Review: Kancatala's Serangkai Harum Harmoni Concert Provides Warmth and Harmony

On Sunday, July 28th, the choir group Kancatala Ensemble held the concert Serangkai Harum Harmoni (‘An Arrangement of Fragrant Harmony’) at GoetheHaus, Jakarta. The show’s theme was love in its various forms, interpreted through 12 different songs (including 2 originals making their debut).

The show went viral on Twitter (currently called X) when a thread posted by one of Kancatala members gained the internet’s attention on July 4th. The social media thread introduced the choir, the upcoming show, and then confessed that ticket sales were slow. Since then, the thread was seen more than 3 million times and got 12 thousand retweets. The show consequently sold out, a testament to the power of social media.

Serangkai Harum Harmoni is presented with the narrative framework of a radio channel, in collaboration with the theater group Arutala. The chirpy announcer reads letters that she received from the listeners. Those letters tell of various moments and forms of love: romantic, platonic, familial, and more. The announcer then picks a flower from her garden that carries the meaning of that specific form of love and puts it in a vase.

The songs are similarly chosen based on these forms of love. It’s a mix of classics and more modern songs, English and Bahasa Indonesia, smaller numbers and full ensemble numbers. The setlist perfectly exemplifies the message that love comes in many forms.

Kancatala’s choristers are composed of Indonesians from different ages, genders, and ethnicities, including two children. They are clad in black-and-white suits or dresses, creating for a simple but pleasant look.

As for the performances themselves, they are charming and enjoyable to listen to. Although perhaps not at a professional level of finesse, the performers clearly put a lot of heart into each number. The numbers are also accentuated with blocking, movements, and expressions that give an additional layer of depth.

Certain numbers are also accompanied by either a piano or a guitar, but most of them are sung a capella. This minimalist approach can make the unaccompanied numbers feel comparatively a bit empty, but overall the arrangements are still enjoyable and allow the singers’ voices to come through clearly.

The show also champions the #NyanyiBarengLebihSeru (#SingingTogetherIsFunner) campaign and makes good use of it. Kancatala invites more than 40 singers to sing in selected numbers during the concert through the Open Community Choir program.

For the final number, the conductor even invites the audience to sing together to the song “You Have More Friends Than You Know”. From the way the conductor teaches the parts, the lyrics themselves, and the moment when everybody sings together, there is an unmistakable sense of warmth and tenderness.

And that is where Serangkai Harum Harmoni shines. It is such a sincere, warm, joyful offering. When you watch them, the experience is not exactly like watching other concerts; it’s more akin to being welcomed into a group of old friends who you can sing together with.

This experience reflects the group’s name: Kancatala. Kanca means friend and tala means musical scale. It’s a friendship that’s built upon and around a love for music. And through Serangkai Harum Harmoni, Kancatala shows that they plan to extend and expand this gentle friendship circle, a truly precious gift.

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