ANTARA (Between)

Available for SSAATTBB a cappella
Duration: ~3:45

Exclusively distributed by Graphite Publishing as part of the Tracy Wong Series. Purchase this piece HERE!

About the piece

ANTARA (Between) was commissioned in 2021 by Exultate Chamber Singers (Mark Ramsay, Artistic Director) on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. This piece is a musical expression of being “in between” and the celebration of human resilience. The music reflects this through texts by Malay lyricist Mohamad Fairuz bin Mohamad Tauhid, which suggests that strength, in times of conflict, comes from recognizing on our growth and embracing discomfort. This is explored in various sections through asymmetry (being in limbo), pedal points (stillness), and rhythmic drive (anxious / anticipation / excitement). The loose rondo form allows the theme (“antara”) to return in between sections of these musical thoughts.
– Tracy Wong, September 2021

About the lyricist:

Mohd Fairuz bin Mohd Tauhid (b. 1982) is a choreographer, dancer, singer-songwriter, and performance artist. Currently based in Malaysia, Fairuz regularly choreographs for TV, film productions, and nation-wide advertisements. His career on the performance stage includes leading roles in multiple Malaysian musical productions (eg. Puteri Gunung Ledang, The Musical, P. Ramlee, The Musical). His exploration in the world of song writing is based on, and inspired by movement, choreography, and his viewpoint on the world of dance in Malaysia. This can be heard in his self-released songs (available on iTunes and Spotify): TARIKU (My Dance), JOGETKU (My Joget), Ikutiku (Follow Me), and Zapinku (My Zapin).

Connect with Tracy!

Tracy is happy to connect with choral educators, conductors, and choirs via email and online workshops to discuss the context of the piece, pronunciation, and performance style.

Learning Resources for “ANTARA (Between)”

Learning tracks coming soon! Contact Tracy if you would also like to purchase learning tracks and pronunciation guide, and/or have Tracy workshop this piece with your choir!

Recordings

Official Music Video by Exultate Chamber Singers

Performed by: Exultate Chamber Singers
Music: Tracy Wong
Lyrics: Mohd Fairuz Bin Mohd Tauhid
Director and Choreographer: Jennifer Nichols
Director of Photography: Stephen Bell
Video Production: Coffeeshop Film & Creative
Video Editor: Patrick Hagarty
Audio available on our latest album, At First Light
Musical score available at Graphite

Thanks to FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) whose generous funding made this video possible.

Behind the Scenes

Join us behind the scenes with Exultate Chamber Singers for a look at how we created the video for ANTARA!

Director and choreographer Jennifer Nichols, composer Tracy Wong, and artistic director and conductor Mark Ramsay provide background on the piece and the inspiration for the video. You also meet choristers who share why they love this music and singing with Exultate, and you’ll see the amazing folks from Coffeeshop Film and Creative in action!

Performance at PODIUM 2022

Performed by Exultate Chamber Singers & Dr. Mark Ramsay (artistic director) at PODIUM 2022 – Choral Canada’s National biennial bilingual choral conference and festival.