𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘢— From Scientific Discovery to Musical Masterpiece
It all started when Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh, Research Fellow at LKCNHM, was looking up on Luciola singapura, on the internet—Singapore’s recent addition of a new firefly species, which was unveiled by Dr Wan and her team of researchers in March last year. For those of you who remember, this was the first time since 1909 that a new species of luminous firefly was discovered in the last remaining freshwater swamp forest in Singapore.
𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘢 perching on a leaf. (Photo by Shivaram Rasu)
As news of the discovery last year slowly faded with time, little did Dr Wan expect to stumble on yet another remarkable find—a symphony piece titled ‘Luciola singapura’ which was composed by a young Singaporean composer, Koh Cheng Jin, in commemoration of Singapore’s 56th birthday for the annual Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) National Day Concert last year. Unbeknownst to Dr Wan and her team, Cheng Jin had taken inspiration from their discovery of this golden shimmery firefly to create a magical melodic gift for the nation.
A photo of SSO rehearsing ‘Luciola singapura’ [left] and composer Koh Cheng Jin playing the Yang Qin [right]. (Photos by Koh Cheng Jin)
The piece is a musical evocation of the Singapore firefly which is a dazzling blend of both East and West with Cheng Jin’s unique addition of the Yang Qin with the orchestra. Merging both Chinese and Western influences is iconic in her works as she enjoys unifying creative music idioms together.
The team was in awe to find that the Yang Qin and violin performer is the youngest ever composer to be commissioned by the SSO in 2016. On 18 May 2022, Cheng Jin was also one of seven composers awarded at the 70th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards in the US, winning the William Schuman prize for ‘Luciola singapura’, deemed most accomplished score of the competition. Just recently, she also attained the 2022 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award for the piece, which encourage talented young creators of concert music ranging from 13 to 30 years old.
Koh Cheng Jin is a Singaporean composer who is currently based in New York. (Photo by Koh Cheng Jin)
Enthralled and intrigued by this bright and upcoming musician, we got in touch with Cheng Jin to share more about why she had chosen this humble firefly and how it had inspired her in creating her piece:
Qn: Why did you choose the Luciola singapura to compose your music? What is it about the firefly that struck you?
As my work was part of SSO’s National Day Concert (in 2021), what could be better than to honour Singapore’s 56th birthday with the commemoration of Luciola singapura‘s discovery? Amid the global pandemic, this phenomenon is a beacon of hope, enriching our national and natural heritage. The work expresses my deep passion, augmented more so in such trying times, to celebrate all things uniquely Singaporean. I wanted my version of Luciola singapura to serve as a timely reminder for the preservation of endangered species and core habitats in the face of ceaseless modernization and climate change.
A male 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘢 flashing its bioluminescent light organ in the night. (Photo by Shivaram Rasu)
Qn: How was the process like for you as you were composing this piece?
With the colourful addition of the Yang Qin (Chinese dulcimer), an instrument special to my musical upbringing, the music strives to evoke the mysterious allure and animated vitality of this wondrous, luminous creature. Chinese music gestures (as I play the Yang Qin myself apart from violin and piano) can also be heard dispersedly, combined with long melodic lines and fresh harmonies. I have never seen a firefly in real life before. But having the image of Luciola in my mind keeps me going with the piece! The beginning is soft, quiet and mysterious, colourful through orchestration effects. Later, a rhythmic groove enters with fragments of melodies passed within the orchestra, signifying the firefly’s shimmering flight among the grove and bushes. In the last section, I evoke an image of the fireflies caught up in a dance whirlwind of sorts through the use of a jazzy bassline and pulsating rhythms.
Qn: What is the main message or experience that you hope your audience will take away from your piece?
I hope the audience can conjure up their own imagination of the unique firefly as my piece progresses and enjoy the journey!
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Cheng Jin’s piece is as riveting as how she describes it. Watch the full performance of ‘Luciola singapura’ by the SSO here:
Happy World Firefly Day, everyone!
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‘Luciola singapura’ is commissioned by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and supported by DBS Bank.
Learn more about Koh Cheng Jin here.
Read the research paper here in the journal Animals: Molecular systematics of the firefly genus Luciola (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae) with the description of a new species from Singapore