensively and is now one of the well-known choirs in Austria. They have performed in many countries around the world, represented at prestigious festivals in various concerts in Austria and been repeatedly invited by domestic and foreign radio and television stations to participate in live performances and archival footage.
 
Via Singkreis Porcia (roughly translated in Google Translate)

When I came to Austria with Novo to participate in one of the world's prestigious choir festival and competition in Spittal an der Drau, the Singkreis Porcia performed in a welcome concert wherein they sang the various folk songs from the country of origin of the different participating choirs. In this concert, they sang Iddem-Dem Mallida as representative of the Philippine choir. I've sung this song with a different choir and so I was really excited to hear their rendition of this song. They sounded good and in fact, their approach to the song came out as classical--smooth, harmonious, polyphonic singing at best. Admittedly, the song wasn't suppose to be sung that way. Nevertheless, I feature this song and this rendition for the sole purpose of saying thank you and for giving their best to sing a Filipino folk song that many Filipino choirs have sung. 


Here is a video of their rendition captured in my own meek digital camera. The picture isn't that good but you could hear their singing which is more important. Iddem-Dem Malida is an Itneg Tribal Chant, arranged by Elmo Makil. It's origin I believe is the Mountain Province of Northern Philippines. Here is Singkreis Porcia singing Iddem-Dem Mallida.

Lyrics (based on the musical score)

Iddem-dem mallida, inabacmidaida
Iddem-dem mallida
Yomayom agdagdagi yomayom
Iddem-dem mallida, inabacmidaida
Dong dong ay sidongilay insallidumay
Ilailalay, Ilailalay
Yomayom agdagdagi yomayom
Iddem-dem mallida, inabacmidaida
Iddem-dem maillida