Melakan ReSonance | Manila Galleon

Starting off the festivities with music of international trade and globalisation – in the heart of the historical city!

For two and a half centuries, between 1564 and 1815, the Manila galleons brought luxury goods such as spices and porcelains to America in exchange for silver, fostering cultural exchanges that shaped the identities and cultures of South-East Asia, Spain, and the Spanish Americas. Along this global trade route, people and music flowed freely, making for some surprising influences and results.

We present a selection of music that would have been heard at places along this journey from Madrid to Manila to Mexico. Music written for and favoured by Spanish monarchs of the Golden Age features heavily in our programme, such as Josquin’s chanson Mille regretz and Morales’ Missa Mille Regretz written for Emperor Charles V. Spanish-themed music also appears – the Bassadanza ‘La Spagna’ and Heinrich Isaac’s Missa La Spagna, as well as dance music from the guitar books of Gaspar Sanz and Santiago de Murcia, secular songs from the cancioneiros (song books), and harp dances from Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz’ Luz y Norte collection of 1677. Naturally, there is music on a theme of sailing and exploration: the barzeletta ‘Ayo visto lo mappamundo’, Cornago’s Missa de Mappamundi based on it.

While not part of the Manila Galleon route, Portuguese Malacca was still linked to it, as Spain and Portugal shared resources and rulers from 1580-1640, and cultural influences both ways were strong. In that way, music from the Spanish regions also resounded in Portuguese Malacca and the region.

Accompanied by period instruments such as renaissance and baroque guitars, viols, recorders, and percussion, Cappella Martialis will be pronouncing the texts as closely as possible to how they would have been performed in the 16th and 17th centuries, making for a musical time machine evening. Full texts and translations will be provided.

MELAKAN ReSONANCE | MANILA GALLEON
Featuring Cappella Martialis:
Singers Michelle Chan • Joycelyn Chng • Tabitha Chong • Victor Gan • Goh Hsuan Hsuan • Hor Xinrong • Peter Lee • Ng Beng Choo • Rachel Ong • Aditya Santoso • Seah Su-Lyn • Sze Shao Tang • Tay Jia Qi • Martin Teo • Edward C. Yong
Instrumentalists Brian Wang, (treble viol), Joycelyn Chng, (recorders), Edward C. Yong, (renaissance & baroque guitars, recorder, percussion)
Conductor Yeo Ying Hao

Date: 15th June 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 8:00pm (Doors open 7:00pm)
Venue: **UPDATED LOCATION** Church of St. Mary, Ayer Salak
Tickets: RM38 Standard | RM32 Concession (Students/Senior Citizens/Differently Abled)
🔖 FESTIVAL PASS (Access to all events): Standard RM75 | Concession RM62

Click here to reserve tickets now or WhatsApp 011-1639 1641 for more information.