The South African composer and musician Abel Selaocoe brings his extraordinary energy to the Ordway Concert Hall in a showcase of his many gifts.
A creative partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Selaocoe made his debut with the group in 2022. This weekend on the Express Concert, the musician’s infectious joy within the music seems to rub off on everyone around him — fellow musicians and audience alike.
From baroque and classical to contemporary, this system has a wealthy texture. It begins with a piece 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 in all his own pieces, “Tsohle, Tsohle,” based on a hymn that translates to mean “Every thing, Every thing.” Selaocoe shares his breathy, husky voice, a cello vocabulary crammed with harmonics and pizzicato, and a backdrop of muted percussion underneath the orchestra for the work.
Talking to the audience on Thursday, Selaocoe described the evening’s mood as “slow jams.”
“We make easy music and we are able to say every little thing with it,” he said.
It could be easy, but there’s an entire lot occurring at multiple levels. Selaocoe has a knack for creating surprising sounds you wouldn’t normally expect. His vocalizing is fabricated from breath, singing and in addition 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 right into a percussive instrument.
Meanwhile, percussionist Steve Kimball, who uses a rainstick, chimes and a big drum perched on a cushion, holds his own within 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),” through which bassist Zachary Cohen performs a fascinating solo within the third movement.
From there, the orchestra plays yet another of Selaocoe’s compositions with him, titled “Ancestral Affirmations.” It begins with the adage: “The perfect time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best is now.” Selaocoe is a marvel to observe because the piece gets going. He instigates electricity that spreads throughout him.
He brings that fireside as well to the ultimate piece, La Musica notturna di Madrid for String Quintet, by nineteenth century Italian composer Luigi Boccherini. Like other works in this system, Boccherini evokes imagery that helps the listener “feel” what it’s wish to be in Madrid through the composer’s experience. Among the many highlights is a stunning 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 in all his compositions. The mesmerizing piece conjured the sound of an instrument utilized in capoeira, the dancelike martial art of Brazil. Ecstatic and utterly original, his playing on the last moments hearkens a talented performer unafraid to enterprise 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 within the music and modern style has audiences marveling.