The South African composer and musician Abel Selaocoe brings his extraordinary energy to the Ordway Concert Hall in a showcase of his many gifts.
An artistic partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Selaocoe made his debut with the group in 2022. This weekend at the Express Concert, the musician’s infectious joy in the music seems to rub off on everyone around him — fellow musicians and audience alike.
From baroque and classical to contemporary, the program has a rich texture. It begins with a work by Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova, called “Insight” for String Trio, where Selaocoe is joined by artistic director and principal violin player Kyu-Young Kim and violist Lisa Sung. Together, they create the sound of a harmonica in Tabakova’s mysterious work that melds sounds together, then lets them float free.
Selaocoe then shares one of his own pieces, “Tsohle, Tsohle,” based on a hymn that translates to mean “Everything, Everything.” Selaocoe shares his breathy, husky voice, a cello vocabulary filled with harmonics and pizzicato, and a backdrop of muted percussion underneath the orchestra for the work.
Speaking to the audience on Thursday, Selaocoe described the evening’s mood as “slow jams.”
“We make simple music and we can say everything with it,” he said.
It may be simple, but there’s a whole lot going on at multiple levels. Selaocoe has a knack for creating surprising sounds you wouldn’t normally expect. His vocalizing is made of breath, singing and also vocal overtones called umngqokolo. His playing, meanwhile, transforms his cello into other instruments altogether. Strumming it, it becomes like a guitar. At other times, he turns his cello into a percussive instrument.
Meanwhile, percussionist Steve Kimball, who uses a rainstick, chimes and a large drum perched on a cushion, holds his own in the complex rhythms, particularly in Selaocoe’s piece, “Tshepo,” arranged by Fred Thomas.
Halfway through the concert, the SPCO performs Haydn’s Symphony No. 8, “Le Soir (Evening),” in which bassist Zachary Cohen performs a captivating solo in the third movement.
From there, the orchestra plays one more of Selaocoe’s compositions with him, titled “Ancestral Affirmations.” It begins with the adage: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best is now.” Selaocoe is a marvel to watch as the piece gets going. He instigates electricity that spreads all around him.
He brings that fire as well to the final piece, La Musica notturna di Madrid for String Quintet, by 19th century Italian composer Luigi Boccherini. Like other works in the program, Boccherini evokes imagery that helps the listener “feel” what it’s like to be in Madrid through the composer’s experience. Among the highlights is a lovely duet, performed by Selaocoe and Concertmaster Steven Copes.
For an encore after Thursday evening’s performance, the artist performed solo as he improvised off of one of his compositions. The mesmerizing piece conjured the sound of an instrument used in capoeira, the dancelike martial art of Brazil. Ecstatic and utterly original, his playing at the last moments hearkens a talented performer unafraid to venture in unconventional directions.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with Abel Selaocoe
What: Express Concert: Haydn’s Evening Symphony with Abel Selaocoe
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul
Tickets: $12-55 at thespco.org
Capsule: Abel Selaocoe’s joy in the music and innovative style has audiences marveling.
