Malaysia is not an easy place for minorities, and I’ve always felt there was huge potential for new choral artistic work in KL that develops community. I had a couple of meetings while I was there that gave me great hope.

Sean Ghazi

One was with West End star and LA actor Sean Ghazi, who curates an amazing cabaret and music space called Bobo in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Here we are at Bobo, chatting with human rights lawyer Robyn Choi. Sean and I made plans for an inclusive show with singers than never quite came off, but I am still hopeful we can get something together in the future.

Mak Chi Hoe

The other was with choral conductor and expert educator Mak Chi Ho, who touches the lives of around 1000 singers a week through his Young Choral Academy, which trains singers from 9 through to adulthood. I was really inspired by his comment that the kind of choral singing he wanted to hear in KL simply wasn’t happening, so he decided to make it happen by setting up his own business. He also directs the KL Young Singers and KL City Opera.

Small world(!), it turns out that Mak Chi Hoe also has done projects with two good friends from my UK jazz days, top players and writers Pete Churchill and Nikki Iles.