Memory And Music Stage Show Brings Heritage To Life At Perak Museum

TAIPING, Sept 15 (Bernama) --  The Perak Museum Department, in collaboration with the Taiping Heritage Society, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and The Crafting Music Pianos Kuala Lumpur, successfully staged the Memories and Music show at the Perak Museum yesterday.

Conceptualised by the Taiping Heritage Society, the event forms part of the wider three-day Legacy 2025 programme that began last Friday, held at several locations, including the Maxwell BaseCamp and Taiping Public Library.

Legacy 2025 is an initiative designed to unite heritage through artistic performance, creating an immersive experience for the audience to deepen their understanding of heritage values and foster an appreciation for cultural identity through music, song, and dance.

Perak Museum Department director Mohd Nasrulamiazam Mohd Nasir said the initiative aims to turn museums into active hubs for developing heritage and artistic ideas, moving beyond their traditional role as mere places to exhibit artefacts and bringing them closer to the community.

He added that the programme also plays an important role in attracting diverse audiences from all ethnicities and backgrounds to enjoy cultural arts in an inclusive atmosphere, thereby uniting the community through the power of music.

"The performance acted like a 'voice of the spirit,' truly bringing the soul of the museum to life. We want the public to see museums as living institutions with a new, dynamic function, not as static places confined to exhibitions and artefacts alone," he told Bernama yesterday.

He emphasised the remarkable diversity of the audience, which included people of various ethnicities from Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan, with some even travelling from Singapore specifically to experience this unique musical performance. 

"What we witnessed was a symbol of unity. People from all backgrounds came together without prejudice or racism. We were united through the concept of music, simply enjoying the performance without any racial boundaries," he added.

Mohd Nasrulamiazam clarified that while his department provided the venue, facilities, and programme management, the Taiping Heritage Society fully funded the costs.

He expressed his hope for the future, stating, "I hope that more music programmes like this can be held on a larger scale, perhaps as mini concerts involving orchestras and a wider variety of musical instruments."

The hour-long Memories and Music production was led by Dr Ang Mei Foong, an award-winning soprano and Head of Music at UPM.

It was performed by the Dendang Suara Serantau musical group, comprised of UPM students, who presented a unique moving music concept, which guided the audience through the various galleries of the Perak Museum.

The audience was treated to melodious singing and high-quality vocal harmonies while appreciating the heritage collections on display, creating a uniquely immersive experience, set to the sound of classical songs and medleys of local folk music.

He added that the Department of Museums Malaysia highly encourages collaborative programmes across its network of 22 museums, and that future partnerships with the Taiping Heritage Society and Crafting Music Pianos Kuala Lumpur would also be proposed.

"This initiative aims to jointly promote cultural and arts programmes, leveraging the expertise and resources from various organisations. 

"These strategic partnerships have significant potential to enrich the nation's artistic and cultural treasures while attracting more visitors to museums and their events," he said.

-- BERNAMA