Voices of Penang Philharmonic is a choir of 35 enthusiastic choristers between the ages of 16 and 30. Re-established in January 2017 under new choral leadership, the singers aim to impart youthful vibrancy and to celebrate the beauty of choral music.
Coming up in September are two back-to-back concerts, with similar repertoire of sacred and modern choral pieces, “Take Flight” and “Exultate Deo!”
The first of these, “Take Flight” will take place on September 8th at 7pm at penangpac. Tickets cost RM 50 and can be purchased at the box office or here.
The repertoire for the evening is very varied. It includes a soaring arrangement of the traditional Catholic prayer Ave Maria by the distinguished Portuguese composer, Eurico Carrapatoso, first performed in 2012. There will also be an arrangement of the Indonesian lullaby Soleram by off-Broadway composer Fabian Obispo, and an exuberant spiritual-style song using jazz articulations, Plenty Good Room (On the Glory Train), with words and music by Kirby Shaw. The classics are not forgotten either as the choir will perform Exultate Deo by Italian Renaissance composer Palestrina and the challenging Jaglied (Hunting Song) by German Romantic Felix Mendelssohn. Most of the pieces will be performed a cappella. Updates can be found at their facebook page here.
“Exultate Deo!” follows on September 9th. It is a charity concert to support this year’s Bicentenary celebration of St George’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in South East Asia, and the music performed will be the same as the evening before at penangpac. 
The concert will take place in the Church at 1 Lebuh Farquhar at 7pm (doors open at 6.15pm) and also costs RM 50, which will go to the Church’s Bicentenary Project. This project aims to raise RM 1 Million to give back to the disadvantaged community of Penang through education, feeding of the poor and by providing financial support, medical assistance and emergency relief funds. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Church office, or on the day of the concert at the church itself. Contact Ms. Ooi Poh Poh at 04-261 2739 or Mr. William at 016-415 9844 for more details or to purchase tickets.
For more details on the concert and the Bicentenary project you can look at St George’s Church’s Facebook page here.