Folklore & Roots:
Fables and Beginnings Through Music

A Flute and Guitar recital by Roberto Alvarez & Hunter Mah,
with visuals by SY Mah.

Folklore & Roots is a recital of flute and classical guitar music, accompanied by visual projections. It is an expanded version of a recital that was first performed by flautist Roberto Alvarez and classical guitarist Hunter Mah, produced by the National Gallery of Singapore as part of their Art + Live⎮Resonates series. Because of the Covid19 pandemic, that recital was redacted, then broadcasted online through the National Gallery’s video streaming platform. Folklore & Roots restores that recital to its entirety, to be performed live with further pieces, and enhanced by cinematic complements.

The programme curates pieces from diverse cultures that tell the stories of their peoples, places, and origins. Works such as Dos aires candomberos by Máximo Pujol (Argentina), Romanian Folkdances by Béla Bartók (Hungary), and No Feathers on this Frog by Dusan Bogdanovic (Serbia), all weave a tapestry of human history and endeavour, highlighting musical tropes used in folk songs and dances for both the ordinary and the momentous.

Cinematic projections heighten the experience by showcasing visual aspects derived from the music, for example, with tongue-in-cheek Balkan art style animation for Dusan Bogdanovic’s music, and a digital collage display of "hidden message" Romanian textile patterns to accompany Bartók’s Romanian Folkdances.

As a very special addition, this recital will feature the Singapore (Asian) premiere of Qart Hadasht by young Singapore composer Goi Ywei Chern - though modern, the work hearkens back to times past by the incorporation of folk melodies and old harmonies.

All visuals accompanying the live performance are new works by visual artist SY Mah.