Tenor’s death silences local music industry

KUALA LUMPUR: He, perhaps, needs no introduction in the music circle, at home or abroad.

Tenor Armando Chin Yong had won several international awards in the 1980s but most of his performances in the past one decade were at private functions, charity shows and church events.

He last performed at a church concert on Jan 15. Chin, 52, died of a massive heart attack on Feb 2 – Chinese New Year’s eve – after walking his dog in his neighbourhood in Cheras.

He left behind wife Zhu Shu Wan, 50, and 12-year-old son Chin Yi.

Toh Puan Ena Ling, wife of former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, roped Chin into her Caring and Sharing Choir after she saw Chin performing at a play – Marriage of Figaro – at the Petaling Jaya Civic Hall in 1999.

“His voice and expression were so good. He was a good man and a staunch Christian,” she recalled at Chin’s wake.

Fellow choir member, tenor Lim Cheng Hock, said he first saw Chin performing with an orchestra in Taiwan in the 1980s.

He said the Chinese-educated Chin, who grew up in Bahau, Negri Sembilan, sang in Chinese, Italian and German.

Chin graduated from the Malaysia Institute of Arts here in 1983 and spent several years studying and performing in Italy, Austria and Germany.

Lim described Chin’s passing as a great loss to the music circle.

A concert will be held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here on Feb 25 in his memory and also to raise funds for Chin Yi’s education.

The Caring and Sharing Choir will sing two of Chin’s favourite songs, Man Jiang Hung (The River is Red) and Amazing Grace.

The concert will also feature the Yin Qi Music Centre, Ren Jing Choir, Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Angela Cheok, Chow Kam Leong, Lim Cheng Hock and David Ngim.

For enquiries, call 03 22746645.