By Jayne Chan (14S03D) and Sushma Pai (14S03R)

The first ever motion picture created was of a running horse. Looking back, the film industry has come a long way since then. From the insanity of Black Swan, to the heart-stopping (and sometimes, gory) action of Django Unchained, the film industry has captured millions of hearts and minds with its magical way of drawing you into a whole other world, before launching you (cruelly) back into reality. In somewhat similar fashion, Raffles Film Society documented their first forays into filmmaking in a half-hour showcase aptly named, “The Horse In Motion”.

Knock

The showcase opened with Knock, a chilling take on urban legends. Knock features a student studying late into the night, the ticking clock his soundtrack and books, his companion. Suddenly, a strange knocking interrupts his thoughts. Curious, he gets up to investigate. As he makes his way down a red-tinged hall, and opens the main door, he finds nothing. Perplexed, he resigns himself to returning to studying. However, the knocking persists and the story’s true climax comes with a shocking revelation.

The film oscillated between climaxing and sliding into a resolution… Or so we thought. It maintained a tight grip on building tension throughout, truly an excellent blend of spine-chilling music and suspense that kept us on the edge of our seats for its entire duration.

Trace

Being the only non-English short film in the entire compilation, the story was narrated by the main character himself in fluent Chinese. Trace featured a private detective taken off the side-lines and thrust into the spotlight, in an ironic role reversal. The audience was led through the main character’s thoughts, featuring a woman, later understood to be his wife. Following her discreetly, he observes her with another man from a distance. Flashbacks to his married past then culminated in him attacking the man from the back, remarking, “This will be my last assignment.”

Feng Weihan remarked, “I wanted to explore more mature themes”, when asked about why he chose to make a film on this topic. Unsurprisingly, this motion picture was indeed a reasonable exploration of more mature themes such as loss and memory. It was a breath of fresh air and was indeed pleasing to watch.

The Relationship Blocks

“People form relationships all the time, block by block… As they get closer, the tower grows.”

The film begins with a newly-formed friendship between a boy and a girl, through studying sessions. As we all know, though not impossible, ‘just friends’ is hardly ever the case between members of opposite genders. As the film progresses, the girl begins to fall in love with the boy. In fear that her confession might affect their friendship, she holds back. Yet when she finally gathers up the courage to write a confession note, the boy has already gone off with someone else – as you would probably expect. She crumples up the note, throwing it away. The film then closes with the demolition of the tower built up throughout the film as their relationship grew, only to collapse in the end.

The Anomaly Integration

The unusual title of this film caught our eye. It was directed and produced in a simple manner, telling the story of a “Mugger” being the ‘anomaly’ in his class of ‘bo-chups’ (loosely translated, a Hokkien phrase meaning “couldn’t care less”).  He was always relegated to the side-lines, partly due to his ‘80s-influenced fashion sense with the ever-popular high-waisted pant. Nevertheless, this film had a happy ending with the “Mugger” finally ‘integrating’ with his classmates due to their shared dislike towards a particularly naggy teacher. The light-heartedness and relatability of the film through its depiction of school-life made it an enjoyable watch.

Two. Point. Four.

“2.4 timing: 20 minutes.”

A boy despairs over his inability to pass his 2.4km run. He is motivated to run with a girl he likes, inspired to run faster in her presence. Eventually, our hero finishes his 2.4km in a mere ten minutes, running across the bridge towards the girl, then revealed to be a figment of his imagination. Out of the blue, the boy poses with a bottle of F&N and appears to advertise it. This was an unexpected twist in the film, possibly meant to be a parody, definitely catching the audience by surprise.

Redemption

The final short film screened was a re-hash of the usual “student-drug-addict-meets-his-end-and-wishes-to-repent” plot, and predictably, it did mirror those “1800-X-AHLONG” commercials on television for the ‘redemption’ factor. Nevertheless, its fancy cinematography compensated for it being rather forgettable. It was indeed a powerful end to the string of 6 short films we were treated to.

The scriptwriters, directors, and producers of the short films

Some of the themes covered in the short films, such as the lack of social integration and relationship building, are popular topics students are able to relate to and empathise with. Such themes were accurately portrayed in the short films. Raffles Film also branched out and touched on delicate themes, such as unfaithful relationships, drug addiction, and even horror. It was an ambitious decision to direct and film such themes, but Raffles Film did an absolutely brilliant job in capturing the audience’s hearts.

Viewers were kept engaged throughout each and every film by the carefully-selected music and entertaining dialogues. The impressive cinematography undoubtedly made the half hour worth our time, despite some of the plots being slightly clichéd. Whilst the audience turnout may have been less than ideal, the films screened were excellent first attempts and showed the tremendous hard work put in by the members to make this happen.

The production process was indeed a challenge posed to the members of Raffles Film. Year Fives were split into groups and tasked to write a script, only to swap scripts with each other after hours of fine-tuning. These films were largely completed over the span of two days – which included familiarizing themselves with new scripts, acting, and filming – and were wholly edited by Year Fives. Of course, the Year Sixes played a role in the production as well, producing films such as Trace. Under these circumstances, the showcase was indeed a commendable production.

Wu Jiamin of 14S03S commented, “the films were not made with million-dollar budgets, but they were made with ‘million-dollar hearts.’” And yes – that is certainly good enough for us, even though the transparency of the themes did cast a shadow on the creative, eye-catching cinematography. Just as the film industry has matured into the multi-million dollar industry it is today, we must never forget that it all began with a running horse. In similar fashion, Raffles Film, guided by Mr Kelvin Sng, director of the locally-acclaimed movie, “Taxi! Taxi!”, has the potential to grow, and we definitely look forward to future productions from them.

Watch their preview below.

By Gao Wenxin (14A03A) and Nguyen Trung Huan (14S05A)
Photos by Mathew Gan (14A01C)

If one went into Highly Strung 2 expecting it to be an ordinary concert, he would have immediately dispelled that belief the moment he stepped into TheatreWorks 72-13 last Friday night. Notably hosted in an atypical stripped-down venue very different from a conventional concert hall, members of the Raffles Chamber Ensemble performed two shows with the acclaimed T’ang Quartet, which showcased emerging Rafflesian talent alongside the seasoned musicians and their protégés, both private students and students of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

TheatreWorks 72-13: a beautifully refreshing setting

Highly Strung 2 was presented in a highly unusual setting at 72-13, a warehouse converted into a makeshift stage for the performance. A light strip demarcated the the stage area, with blocks sporting the trademark ARTS SEASON 2013 tape and sparsely scattered chairs replacing the typical concert grand stand. In fact, after overcoming their initial surprise, much of the school crowd chose to sit on the floor, themselves participating in the artistic experience by ‘interpreting the space’ as they scattered themselves in knots, selecting their preferred angle of view. All musicians were visible throughout the performance, entering and exiting with seamless informality from a visible holding area, demarcated only by more Art Season tape.

In the absence of a distant raised platform or backstage area to separate performers from audience, the arrangement offered a real sense of intimacy, which was enhanced by the smart casual pastel colours of the musicians’ untraditional performance attire. Furthering the sense of immediacy was the absence of emcees and programme notes, which kept the audience intrigued and obliged to meet the series of musical offerings on their own terms throughout. The ensemble for each piece was regularly rotated and kept small, in keeping with the intimate venue and the convention of a traditional chamber ensemble – although many offerings were subtle and innovative, at times almost atonal, and far from traditional.

The programme opened with two extracts from Carl Nielsen’s well-known Little Suite, starting slow with the Praeludium, before moving on to the Finale, where earlier themes were revisited at a higher tempo, as the piece soared to a synchronic climax.

Next came Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite, played out of the usual order, with the second movement Pavane placed first and – a pleasant surprise – serving as a fitting introduction to the rhythmic Basse-Danse (normally the first movement). There was a sense of movement in the music throughout, and of liveliness and spirit in the Basse-Dance especially, which was quite in keeping with the origins and intentions of a dance suite.

Fantasia on a phrase by Monteverdi

There followed the truly unique Fantasia on a phrase by Monteverdi. This is not a piece by the famous Claudio Monteverdi, but a contemporary work by Tomas Friberg, a wildly cinematic score, presented by a row of 8 instrumentalists. The symmetry seen on stage was juxtaposed with the almost discordant score to create a sense of discomfort. The piece seemed to bounce from one instrument to another, at times swelling in volume, at times dissolving into near silence, as the musicians subtly hovered around semitone intervals, which somehow managed to wander hypnotically and disturbingly without losing a thread of central melody.

The Fantasia served as introduction to a further series of innovative modern offerings, beginning with the bright and sprightly Le diverti se ment by Jean-Philippe Goude. The title is perhaps a pun on the French term divertissement, or a light piece of music often played for entertainment, and suggests ‘the entertainment lies’ or ‘the entertainment lies about itself’, without actually forming a properly grammatical sentence. The energy put into this piece was truly infectious, and not at all dissipated by the closing cheeky pizzicato note. It was taken up in Maurizio Bignone’s Il mistero di cossyra, the next offering, which alternated unison passages with solos in a musical car-chase of high drama.

T’ang Quartet

A string of quartets followed, including Passamezzo, Arvo Pärt’s Summa, and Schnittke’s Polka. The first was a melodious treat, a series of comfortable mid-range notes embracing the audience warmly, before the Polka raised the pace and pitch. In contrast, Summa was a classic showcase of Arvo Pärt’s minimalist style, rocking between different harmonies, steady and meditative.

Gopak by Modest Mussorgsky was the finale of the night, bringing all the Raffles players onstage, playing scoreless and with zest, ending the night on a joyous and triumphant note.

Gopak

As a whole, the concert featured a varied repertoire, not only exploring contemporary works but also giving a modern twist to the traditional close-knit affair of chamber music. Although the audience may have been initially slow to respond to the unfamiliar setting and the experimental nature of some works, the event surely turned out to be a musical education for all.

After the concert we spoke to members of the T’ang Quartet, Mr Leslie Tan (cello) and Mr Lionel Tan (viola), both alumni of RI. Lionel agreed that “the pieces are designed and programmed in an unconventional setting and with an unconventional rethinking of the concert programme flow.” But he expressed that the selection of pieces was felt to have the potential to appeal to a young target audience.

Lionel explained that Highly Strung II was part of The Ensemble Dimension Project, which aims to “harness the power of youth” and develop talented young players. It arose when the T’ang Quartet was approached by the RI Aesthetics Department to work with the Chamber Ensemble, a first for the Quartet, who had previously involved young students in Highly Strung I, but had never before undertaken a full scale collaboration with a school ensemble. T’ang actually hesitated to agree to the project at first, until after they held auditions at RI. At this point, they were duly impressed and, as Lionel put it, thought “Ok, this is the kind of talent we’re looking for!”.

Curtain call

The final verdict? “This is our second installment of the Highly Strung concert series, and we’re very happy to have done it and hope that RI is equally happy with it. We hope the kids have really learnt something! I think the students have progressed a lot and even the most shy ones have opened up. I’m very pleased with the show.”

Mr Leslie Tan, the cellist, draws much of the concert-goer’s attention with his signature long hair and stage presence. Besides which, how can anyone fail to be impressed by an artiste who goes about with a cello stashed in the back of his means of transportation – a pastel pink vintage school-bus! One could be intimidated approaching such a figure, but we were struck with Leslie’s friendliness when he greeted us. With a light-hearted laugh, he exclaimed, “Hey, please don’t call me Sir. You’re making me feel so old!”

In our informal interview, Leslie shared his passion for Singapore’s classical music scene. The main reason for the quartet members’ decisions to return to Singapore after graduation was that they “realised that there was just too much to be done” in the local arts scene for them to be content to stay overseas and miss out on contributing. Sighed Leslie, “Over the years, I have met many talented students. But by the time they reach O-Level or A-Level, they stop practising as they decide to pursue higher earning careers like medicine or law.”

The future of classical music in Singapore, Leslie feels, will depend on a change of “mindset”. The social pressure creates too much of an overwhelming force that magnifies and exaggerates the value of “conventional dreams” and of holding high-paid office jobs. His ambition is to plant the idea of forgoing such prosaic “dreams” and encourage some to be brave enough to follow in the footsteps of T’ang’s now highly successful musical career. Leslie told us that, on hearing about T’ang’s first full scale collaboration with a school ensemble, his students from other schools such as ACSI or HCI asked, ‘Why didn’t you do this for us?” His response: “Because you never asked!”

by Alison Olivia Lewis (14S03S), with additional reporting by Muhammad Garda Ramadhito (14S05B)
Photos by: Wang Ziren and Edwin Chow (Photographic Society)

Widely regarded as one of the most prominent events on the ARTSeason Calendar, Raffles Jazz’s concert “Like A Boss” certainly lived up to the hype surrounding it. Hosting a fully packed crowd to the point many were forced to sit on the steps, Raffles Jazz opened the show with the curtains closed, a string of sweet, lone notes trailing behind them. As the curtains parted, Raffles Jazz’s first band opened the show with the upbeat “Spain”, setting a relaxed atmosphere that would last the rest of the night.

After the opening song, the emcees, Andrew Chia and Victoria Yeo, stepped out to formally welcome the audience. Decked out in well-coordinated outfits, the emcees further lightened the mood with their cheerfulness and lame (and sometimes painful) puns, which only promised a chill, laid-back evening.

The concert segment displayed the incredible talents of the Raffles Jazz members, performing passionate and expressive renditions of songs such as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, written by Cole Porter and became a signature Frank Sinatra song, and “The Chicken”, originally made famous by Jaco Pastorius. Most of the songs also featured solos by each instrumentalist, their abilities on stage also matching their enthusiasm. Many of the performers clearly held those sharing the stage with them in high regard – saxophonist Andrew Chia commented of how anxious he was “playing beside a great trumpeter (Quek Qian Yi)”, and how “pressurizing (it was) to play at her standard.” Despite the nerves, it was clear every performer had a unique ability that provided an added edge to each performance, with the various instruments complementing each other in perfect harmony.

However, the highlight of the show’s initial segment was its finale, a cover of “Virtual Insanity”, originally by Jamiroquai. Lead singer Brillia was, simply put, brilliant – her bright voice coupled with her cheeriness and powerful stage presence lit up the stage. The complementing instrumentals further enhanced the performance. For example, the violin and viola brought depth and character to the piece, while the keyboard added a modern touch to a song now 17 years old. Raffles Jazz’s rendition of this funky tune was well received, and was indeed a great end to the first half of the evening.

Traditionally, Raffles Jazz has always “jazzed up” a usually standard concert format with a ‘musical’ segment featuring scripted staging and acting, and Like A Boss was no different. After a fifteen minute intermission, as Raffles Jazz returned to kick off their with a song entitled “Zoot Suit Riot”, they emerged onto the stage in masks and bearing guns, only to be “shot down” by the end, quite literally starting this segment with a bang. Featuring a witty script coupled with more cringe-worthy puns, this stray off the usual concert course proved to be a pleasant surprise, the highlight being the effeminate boss of the main character’s rival agency Hunter Skywalker, portrayed by Lin Qi, who not only stood out with his convincing display, but also brought much laughter to the crowd.

The finale piece, For Once In My Life, featured various characters getting together with their love interests from the musical, including main characters Jack and Jill Doe, who performed a short Broadway-style dance. Though clichéd, the “happily ever after” fairy tale ending never gets old and got the approval of the audience, who cheered for the rather cute (yet sadly fictional) couples.

Despite being a tradition, opting to go with a musical raised several eyebrows, including some from its own members. Lin Qi mentions, “I was uncertain of how it was going to go and how we would manage the technical challenges involved, and as much as it is a short visual show itself, the music is a large part of it – so I didn’t know how we would do it.” One of the other key challenges which came up during the rehearsal process was balancing acting and playing music. This was worked around by the organisation of the concert – Andrew tells us that “those who had major acting roles had few (1-2) songs, while those who didn’t got a few more tunes (3-4).” Beyond that, it also came down to the sheer hard work of the actors, as Lin Qi adds, “We tried hard for all the aspects of our performance. Acting a role just means that you have to put in time to learn your lines and know what to show people. We worked at it from rehearsal to rehearsal, and it’s just a bit of extra effort that you put in alongside playing music, which is the main thing.”

Not forgetting the people who worked so hard behind-the scenes, Raffles Jazz ended the evening making sure to thank everyone who played a role in their performance, most notably teacher-in-charge Ms Jina Foo. When spoken to about how she viewed the experience as a whole, she mentions how she finds working with the Jazz musicians a joy. “They are humble and willing to improve,” praised Ms. Foo, who willingly stayed back almost every day to let the musicians practise until perfection is achieved. “I look forward to work with them again for future concerts”, she declared, hopefully a sign of more to come.

After the lights dimmed, the audience clearly couldn’t get enough of the catchy jazz tunes as they chanted for an encore. After some time, Jazz members returned to the stage to perform September by Earth, Wind and Fire, while the other non-performing members danced along to a performance that summed up the sheer quality and talent on offer for the night.

Unbelievably, some of the performers on stage that night had little experience performing on stage. Pianist Jennifer Ho admitted that she was very nervous before the concert, as this was the first time she had played music and acted in front of a live audience for quite a while. Likewise, drummer Timothy Tan found the experience incredibly rewarding, adding that while “the rehearsal process was really sapping and trying at times, I had a lot of fun preparing with my CCA mates”. Incredibly, some of the performers were playing parts outside of their comfort zone – when we spoke with her, Jennifer also humbly admitted, “I am not very classically trained like the typical pianist. I stopped attending piano lessons once I had my Grade 5 exam.” That said, any deficiency went well unnoticed, the top-notch performances still full of emotion and stunning quality.

Looking ahead, many of the performers on stage were Year 5s, and their ability to match up with their experienced seniors promises an even better show next year. On the whole, Like A Boss was a great showing from Raffles Jazz, and certainly entertained all in the audience who wished to unwind after a hectic week at school. Like A Boss was definitely worth catching, and certainly was a highlight of ARTSeason 2013 thus far.

You can watch Raffles Jazz’s performance of “Virtual Insanity” here:

Setlist:

First half:

1.     Spain
2.     I’ve Got You Under My Skin
3.     Girl from Ipanema
4.     Nature Boy
5.     Moanin’
6.     Lullaby of Birdland
7.     The Chicken
8.     Virtual Insanity

Second half:

1.     Zoot Suit Riot
2.     Close to You
3.     Cold Cold Heart
4.     Power Rangers
5.     For Once in My Life

By Vanathi Rajarajan (14S05B) and Lakshmanan Lakshmi (14S06B)
Photographs by Chelsea Ng (Photographic Society) and Niranjana Krishna

4 months of meticulous planning. 2 months of dedicated practice. 1 week of intense rehearsals.

18th May 2013 marked the day that Raffles Indian Cultural Society (ICS) had been preparing for – Sangamam. Largely considered the most anticipated cultural night of the year, Sangamam brought together a close-knit community revelling in music, dance, colour and drama.

The event started off with the song Tamil Thai Vazhthu, a song sung in praise of the tamil language and culture, an age-old custom to mark the beginning of Indian events.

This was followed by own Raffles Indian Dance’s opening routine, Natya Shristi. It was a splendid classical piece that depicted Bhava (Expressions), Raga (Music), Tala (Rhythm) and Natya (Dramatic dance). The myriad of emotions and flavours in the piece made it a colourful and lively feast for the eyes.

This year, Sangamam was graced by Mr Janil Puthucheary, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, and of course, our very own principal Mrs Lim. Even Mrs Lim joined in the spirit of the occasion, arriving in an elegant traditional Indian saree.

Guest-Of-Honour Mr Janil Puthucheary, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

Principal Mrs Lim gracing the event

As the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered, the Year Fives took the stage for the first time with their batch performance. Thirteen of them put up a comical drama based on the themes of love, family and friendships. The drama followed Muthu, Aruna, Karthik and Ambhu as they ventured into a little adventure to succeed in love. Although it was their first experience acting for most of them, this did not deter them from stepping into the characters’ shoes, bringing them to life. With a well-crafted script and storyline, the drama was a full entertainment package, bringing forth peals laughter from the audience.

After a captivating performance, the audience enjoyed a medley of songs sung by our very ICS members. The medley comprised of various soothing Tamil songs from famous movies, including Kumki and Kadal. The familiarity and exuberance of the songs got the audience singing along too! This segment definitely brought a smile to many faces.

The concert proceeded shortly after, with a classical performance. With the confluence of both Carnatic and Hindustani elements, this segment featured the various facets of Indian classical music at its finest. The performance was executed in perfection, as all three performers, Govind, Swedha and Priyadarshini, were trained and had prior experience in classical music.

The Indian dancers took the stage by storm, and this time, it was a trendy and fun Bollywood performance. In a truly heartwarming moment, the batch of 2012, despite having graduated from the school, returned to put up a joint performance with the Year Fives, a genuine testament to the bonded community – the Raffles family.

This was followed by yet another comedic drama production by the graduating batch of Year Sixes. Steering away from the tried and tested Sangamam Drama formula of romance, comedy and happily ever afters, this drama took an original turn, making for a fresh change for audience members. In the play, the main character, Sanjay, meticulously makes countless attempts to impress his wife Maya, with the help of his family and friends, albeit in funny laughable ways. However, contrary to our expectations, Maya remained immune to his charms right till the very end! With its unusual ending, the senior batch’s bold attempt of trying something new this year definitely paid off.

The much awaited couple dance did not fail to dazzle the crowd. The five pairs did an excellent job, and unlike previous years, there was clever use of props in the dance too. The performance followed five couples as they danced their way through a fun and emotional journey from a pattikaadu (village) to the pattinam (city). A special feature of the couple dance this year was the use of glow-in-the-dark masks! It provided a truly an innovative touch to the dance which did not disappoint.

The show ended with a bang, with the finale performed by the whole CCA. All the members rocked the stage as everyone rocked out to fast, upbeat songs, ending the show in a highly memorable manner.

When asked about the experience of organising Sangamam, overall IC Premikha (13S03A) said, “I felt that this year’s Sangamam was a great success considering the many challenges we had this year, especially as it was on the same day as two other major Indian events. To make sure that we attracted a crowd for was definitely not an easy task, but we still managed to pull it off really well – even the GOH mentioned he enjoyed the show!”

She also praised the commitment of the other members in the CCA for their effort despite various commitments, citing thanks to the teacher-in-charge Mdm Meera, Fahima the co-IC, the EXCO members and the CCA. ”I learnt a lot about the talents of the other members in my CCA,” she said.

Although it was mainly a Tamil event, Sangamam did not fail to attract the non-Tamil speaking crowd. Year Five Cheryl Huang had come to support her friends. “It was a really colourful show. I could see the amount of effort put in by all the members and it was really heartening to see how their Indian community is so bonded. It was a really fun concert and it was great to see all their different talents.” Sangamam proved to be a great success, and Raffles Press wishes Raffles ICS to another great year ahead.

By Law May Ning (14S03O)
Photos by Aidan Mock

“A biochemist will tell you that the ingestion of heroin provides an addict with a transcendent state of euphoria, which occurs because diacetylmorphine is being metabolized into 6-monoacetylmorphine and morphine in the brain.

He cannot tell you, however, about the intense torment which grips you when you try to go cold turkey. He cannot tell you about the sleepless nights which seem to drag on forever, while sweat pours from every burning pore in your body, or the tortuous days you have to suffer through while your head threatens to explode. He can never imagine what it is like to have every single joint in your body ache while your legs shake uncontrollably.

He has not been to hell and back.”

– An extract from Innocence Lost and Found, the fifth story in Sense of a Beginning

On the 22nd May 2013, at a ceremony with various special guests such as President of the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) Mr Poh Geok Ek, a group of literary enthusiasts from RI launched Sense of a Beginning, an anthology of five different tales of substance abuse – tales of temptation, capitulation but ultimately, redemption. The brainchild of 5 students from Raffles Institution, the book was created in collaboration with SANA, and under the guidance of their teacher-mentor, Mrs Nicola Jane Perry, the group of 5 Year 6 students conducted interviews with five former drug addicts – of which Mrs Perry called “a humbling experience”. The accounts were then passed on to a group of Year 5 volunteers that transfigured them into literary works, mostly prose pieces.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Raffles Institution 1823 fund and Mr Peter Lim, 1000 copies of the book will be disseminated to volunteers and clients of SANA in addition to schools and public libraries across Singapore.

“The book sought to showcase the courage and fortitude of the individual,” said Mr Poh, the president of SANA, at the launch of the book. “We wanted to feature the painful path to recovery and found youths most at risk, and this book serves as an avenue to create awareness of issues related to drug addiction.”

Certainly, the stories of five troubled lives, all linked inextricably by the often tabooed issue of substance abuse, makes for promising literary material. However, did our writers do them justice?

The Pros

When the words “substance abuse” come to mind, one might think of school talks about questionable influence and succumbing to peer pressure. With five stories running on such a theme, one might hence be, in a typical situation, well-justified in opening the book expecting the trite cautionary tale. Thankfully, however, Sense of a Beginning manages to largely avoid the cliched pitfalls of a typical true story anthology — beyond the good-kid-gone-bad, rehab and turning over a new leaf plot line, the writers in the book develop the individual characters’ stories and situations. From broken families to sheer curiosity, we are believably shown the different motivations why one might possibly abuse drugs, and the reasons that they kicked the habit. And even when the story involves bad influence as a factor leading to drug use, the authors managed to bring it across in a way that seems authentic to a young teenager.

Lim was my first friend. He had introduced me to the rest of the group after our first meeting. Here, it didn’t matter what number was on your report card, whether it was blue or red, or what anybody else thought about you. As long as we stayed, we got each other’s “protection”.

– An extract from Shackled, the first story in Sense of a Beginning

Most importantly, the stories are convincing. Because each and every character has their own unique story, we feel for them, and we feel their joy when they get off drugs and they get through their troubles. The writers skilfully provide nuanced insights into the state of mind of the characters.

“I don’t want you to sing in here. I want to see you singing outside,” was what my superintendent in prison told me.

My name is Michael, an ex-drug offender, and this is my story.

– The opening of Sing On, the fourth story in the anthology

Yet, the greatest appeal of the book lies in the eclectic mix of personas it presents. The five characters come from all different walks of life: Eunice, in Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home, is a university student who picks up drugs, Madeleine in A Father’s Love is a 24-year-old single mother cum part time student, Michael in Sing On ends up a successful musician, while Ali and Vijay in Shackled and Innocence Lost and Found are blue collared workers. The variety of perspectives which the book offers make for an extremely stimulating read that broadens one world view. And the stories are often moving, eliciting genuine response from the readers as we feel the raw fear and uncertainty the characters have of the future.

“The sight of those police officers, the fact of my father’s betrayal, the question of what would happen to my son and, perhaps most significantly, the rise of the fears of what would happen to me all left me in too shocked a state to react rationally. I remember screaming then, eventually, packing my things and changing my clothes before leaving with the two officers under the stares of neighbours who were curious to know what was going on but too afraid to ask. Most of all, I remember my father’s face as he watched me leave, weighed down by my 5-year-old son in his arms but also by his fear of the future.”

– An extract from A Father’s Love, the third story in the anthology

And no issue is too big to be tackled. From broken families, teenage pregnancies and deaths of loved ones, Sense of a Beginning addresses perturbing issues, made particularly poignant because they are all real.

In one particular scene in Innocence Lost and Found, the last story in the anthology, a caning scene is painfully written out, coming across horrifying and eliciting genuine shock from the reader. Vijay, the protagonist, compares counting the strokes of the cane he is meted out to learning to count as a child, and the sharp juxtaposition between the innocence of childhood and the tainted road he took by succumbing to drug use only serves to highlight the horror the reader feels when one reads the unsettling descriptions of his wounds later. The powerlessness that Vijay feels as he can only accept his punishment of being caned serves as good as any school talk a stern admonishing tale against drug use for any youth.

“When we were all young, inquisitive toddlers, we learned to count. Slowly and painstakingly, our preschool teachers made us all stretch out our stubby little fingers, and repeat after her. Little did I know, however, that these fond recollections would soon be brought back to life; this time with a sinister twist.”

“I was now sobbing uncontrollably, mucus streaming out of my nostrils as my whole body shook violently. The biting cold air in the room seemed to attack the open wound on my buttocks, grating against the broken skin. My head almost exploded from the torment, as the pain reached an unbelievably agonizing crescendo. This had to stop. I just could not take it any longer.”

“Please… please sir, may the next four strokes be postponed to a later date?” I managed a barely audible whisper.

– Extracts from Innocence Lost and Found, the fifth story in the anthology

Each short story is followed by a two page reflection written by the SANA counsellor attached to each former drug addict. The reflections offer a sort of mini epilogue for each story as we find out what happened to the character in the story, and end with a sort of feel-good closure for the reader, while showing us a slightly more detached perspective of a social worker.

The Cons

The authors of Sense of a Beginning are said to have provided “creative interpretations of the transcripts” in the introduction, and while one admires the skill they have at their craft, Sense of a Beginning can occasionally come across as confusing for the average reader, perhaps because of the literary depth of the pieces.

In the first story, Shackled, the writer employs an abrupt shift in point-of-view midway through the story, something that can come across as disorienting initially — the story shifts from Ali’s point of view to third person notes on a prisoner in a rehabilitation centre. This is particularly confusing because there appears to be a chronological jump of a number of years between the break, though this is never really addressed. Only on a second, closer reading does one realise that Ali the teenager from the first part of the story has now assumed the persona of a depersonalised, middle-aged prisoner much later in life.

“JW.

0700: It’s time for Prison Inmate No. 1786 to wake up. Name: Ali.

0730: 1786 appears to be exhibiting the usual symptoms. He’s still in a cold sweat. His heart rate is still manageable, although he is undergoing some palpitations. Help from the Medical Officer is unnecessary as of now, but will be needed in the event that he experiences difficulty breathing.”

– An extract from Shackled, the first story in the anthology

However, the complexity of the stories cannot be evidenced more than in the second piece, Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home, which comes across more of an artistic exercise rather than a story. While it may certainly interest the more poetic, it can be a bit hard for the average teenager to get what the writer is talking about, and one can lose interest in the story. Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home, is structured as a play with 3 Acts of 2-3 Scenes each, and we are shown, the life of Eunice, a student who took drugs in university, as though her life were a play on stage, complete with stage directions and director notes. While unique and creative, the employment of such a technique confuses the reader, more so because of narration to the play at the start of each scene, which is mostly philosophical musing. Even more confusing is the fact that the narrator is named as “Man” as though he were a character, and it takes a slower reading to realise that it is more an introduction and commentary on each Act and unrelated to the events in the story.

“Act 1 Scene 1

Man: What is communism? Prevailing official opinion would have the plebeian believe it is nothing more than a conspiracy cunningly crafted by people left behind by our “success story”. To borrow a phrase from Marx’s lexicon, academia would rather brand communism the opiate of the masses, parading them under a banner of equality. All of them are wrong. To substitute a cursory, speculative answer to this question with one well-grounded in empirical metaphysics, the answer is crystal clear. The academic position ought to be reversed.

Drugs are communism. Under the common experience of a ‘high’, people start to believe that their lives are getting better but in essence, they are living under the oppresive thumb, or tongue if you prefer an oral ingestion of the unhealthy vitamin: drugs. Party drugs which induce the constant pivoting of a human being’s head upon its axis, symbolize a constant denial of reality…”

“Act 3 Scene 1

Man: Hope and faith are the anchors of humanity in its bawling infancy. That is to say that it is strongest when people are first exposed to such a thought, and alternative experiences have been found wanting. If an individual experiences a late conversion to religion, it is usually the result of a traumatic experience, or a deep sense of isolation due to the loss of positive human contact. in such cases, the human in question will be reconnected with the metaphysical fabric that binds society together. Other caveats are also required to complete the healing process, including a renewal of familial ties.”

– Extracts from Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home, the second story in the anthology

The piece tends to come across as esoteric as even the characters in the story do not seem to follow the conventional customs of a play – for example, the protagonist, Eunice, at one point breaks the fourth wall and starts speaking directly to the audience after an earlier conversation with a friend, who may or may not be actually alive. It is unclear whether Eunice is hallucinating, talking to herself, or if the other character, Marg, is actually in the scene at all.

“Eunice: Work lately has been really… what’s the word. Tiring. Exhausting. Fatigue inducing… Burn out? There’s nowhere to turn. People don’t understand, no, they really don’t. Do you want to know what happened to Marg? Do You?

Enter Marg. The prevailing mood is austere. She sits atop the table, but Eunice does not explicitly acknowledge her presence, nor does she give any signals as to ignoring Marg’s presence.

Eunice: They say Marg committed suicide –

Marg: I did!

Eunice: She was under all the stress, her colleagues said

Marg: I was!”

– An extract from Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home

Eunice’s spiritual awakening at the end of the play is also addressed extremely vaguely and leaves the reader wondering what really happened to her beyond the end of the book, after she found religion.

“Eunice:…. But one day, I found God. There are people who say that He is a lie, an evil fabrication, but to me, He is my shepherd – He led me back to Pa, to Ma, to things that I once held dear. And I will be held dear, dearly.

No longer fatherless. No longer rootless.

I am home.

Fade out.

– The end of Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home

Of course, it could be interpreted as a very literary piece and as a whole, it does certainly make for a very different read altogether.

The Verdict

For a book targeted at 15-19 year olds, the stories in Sense of a Beginning hit home and are not afraid to tackle issues of betrayal, desire for acceptance, and ultimately love. However, given the target audience, the style of some of the pieces, particularly the play Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home, may seem a little too inscrutable. Nonetheless, at a mere 83 pages, Sense of a Beginning is a tiny book that packs a punch, and is definitely a thought-provoking anthology much worth a read.

Yet regardless of how the book conveys the specific messages or what we think of it – it is undeniable that this project is taking the first step in raising awareness to the risks of drug addiction, “something other than a pamphlet, leaflet or information sheet to get across the marginalised elements of society”, as summarised by Mrs Perry. On what she hopes this project will achieve, Mrs Perry believes that “if one person reads this book, and as a result can help himself, or someone else, then it’s been worthwhile. Obviously we want to help more people, but at the bare minimum, one person means this book already has made an impact.” We certainly believe this project can inspire others to do more, to initiate more community projects, and will definitely make an impact on our wider community, in the fight against drug abuse and addiction.

Sense of a Beginning: An Anthology
1. Shackled (By Bradley Yam 14AO1C)
2. Comfort is Feeling at Home, at Home (By Lim Wei Khai 14AO1C)
3. A Father’s Love (By Tan Kuan Hian 14AO1C)
4. Sing On (By Sng Geng 13AO1A)
5. Innocence Lost and Found (By Lee Chin Wee 14AO1B )

Interviews by Chan Kai Yan, (13AO1A) Chua Jun Yan, (13AO1A) Koh Hui Kai, (13SO3E) Koh Liang Ping (13SO3I) and Sng Geng (13AO1A)

A copy of this book can be borrowed from the Shaw Foundation Library.

By Austin Zheng (14A01B), Mindy Yeo (14S03R), Lee Yun Wen (14S03R)
Photographs by Matthew Yeo

‘I love acting. It is so much more real than life.’
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

As evening fell on the last day of the semester, a bustling crowd gradually streamed into the PAC foyer, buzzing with anticipation for Raffles Players’ annual college production. Curious newcomers and theatre aficionados alike went to support their friends and family, with even Mrs Lim Lai Cheng turning up to watch the play. An elaborate assortment of Victorian furniture and costumes had been thoughtfully set up for the restless audience as they eagerly waited for the doors to open. The décor provided a fitting backdrop to the night’s production, a rendition of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan. Reflecting the vacuous viciousness of gossip, the ambiguity of human morality, and the hypocrisy of Victorian society, the play follows the puritanical Lady Windermere as she suspects her husband of cheating on her with the seductive Mrs Erlynne, who is actually her mother.

It is always difficult to produce a play from a different time period, and the cast had the additional challenge of reproducing Wilde’s wit on stage. They however managed to pull it off, putting up a laudable performance that left the audience shaking with mirth. The supporting characters were the stars of the night, with Aaheli Tarafdar perfectly portraying the Duchess of Berwick as a stereotypical meddling, middle-aged matriarch, complete with a shrill, assertive voice and exaggerated expressions. Aeron Ee’s Mr Cecil Graham was the epitome of arrogance, delivering his lines with slicing wit and a haughty tone of self-importance. The other actors also displayed elegant proficiency, from Shrey Bhargava’s dangerously charismatic Lord Darlington to Bradley Yam’s bumbling Lord Augustus Lorton. Behind the scenes, the Players had spent innumerable hours honing their craft for the stage. Bradley related that it was his first time acting as an elderly man, and that it was challenging to learn the corresponding mannerisms. Publicity officer Vivien Neoh observed that the rehearsals were ‘a very tiring process. Learning to project one’s voice in an English accent puts great strain on the vocal chords.’

The cast made the play truly memorable, with play’s climax being particularly so. It was brilliantly executed, with Lady Erlynne suddenly stepping onto the stage, causing the agitated men to freeze in shock as a nearly-discovered Lady Windermere scampered away behind their backs. The speed of Lady Erlynne’s intervention, the brazenness of Lady Windermere’s flight and the hyperbolised reactions of the men made the scene side-splittingly hilarious. The audience’s uproarious laughter, which reverberated throughout the theatre long after the scene had ended, left no doubt about that.

Yet the most impressive aspect of the play was the Victorian outfits and props. While the foyer installations were remarkable, it soon became apparentthat they were merely a prelude to the lavish costumes and sets of the stage. Exquisite gowns and intricate furniture made for a breathtaking sight right from the outset, with each actress wearing up to three dresses over the course of the play. Judith Tan, a member of the costumes and makeup crew, recounted, ‘We had togo out every day to costume shops to get them… it was really difficult to find Victorian jewellery and costumes, especially since every item on the set was sourced.’ Shrey explained that the costume team’s professional perfectionism prompted them to research on genuine Victorian clothing styles to avoid renting inauthentic pieces, which necessitated painstaking investigation into a multitude of rental shops. The crew’s prodigious efforts have certainly paid off, with the costumes and sets superbly complementing the cast, allowing the audience to truly visualise and appreciate the play’s Victorian setting. The Victorian-styled music also heightened the audience’s experience, allowing the lengthy transitions between acts to appear natural. Even with the admirable acting, it is no exaggeration to say that the play would have been a whitewashed shadow of its current self without its costumes and props.

Nevertheless, there were inevitably areas for improvement. The actors stumbled over their lines with alarming frequency, particularly the butler, Parker. Even the lines that were delivered smoothly often seemed a beat off. An audience member, Neo Wei Sheng, noted that comic timing was of utmost importance in a comedy like Lady Windermere’s Fan, and that the imperfect pace rendered the otherwise amusing dialogue less funny than it should have been. The implications extended beyond humour: Mr Dumby, for example, was too hurried in responding to Lord Darlington’s line ‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.’ This meant that the audience could barely register the most famous line of the play. The performance also lacked energy at times, undermining the tension of several critical scenes. Another spectator, Angelica Chong, opined that Lady Windermere herself was the weak point in the play due to her insipid gestures and her grating accent and enunciation, a shortcoming shared by many female and minor characters.

There were also some odd directorial choices. Lord Windermere, for example, buried his face in his hands in an almost comical manner after his conflicted monologue regarding his wife’s accusations of infidelity. In another instance, Mr Cecil Graham tapped an enraged Lord Windermere on the shoulder not once, but two separate times with apparent mischief, providing a confusing touch to the play’s climax.

Ultimately, as Mr Peter Booth, a teacher-in-charge of Raffles Players and the director of the play, reflected, ‘There’s always room for improvement…with a play one always wishes that one has an extra three days  but if you get those extra three days, you wish for more.’ The strengths of the production exceeded its flaws, with the audience giving the cast and crew a rousing round of applause as the play concluded. It was a delightful finale for an eventful school term.

There was also a hint of poignancy to the play’s end, it being the Year Sixes’ last performance in Raffles. Shrey, a Year Six Player, commented, ‘I started with Year Three Dramafest, and it’s been an amazing experience so far… Raffles is a safe place, it doesn’t matter if you fail. But my next production will be my own, and it’ll be different because it won’t be here.’ Mr Booth gave a glowing account of the outgoing batch. ‘I’ll miss them when they go… it wasn’t just me guiding them; they gave me support too.’ It must have been quite a journey for the Year Sixes, but with an accomplished team of enthusiastic juniors, Raffles Players will be in good hands. It is after all apt that the Year Sixes’ final school production, Lady Windermere’s Fan, culminates with Lady Erlynne’s marriage to Lord Augustus, ending on a note of new possibilities.

By Lim Shaomin (14S03K) and Kylie Wong (14A01B)
Photos by Matthew Yeo (14SO3G) and Lim Shaomin (14SO3K)

It could have been a sign of bad things to come.

Even before the performance had begun, tensions were running high amongst the crowd at Scape. The ground floor of Scape was packed with an eager audience, revved up for the rock event of the year. Yet, as the time trickled past the designated starting time of 7pm and the doors to the warehouse remained firmly shut, murmurs of irritation and annoyance were rampant amongst the crowd, amplified only by the stifling heat  from the huge crowd. Pleas by the ushers for the crowd to move away from the entrance went unheeded, and when news leaked that a technical error had caused a delay, more complaints went up. Rock could have managed the crowd better, with retractable barriers as queue lines instead of allowing the audience to converge into an unrestrained mass. The absence of queue lines also meant that many latecomers were able to simply push their way to the front, displacing those who had made the effort to arrive early in order to secure good spots in the free-standing arena. The delay brought out the uglier side in some Rafflesians, as many displayed poor queuing etiquette, and brief scuffles and angry shouts even ensued when the doors were finally opened.

However, as many in the audience would later attest to, Rockout 2013 was well worth the wait.

Multi coloured strobe lights and theatrical smoke added to the atmosphere; each performance was accompanied by a mini laser-light show synchronised to the beat of the music. Combined with the theatrical fog, the effects were stunning. Before the start of each performance, a short video clip introducing the band performing was screened with screen time allotted to every band member – a commendable idea, considering the fact that onstage, most of the attention is given to the lead singer instead of the band members.

Lighting and technical did a ‘sound’ job!

Year 5 band Army of None was first to take the stage and they were welcomed enthusiastically by the hyped-up audience. Their performance was off to a muted start, however, as their first song, Charlie Brown by Coldplay, was unfamiliar amongst audience members. Nonetheless, the band eventually got the crowd going with their last song, Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. The excellent coordination among the members proved Army of None to be a promising band and amazing first act that left the audience craving for more.

Army of None’s lead singer, Jonathan Boey, delivering a spirited performance to the crowd.

Army of None opens the show with a bang!

Possum Parade, another Year 5 band, was next in the line-up, and the audience was treated to the crisp and well-controlled vocals of Rachel Lim as she and her band rocked out to popular tunes such as Little Talks by Monsters and Men and Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons. The energy in the audience was further amped up by the brilliant showing from Possum Parade, and at this point, several audience members had started crowd-surfing, adding another significant rock concert element to the night.

Possum Parade’s Rachel Lim looked stunning in her simple yet striking outfit.

The talented members of Possum Parade bringing the house down.

The next band to take the stage was the very first Year 6 band of the night, The Fifth Degree. Despite some technical difficulties with the microphones, the band was spontaneous and engaging, thoroughly entertaining the audience with their set, which included heavy-bass songs such as Light Up The Sky by Yellowcard and Damned If I Do Ya by All Time Low. Lead singer Hansel Tantohari impressed not only with his clear, edgy vocals but also with his charismatic stage presence. Eventually, the band ended off their energetic performance with a slower piece, playing In My Place by Coldplay. The chemistry among the members was evident, showing all the signs of a well-seasoned band at ease on stage and in front of a large audience.

The band’s guitarist, Jonathan Kit, shows off some impressive guitar chops.

The Fifth Degree earning well-deserved applause that night for their airtight performance!

After the intermission, there was a palpable change in atmosphere, as a more intimate stage setting was used for the later segment of the concert. William BJ and Stephanie Yeap, accompanied by fellow band members providing instrumental back-up, delivered a heartfelt and convincing acoustic performance of Therapy by All Time Low. Hansel, accompanied by Nicholas Neo on the keyboard, serenaded the moshers with a sincere rendition of John Mayer’s hit song Daughters and warmed the hearts of many. Jonathan Lee, supported by his band members, belted out his cover of Radiohead’s High and Dry. His husky powerhouse vocals raised goosebumps and left the audience blown away by his prowess. Rounding up the acoustic segment was Jonathan Kit as lead vocalist and Ernest Tan on the cajon with an earnest rendition of Live High by Jason Mraz.

Hansel croons to the soulful tune of a classic John Mayer melody.

Jonathan Lee and his band deliver an emotional rendition of High and Dry, leaving the audience spell-bound.

With the conclusion of the acoustic segment, After Indigo took command of the stage with a shift back to the high-octane performances that preceded the acoustic segment. A band familiar with performing in front of large audiences, After Indigo had performed at this year’s Like A R!ot as well as various other concerts. With technical precision down to a pat, the band was noteworthy for their combination of powerhouse vocals and electrifying instrumental sound. One of the most memorable moments was when the audience was left dazzled by Stephanie Yeap’s versatile vocal range as she belted out the chorus of All I Wanted by Paramore.

Jonathan Lee reaches out to an ecstatic audience.

After Indigo proved their mettle in a truly dynamic performance.

The last band to make their appearance was Eclectic Theatrics. Even after two hours of screaming themselves hoarse, the indefatigable audience still managed to give the band members a boisterous welcome. The band opened their set with Fall Out Boy’s old school hit, Dance, Dance, which proved to be insanely popular with the many Fall Out Boy fans among the audience. A spirited delivery of Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars followed – it was definitely satisfying to shout ‘No! No! No! No!’ while pumping our fists up in the air during the song. All inhibitions were left behind as the audience let loose in the mosh pit; jumping, fist pumping and even some air guitar action was spotted!

Eclectic Theatrics held nothing back in a thrilling performance marking the end of their Rock experience as a band.

Chia Yaim Chong engages the audience with his charming guitar medleys.

Clearly, the audience was not about to leave the concert without an encore performance. The Year 6 bands came on stage one last time to perform for the insatiable crowd of screaming fans in an unforgettable final farewell. The Year 6s seemed determined to go out not with a fizzle, but with a bang. In an emotional conclusion to the encore performances, the chairs of Raffles Rock, Chia Yaim Chong and Stephanie Yeap, thanked the audience for their passionate responses and the Year 6 batch of Rock for taking the journey together.

Darren Tan’s supportive fans and friends holding up creative and highly amusing banners!

William BJ leads his band in a rousing encore performance of ‘I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance

A candid shot of William getting crowd-surfed by the moshers!

The outgoing President of Raffles Rock, Chia Yaim Chong said,

“It’s something else – performing, the feeling of playing music you love and feeling a connection to the crowd. It’s the best feeling in the world. One of the best things about rock concerts is that it’s one of the only times the crowd goes crazy and jumps, chants and screams for you. ROCKOUT13 was an amazing experience for all of us from Raffles Rock and it’s the best feeling when you play to a crowd that appreciates what you do. For me, the best part of the concert was seeing everyone jump and sing together. It’s when the crowd really comes together that you sort of know you did a good job. Thanks to everyone who could be there and we hope you all had a great time!”

Performing to a sold out crowd at the Scape warehouse on the last day of the school term, Rockout 2013 was a resounding success that drew lusty roars of approval from the audience after every performance and had them calling for encore after encore. With a seductive mix of pop, rock and funk, the hefty three hour set of classic hits and current chart toppers was a definite win with the tireless audience who cheered their friends on with all the fist pumping and cat calling appropriate to a rock concert. Well done, Raffles Rock, and with this final word of congratulations – ROCK ON!

By Tyronne Toh (14A01A)
Photographs courtesy of Chelsea Ng from the Photographic Society

Appena La Voce was undoubtedly the most highly anticipated a capella event of the year, and quick glance around the packed auditorium confirmed this. Batchmates and members of the public alike thronged the auditorium the minute the doors opened, filling it with enthusiastic chatter. While the excitement was tangible, one common question on many a mind was whether this year’s version of Appena would live up to the standard set by previous years’. (For the uninitiated, 2013 is the fifth year Appena La Voce has been organized)

Well, in a matter of minutes, that question was certainly addressed. As emcees Simon Ang and Tiara Sadikin quipped, these people certainly could do amazing things with their mouths.

Simon and Tiara welcomed the crowd with brilliant smiles and a pun-filled script

Setting the tone for the night was Vox! a Year Five a capella group comprising Marc Leong, Lim Jin Jie, Chua Zijian, Vivek Kai-wen, Melvin Ng and Oliver Chan. To say they got a warm welcome would have been an understatement, for they received a raucous reception from the audience. Peppered with catcalls and shouts of the members’ names, the crowd was definitely hyped up by the time Vox! broke into their opening number. With Melvin first taking the lead role, they performed a medley of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. They then proceeded to charm the crowd with covers of Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”, Toploader’s “Dancing In The Moonlight” and even a Japanese song, TRY-TONE’s (A Capella de Yukou), finally ending with their rendition of David Guetta’s Titanium, which was spiced up with a little choreography.

With signature brightly colored trousers and an upbeat performance, Vox! livened up the stage and got some audience moving along to their beats.

When asked about their experience performing together, Oliver replied that “I daresay we all love singing in an a capella group.” But he too acknowledged the challenge of singing a capella. In his words, “in small groups like these, performing definitely becomes a frustratingly individual effort; especially considering the choral backgrounds most of us are bred to sing in.”

Where Vox! roused the audience, the next team calmed and moved them. Consisting of Yang Sin Yee, Daphne Quek, Lee Wan Yii and Tabitha Ng from Year 5, 无名氏 (meaning ‘Anonymous’) made for a heart-warming, uplifting performance. They performed a number of Mandarin hits, including F.I.R.’s “天天夜夜”(Day & Night), Harlem Yu’s“情非得已”，and Ocean Ou’s “孤单北半球”. Through the performance, the audience seemed soothed by the sound of Anonymous’ serenading. Finally, capturing the spirit of the evening (and their bilingual ability) was their final piece, ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ by Michael Bublé. Special mention goes out here to Bryan Ang (more popularly known as BANG) for his splendid beatboxing during 无名氏’s performance.

Matching outfits and well-practiced routines made for a coherent performance.

When asked about a capella, the girls responded, “a capella is challenging, but singing harmony together is satisfying. Arranging songs was fun but stressful at the same time; fun as it’s interesting to see how a song can be recast in a different style, but stressful knowing there are deadlines on that creativity!”

Such polished performances could not have been put together without much behind-the-scenes effort, though. Vox! practiced about 7~10 hours a week, while 无名氏 practiced 3~4 times a week, for 3~4 hours each.

The first half of the evening concluded with a splendid showing by the V.O.calists, which consisted of Hwang Kai Wen, Chua Zijian, Letitia Chen, Shankar Tamilselvam and Isaac Teo. The quintet was RI’s first cross-batch a capella group when it formed in 2010, comprising members from both the Year 1-4 and Year 5-6 side of the school. Visually and audibly stunning, this group performed the likes of BIGBANG’s ‘Haru Haru’, Kings of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ and McFly’s ‘Love Is Easy’, prompting many members of the audience to sing along or bob their heads to these popular and catchy tunes. However, their performance was tinged with sadness, as Kai Wen announced that the group was disbanding due to its members’ other commitments.

But while the band might not be around anymore, the bonds certainly will survive. As Zijian of the V.O.calists said later on, “it’s been an incredible opportunity having been able to perform with such wonderful humans… now that it’s time to say goodbye, I will always fondly cherish the memories of practicing, performing, and fooling around with these impossibly talented people I’m proud to call friends.”

Matching, sombre outfits in black and white.

Closing their performance was a haunting medley of “Fix You” by Coldplay and “If I Lose Myself” by OneRepublic, which ended amidst thunderous applause from the appreciative audience. Being able to watch such a well-groomed group’s swan song was definitely a privilege for us, and we left for intermission with the ghosts of their harmonies echoing in our heads.

The next half of the evening kicked off with another pun from our dynamic emceeing duo, drawing a mix of laughter and groans from the audience. We were treated to an amusing sight of Tiara beating a box in an attempt to hint at the subsequent performance; a Beatbox Battle between Isaac and Kai Wen of the V.O.calists. They managed to replicate the sounds of various musical instruments, from kick drums and snares to trumpets and electric guitars, stunning everyone. Tabitha Foo of the audience was especially impressed, exclaiming about how “cool” the duo were.

We were then entranced by a performance by Nuance, a cross-batch a capella group. Nuance consists of RI boys from Years 2 to 4; namely Anthony Wu, Adrian Wang, Lim Ziwei, Joel Yeap, Teo Qixuan, Ryan Han, Ryan Heng, Christopher Chia, Benjamin Ang and Clevereno Darini Sam Wei Jie. Squeals and exclamations of “So cute!” from the audience, especially when soloist Christopher Chia took the mike and enchanted the audience with his fresh, youthful voice, were abound as they took on the sounds of ‘Demons’ by Imagine Dragons, ‘Without You’ by David Guetta, ‘Carry On’ by fun., and ‘Trespassing’ by Adam Lambert, injecting youthful flavour and energy into these tracks.

“SO CUTEEE!”

It is certainly worth noting they were the youngest a capella group to perform. However, the age difference was not a barrier but rather a boost for them. As Anthony from Nuance commented, “No doubt we feel pressured to maintain a high standard since every other group is older and more experienced than us. This stress is also compounded by the fact that our group is a cross batch group, which means that it would be much hard to find common times to practice, urging us to work doubly as hard to give an enjoyable performance to the audience.”

Finally, the audience was treated to a collaborative piece between all the performers and students of the Grace Orchard School in a deeply moving rendition of Nick Lucas’ ‘Side by Side’.

Autism does not equate to inability, and these children were living testament to that. Despite living with intellectual disabilities or mild autism they pulled off the performance with praiseworthy showmanship, brightening up the amphitheatre with their wide smiles and leaving the audience with pleasant vibes to end the night.

Appena La Voce would not have been possible without the commendable efforts of this year’s OrgComm; Oliver, Zijian, Jin Jie, Vivek, Melvin and Marc. When asked about the experience of organizing 2013’s Appena La Voce, Zijian revealed that “It’s the first time any of us has handled anything of this calibre… it was a slightly longer than six month planning process, from concert naming to beneficiary searching to logistical support, every single step bringing us closer and closer to the concert itself”. Nevertheless, they managed to accomplish a splendid showing; kudos to them!

All in all, it was a great evening. Coupled with the quality performances put up by our very own home-grown a capella groups was the cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere brought about by Simon and Tiara from their tirelessly enthusiastic emceeing.

Just ten dollars for a night of good fun, good music, and all for a good cause—raising funds for the Grace Orchard School— what’s not to like? We at Raffles Press are definitely looking forward to next year’s Appena La Voce!

Line-up:

Vox! (Marc Leong, Chua Zijian, Vivek Kai-Wen, Oliver Chan, Lim Jin Jie, Melvin Ng)

Baby/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You Medley
Justin  Bieber/Frankie Valli/Arr. Chua Zijian
What A Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong/Arr. Chua Zijian
Dancing In The Moonlight
Toploader/Arr. Chua Zijian
アカペラでゆこう(A capella De Yukou)
TRY-TONE
Titanium
David Guetta ft. Sia/Arr. Chua Zijian

无名氏 (Tabitha Ng, Daphne Quek, Yang Sin Yee, Lee Wan Yii)

天天夜夜(Day & Night)
F.I.R./Arr. Daphne Quek
情非得已
Harlem Yu/Arr. Tabitha Ng
“孤单北半球”.
Ocean Ou/Arr. Tabitha Ng
It’s a Beautiful Day
Michael Bublé/Arr. Tabitha Ng

The V.O.calists (Hwang Kai-Wen, , Chua Zijian, Letitia Chen, Shankar Tamilselvam and Isaac Teo)

Haru Haru
BIGBANG/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Use Somebody
Kings of Leon/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Love Is Easy
McFly/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Fix You/If I Lose Myself Medley
Coldplay/OneRepublic/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen

Nuance (Anthony Wu, Adrian Wang, Lim Ziwei, Joel Yeap, Teo Qixuan, Ryan Han, Ryan Heng, Christopher Chia, Benjamin Ang and Clevereno Darini Sam Wei Jie)

Demons
Imagine Dragons/Arr. Teo Qi Xuan
Without You
David Guetta feat. Usher/Arr. Cleverence Darini
Carry On
Fun./Arr. Joel Yeap
Trespassing
Adam Lambert/Arr. Teo Qi Xuan

Finale performed by students from Grace Orchard School & all other performers.

Side by Side
Nick Lucas/Arr. Jay Althouse

Photographs by Natalia Chioang from the Photographic Society

For any reviewer, the first step to objectivity is paying out of one’s own pocket for the concert ticket. The next is to go for said concert out of one’s free will. Both these conditions were satisfied when I attended Rejoice! A Celebration of Music – performed by the Y1-4 and Y5-6 Guitar Ensembles – on the 31st of May. Now if you expected that to be a handle for a horrendous review to come, be mistaken – it was a night of good music played in a relaxed atmosphere that certainly lived up to its tagline. Even those attendees strong-armed into coming by their friends were visibly enamoured by the tunes.

To be honest, first impressions left me slightly disappointed. Instead of guiding guests into the RI Auditorium, the ushers were busy exploiting the modicum of free time posing for photos. Perhaps that explains why people were still shuffling in until the concert commenced at 7.45, that is 15 minutes late. To make matters worse, the emcees (more about them later) started the show in an awkward manner and the lights crew seemed unable to decide if they wanted the hall illuminated or not. Thankfully, my doubts about the concert’s quality were cleared with the opening song, Handel’s La Rejouissance, played strongly and expertly by RJGE’s Year 6 batch.

The Year 6s were soon joined by the rest of the ensemble who then performed Slavonic Dance No. 8 and Mountains in Autumn in a rousing display that held the audience’s rapt attention throughout. That the guitar could be used as a percussion instrument at opportune moments surprised many in the audience. Most impressive, was that the guitar’s full range was utilised to produce a harmonious, full bodied sound, debunking the myth that the performance would be monotonous if not boring.

As this was a combined concert, the Year 2 Ensemble then took to the stage, performing Mizuiro no Waltz and Maroon 5’s Payphone. Despite stumbling a couple of times, the conductor Mr Francis Sta Maria managed to bring the boys together completing the songs to resounding applause from the audience. Their choice of pieces also showed that the use of the classical guitar was not only restricted to classical songs, albeit with a few exceptions…

…like Soul le Ciel de Paris, played by the Year 5 batch, where it was evident that the guitar could not replicate the smooth melody as sung by an accomplished French vocalist. On the other hand, the following classics I Will by the Beatles and Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx were brilliantly executed, as was Aquellos Ojos Verdes, a Spanish song performed by the Y1-4 Ensemble.

Never failing to surprise, RJGE’s EXCO then performed a pre-intermission medley of cartoon theme songs decked out in colourful dresses, a clear contrast from the all-black uniform of the full Ensemble. The small group performances continued after the break, with RIGE’s EXCO playing Brazillian Streetdance. RJGE continued their fashion show with hip clothing to a medley of Jay Chou songs and more elegant wear while playing a medley of movie soundtracks. The vocal accompaniment to many of the songs added to the feel-good lounge mood of the concert.

Perhaps the most professionally executed pieces of the night were Year 1-4’s SYF songs Allegro, again by Handel, and Rainbow Overture, a song specifically written for Guitar Ensemble. Not to be outdone RJGE performed Colours of the Wind from Pochohantas. (Ever the self-conscious reviewer, I am definitely running out of things to say by now)

Before the Ensembles could come together for a final song together, there was much confusion in an act whereby the conductor Mr Gaspar was ostensibly kidnapped and an actor took his place in an attempt to conduct the ensemble to little success. While this reviewer is cognizant of the Ensemble’s desire to show some appreciation to their hardworking conductor, the self-indulgence in this effort lacks true meaning insofar as it alienates the audience, leaving many bewildered.

This theme of self-indulgence is recurrent throughout the concert. For example, the emcees fall over laughing at their own jokes, most of which were inappropriate to the occasion. The vocalist during the encore performance, who was pretty good by the way, was a character entirely foreign to this reviewer as well as the person sitting beside him. But these are minor problems – as a concert billed as a celebration of music and with only a month after the SYF to prepare and rehearse, I would call it an excellent performance.

They say that ‘music calms the savage breast’, a claim that in most contexts would seem like utter rubbish. Not here though. RI and RJ Guitar Ensemble’s combined concert brings out the unique character of each Ensemble, showing that beyond the gaffes and lame puns, Guitar Ensemble is brilliant at what they’re supposed to be good at – bringing great music to our ears.

By Law May Ning (14SO3O)
Additional Reporting by Nguyen Trung Huan (14S05A), Esabella Koh (14S03M) and Lu Jinyao (14AO1D)
Photos by Teo Si Yan (Photographic Society)

Managed to get a ticket for ABCD 2013?

“If there is one concert you need to go for in this school, it is the street dance show.”

- Simon Ang, 14SO3S

30 minutes.

That was approximately how long it took for the highly popular “Anybody Can Dance” tickets to be sold out.

Named with the initials ABCD, 25th May marked the culmination of two sold out concert sales that reached the front of the canteen, lots of talk amongst students, and frantic last minutes squabbling for tickets on the school’s local “black market” – many students, CCA Facebook groups, and even RJ Confessions were flooded with posters possessing the prized tickets who couldn’t make it on the day itself.

The queue for ABCD 2013

One curiously wonders if any aspiring businessmen managed to make a tiny profit off all the hype.

Even the lack of tickets couldn’t stop some determined fans, as many last minute gate crashers managed to sneak themselves in and place themselves strategically on the steps of the production.

Anybody Can Dance: One Step Closer

Ernest Yee, a Year 6 dancer, claims, “We hadn’t expected the tickets to be sold out in a day.” Yet, given Street Dance’s reputation and concerts to fully packed audiences the year before, a little foresight went a long way for the strategic Rafflesians who rushed down early to lunch break to join the quest for treasured commodities, so valued that each individual was limited to buying a maximum of four. In a true testament to the reputation of the Street Dancers, the sheer buzz of the concert was in spite of the Year 6s exams being in the week prior to the concert, which meant that little publicity efforts could be made.

But for the lucky few that did get manage to get golden passes, was it worth the effort?

The Show

The show was split into three stories: System Glitch, Dare To Be and Daddy’s Girl. Featuring three individuals in their personal struggles, the completely different stories were intertwined by one common theme: the three protagonists’ passion for dance.

And it was a passion much-reflected in the enthusiasm and practiced, well-choreographed movements of not just the leads, but all the different street dancers.

The First Story

System Glitch

The audience was introduced to the first story, System Glitch, about a girl tired of the invariable humdrum of daily life. The story dealt with the protagonist Jermaine’s (played by Jermaine Yee) mechanical preparations for work, coupled with her insightful musings on life under expectations, conventions and pressures. Sombre, blank-faced dancers of the System kicked off with the first piece, ‘Status Quo’, an impressively synchronised and almost robotic sequence. Like most of the pieces in this story, the Street Dancers made heavy use of dance formations, synchronisation and such, so the dances were more of robotic-like mass dances than giving individuals chances to shine, adding to the theme of losing one’s individuality.

Dancers all dressed identically contributed to the mechanical feel of System Glitch.

‘Trapped’, the second piece in System Glitch was also performed by the black-suit-and-hat System dancers, an imposing and menacing piece symbolising the s the System imposes on its members. The black and white, slow, atmosphere was one both captivating and different from the conventional fast-paced dance pieces, and the audience was enthralled by the grey, monochromatic piece. Symbolically, the piece spoke of how to add colours to one’s life. The story ended on a more cheerful note though: ‘By My Side’, the last dance of the story was a beautiful contrast to the previous pieces, upbeat and full of hope as protagonist Jermaine finally breaks free of the System and fulfils her passion for dance with her new friends.

The black and white imagery in System Glitch

System Glitch featured a truly relatable story of repression by a suffocating bureaucracy, illustrating one way burn out and disillusion can be countered – by something one is passionate about, in this case, dance. The use of dark colours truly conveyed the mood of the piece and succeeded in allowing the audience to feel Jermaine’s constraining environment. Most impressive were the professional sets and props at the scene when there were a lot of dancers walking up and down the stage – together with the heavily thought-out dance formations, it certainly made a huge impact on the audience.

Jermaine “breaking free” of the System.

The Second Story

Dare To Be

The second story of the night, Dare To Be, was an extravaganza of colours, featuring bright sets that certainly elicited from viewers the upbeat mood that the energy of the dancers. In the second story, the protagonist Joseph (played by Joseph Gan, who some might remember as the star and solo male performer of the MR Dancefest performance earlier this year) struggled with his demons, both internal and external, as an arrogant dance group tease him and insist he would be unable to succeed in dance.

A play of words on this story’s main soundtrack, a song by boy band ‘N Sync, the group of antagonists in the story who torment Joseph for being different was named the “Insync boys”, so named based on their self-declaration of being “in sync” with the trends. The hooligan, “ah-beng” like personas of the antagonists made for good comic relief, as this story, like the rest of the dance, was intermittent with pre-recorded narrative tracks. The Singlish colloquial speech certainly made for interesting characters. In a hilarious display of bluster and braggadocio, they brush Joseph off as ‘not good enough’, yet Joseph triumphs over them in the dance finals, after joining the fictional dance crew “Smexybeatz”.

Dare To Be had a greater focus on showmanship and individual techniques to highlight the arrogance of the Insync boys. Certainly one of highlights of the story was when one of the dancers ripped off his shirt to the squeals of amusement from the audience. Yet, even that failed to take off the focus from the difficult techniques and extremely precise timing of each dance move from the Street Dancers. The story featured various solos from the Insync boys, as well as Joseph himself, a great treat for the eyes as both Joseph and the Insync boys definitely displayed high levels of individual prowess.

The story also introduced a “dance battle”, bringing up feelings of street rivalry, complete with cheering “fans”in the form of the other street dancers. It certainly evoked sentimental feelings for fans of the “Step Up” movies. Most of all, Dare To Be definitely played with and ultimately debunked the stereotype that street jazz is only for female dancers.

The “dance battle”

The Third Story

Daddy’s Girl

All the verve and vigour softened as the third story, Daddy’s Girl, began. As the title implies, the story centered around Suyu (played by Yao Suyu) searching for the approval of her father. Her story was one that struck a chord with many in the audience. The moving resilience the protagonist displayed to make her father proud of her and win over his attention set the tone for the piece, with many emotional pieces making up majority of this story. ‘Hope For a Better Day’ was but one of the heartwarming dances in this story, and the plethora of emotion came to a head in a heart-wrenching climax in the final dance, ‘In My Daughter’s Eyes’, which brought many in the audience close to tears, as a tragic accident causes Suyu’s father to finally value and support his daughter’s dream.

Daddy’s Girl was definitely the emotional heart and anchor of the whole ABCD concert, a poignant commentary about support from one’s loved ones. The piece was extremely lyrical with moving, contemporary pieces, and a lot of the dances played on the lyrics of the various songs. In fact, the emotional connection with the audience caused it to be arguably the best story out of the three. The first piece in the story showcased Suyu’s longing for love and care from her father, and the second piece, a more light-hearted one, explored the relationship between school children and their parents. Yet, even beneath the light-hearted exterior of the song, there was definitely a disquieting sense to the piece as the audience felt Suyu’s moving need for love from her father, and it set many thinking about their own relationships with their family.

“Father” and “daughter” in Daddy’s Girl

“It was one of the most beautiful and touching performances. A lot of feelings were put into that performance and from how [the father] danced, I could actually feel what he felt,” said Irfan Setyadji Aditya from 14SO3T. “The story was just really emotional.”

An emotional piece: Daddy’s Girl tugged at heartstrings

Towards the end of the story, there were a lot of dances featuring the father and daughter duo, in fact, Deo Quek, who played the father, in many portions seemed to steal the limelight, and he shined even brighter than Suyu as he showcased his own skill.

Deo Quek (left) stole the limelight in portions of the show

It most definitely was a tear-jerking component to the ABCD concert that warmed the hearts of audience members all round.

The Finale

The Finale

The concert then reached its finale which linked the three stories. Scripted as a concert within a concert, the Finale served as a conclusion to all three stories as the three different protagonists -and the Street Dancers- saw the fruits of their labour come to life. The first protagonist, Jermaine, breaks out of her dreary, monotonous life to follow her passions and becomes a concert director, while both Joseph and Suyu end up performing in the dance fiesta directed by Jermaine, with Suyu finally gaining her father’s approval in pursuing her dreams. It was an attempt to fuse the contrasting genres of the different stories together in many of the latest contemporary songs fresh off the charts that the audience could groove to.

The Finale showcased many contemporary hit songs.

The finale featured a medley of several dances joined together, the first of which was ‘Try’ , the only dance which featured the whole of the Year 5 batch. It was a highly lyrical piece, allowing the audience to feel the music, and the dance largely was in accordance with the lyrics of the song. They also grooved to well known hits like ‘Only Girl’, ‘Can You Feel It’ and ‘Beautiful People’. The show ended with something not in the style of the rest of the dances – a lively broadway piece, really showing just how varied the dances of the night were. The exuberant ‘Do It’ after the curtain call closed off the show with a bang, with all Streeters dancing their hearts out on stage and right in front of the audience.

Strutting it on stage – The Street Dancers grooving in the finale

One of the interesting pieces of the dance was ‘Heart Attack’, the second dance of the finals. The piece was different in that it had a unique dance style involving a lot of formations and hurried movements on staged – ‘Wei Hing’ style as some of the Streeters coined it, after the choreographer of that particular piece.

Click to view slideshow.

The Finale was also special in that it featured dances choreographed by alumni Street Dancers, as well as one by guest choreographer Jordan Tin. Hailing from Thailand, the professional choreographer from the Urban Terrain Groovers crew contributed his genius to the concert in the Finale in the dance ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’. Alas it was a true compliment to the ability of the student choreographers that the standard, complexity and synchronisation of dances was something consistent throughout the whole concert across the board, not just the ones choreographed by guest choreographers. The Finale reflected the coordinated talents of the different batches and alumni members as the production culminated in the vivacious performance.

The Finale was a coordinated effort by all the dancers.

The high spirits of the night refused to be dampened even by the end of the concert – after, many of the Street Dancers proceeded to break into spontaneous solos which really reflected the theme of passion, as some delighted audience members stayed to watch.

The show must go on: Street Dancers had fun on stage showing off their skills even after the final bows.

Background

The concert was the first-ever collaboration between Year 5, 6 and alumni batches for Street Dance, and it is hard to imagine that the talented bunch are a relatively new CCA only just recognised a few years back. The extended family the concert involved showed that Street Dance is evolving and still-growing. With the concert held just two days before the dreaded GP Common Tests for Year 5 and 6 students alike, there was not the slightest question as to each and every dancer’s commitment, as the Streeters attended rehearsal after rehearsal, night after night. Each dancer on average had to learn two full pieces, including the encore piece “Do It” in the finale. In fact, as Aye Aye Mon, a Year 5 Streeter (class) shared with Raffles Press, ABCD was the brain child and hard work of Year 6 Street Dancers who had even been “planning it from last year”, and the Year 5 dancers had been preparing for this concert since the third session of joining the CCA.

ABCD focused a lot on following one’s dreams.

Dancer Ernest Yee explained, “We drew inspiration for the plot from our daily lives, and all the problems we face. The show is to encourage the audience to have the courage to follow their passions and chase their dreams. That’s why we called it [Anybody Can Dance:] ‘One Step Closer’.”

The Good

1. Synchronisation: To a large extent, generally all dance pieces were extremely synchronised and were pulled off with ease, giving a great air of professionalism to the performance.

The dances showcased the dancers effort practicing their routines and were very synchronised.

2. Dance styles: Dancers each showcased their own individual styles of dance, for example amongst the three stories, adding a lot of interesting flavours to the concert as a whole. The variety of genres tackled from street jazz to broadway added variety and life to the concert.

ABCD toyed with many different dance genres, adding to the variety and color of the performances.

3. The Storyline: A lot of the story was relatable and flowed throughout the concert, with a greatly moving plot at times.

The storyline helped to move the audience with its relatable plot.

4. The Sets: Props and sets were prepared to meticulous perfection, creating a whole different atmosphere to the concert and adding to the concert.

Lighting had a huge effect on the mood of the different dances

The Bad

1. Predictable storyline: We’ve all heard the good-versus-evil, pride comes before a fall plot a million times, and the cliche was almost painfully evident in Dare To Be as the modest Joseph (inevitably) triumphs over the arrogant Insync boys. Nonetheless, cliches work right? The father-daughter approval plot has been one done dry by most Hollywood movies, but it definitely still worked in wringing a few tears from the audience.

The antagonists from Dare To Be, the “Insync Boys”. As funny as they were, the cliched plot meant the conceited bunch were always doomed to defeat.

2. Plot Development: For a dance concert, little focus, understandably, would be on the plot of the concert. Alas ABCD ostensibly put in a lot of emphasis on having a strong, flowing storyline, and, unfortunately, did not always succeed in developing it. At times the story came across as hastily rushed through, not allowing the audience to truly get into feeling individual scenes, making for a few anti-climactic moments in the concert as the audience did not react as expected.

A scene from Daddy’s Girl, the most developed and moving of the three plots. Unfortunately the emotional connection from the piece could not hold true for the whole concert.

3. Disjointed flow at times: While the variety of genres in ABCD was definitely a plus point, the way these elements were fused was not. At times, ABCD came across as disjointed as the different parts of the concert were simply too different in terms of dance genres with little done for smooth transitions, causing the concert to come across somewhat disjointed as if they were each segregated parts. This seemed particularly obvious during the transitions between stories, at times making ABCD feel like 3 concerts in one.

The Verdict

ABCD marked Street Dance’s only second-ever concert in its short history, and as far as standards go for second concerts, ABCD definitely blew our minds. It was most certainly a ticket worth paying, as far as school concerts go, and the Street dancers certainly had measurable standards are only set to get better next year as they go into their third concert. If you were not amongst the lucky few to get entrance tickets, well, the third time is supposed to be a charm.

Street Dance put up a colorful and entertaining performance in ABCD.

So can anyone really dance? Well, despite what Street Dance will have us believe, that might not be the case. Yet, even if you aren’t one of the gifted ones who burst into slick moves on stage though, watching ABCD would have indeed been a treat, and would have inspired one to believe that anybody can, dance ability notwithstanding, certainly follow their dreams.

ABCD gets our thumbs up!

By Chua Jun Yan (13A01A)

According to statistics released in Parliament earlier this year, Literature is on its deathbed.  Not so in RI – at least, not if the organizers of Words’ Worth Lit Week 2013 have their way. The event will run from 16 to 20 July. In line with the latest H2 A-Level Literature syllabus, this year’s installment is loosely based around Victorian Literature.

While Lit Week has not been held in recent years, it is not a new idea. Ms Lye Su-Lin (Literature Tutor) recalls, ‘In the past, students would come to school dressed up as their favourite characters during Lit Week, and the amphitheatre was converted into a period showroom.’ In fact, Raffles Press learnt that the 37 posters outside the Performing Arts Centre were designed for a previous edition of Lit Week – one for each Shakespearean play. When asked why Lit Week died out, Ms Lye replied, ‘the H1N1 virus killed it.’ She explained, ‘In 2009, various emergency measures made any large gatherings on any scale quite inadvisable, and while the design exhibition went on, the Lit classes lost the habit of coming together for one celebratory, literature-themed event. Lit Night on 19 July this year hopes to put an end to this dry spell.’

Indeed, the organizers have ambitious hopes for the revived Lit Week. Throughout the week, literature-themed merchandise will be sold at the canteen walkway. This correspondent was granted a sneak preview to the limited edition novelty items, which include Sherlock Holmes-themed postcards and quotation notebooks. In addition, a special poetry anthology will be launched, with verses from present students. The gift booth will be accompanied by a research exhibition on life in the Victorian era. Entry is free for all Rafflesians.

Raffles Press also understands that a line-up of illustrious writers will be conducting on-campus workshops on Wednesday, 18 July. Prominent names include Alvin Pang, Aaron Lee, and Daren Shiau, who will speak on their works, as well as Kenny Leck and Adeline Foo, who will discuss the intricacies of local publishing. An anonymous source also revealed at press time that Dave Chua and Koh Hong Teng had just confirmed their session on Singaporean comics and illustrating.

Speaking to the organizers during a rehearsal at the Performing Arts Centre, it is evident that Lit Night on Friday, 20 July*, will be the highlight of the event. According to Anne Ng, who has invested the past 6 months in this project with her committee, ‘We are all really excited about Lit Night. It will feature star cameo appearances by many of our institution’s finest actors, with the Year 5s from Raffles Players putting up a reduced Dickens play.’ At press time, the confirmed programme included tableaus from novels like Dracula, as well as an Open Mic featuring RGS Literature Raffles Academy girls, and long-time teacher Mr Geoffrey Purvis. Raffles Jazz is also putting up a performance.

Indeed, 2013 has enjoyed a good year for Literature in RI, with ‘Great Expectations’ declared the 190^th Founder’s Day theme in January. ‘Our aim is to share our love for language,’ says Stephanie Koay, ‘not just with literature students, but also with the broader community.’ Indeed, Stephanie was the one who initiated the idea with her committee, after learning about the interregnum which Lit Week experienced. While Lit Week directly involves a smaller group than Bio Week or Economics Week, the organizers believe that Literature should belong to every student in the school.

Will this be able to combat the wider national apathy towards literature? One can only say that it is still too early to tell.

The writer is involved in the organizing of Lit Week.  The Literature Week Executive Committee comprises Stephanie Koay, Jacqueline Khor, Cai Xiaohan, Alvin Soh, Sum Xinyi, Sandra Chong, Anne Ng and Deepak Warrier.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/litweek2013. Tickets for Lit Week will be sold at the door on Friday at $2 each, and include a door gift. 

*Amendment: Do note that Lit Night has been pushed up to 7.00 pm instead of 7.30 pm as stated on the poster.

By Daniella Low (14A01B)

Photos by Mathew Gan of the Photographic Society

Rumour had it that the concert was half-sold out before tickets were even released to the school population. Much of the ticket sales went to family and friends of the performers, making Vocal Exploits XXIII as much of an intimate sharing of music, as it was a showcase of the choirs’ vocal mastery and musicianship. It was thus with great anticipation that the audience waited for the concert to begin.

However, the audience member who sat beside me had a severe lack of concert etiquette, marring the concert experience for those around him. Inappropriate comments were made at inappropriate times; catcalls given when only enthusiastic applause was required, and even the glares directed at him did not deter his behaviour. Not everyone in the audience wants to know your friend’s name, neither do they want to hear about how boring the programme was when it was perfectly delightful. A pertinent reminder, therefore, to future concert- goers: be mindful of your etiquette, even in your enthusiastic showing of support for your friends. But personal gripes aside.

Raffles Voices with conductor Mr Toh Ban Sheng during rehearsal

Raffles Voices gave a strong opening number with Kungala by Australian composer Stephen Leek. Highly evocative of the Australian plains, with a melodic line sung by the basses reminiscent of the didgeridoo, the piece was an instant personal favourite. With much prancing around the SOTA stage and stamping, the piece set the tone for the rest of the night as Raffles Voices proved both their musicianship and choreographing abilities. This was followed by Solfeggio, an aleatorical piece playing with register, and dynamics, resulting in chilling timbres and harmonic colours. A short atmospheric piece, it left the audience perhaps a little confused, but nevertheless satisfied.

Danny Boy, a classic Irish ballad arranged by Joseph Flummerfelt, was handled with much care and loving tenderness. Special attention paid to the words made it extremely heartwarming and intimate. The animated rendition of the Beatles’ hit, Penny Lane, arranged by Peter Gritton, proved that choir concerts are not always unrelatable and detached from the audience. The chemistry between choir and conductor was undeniable, ending the excellent segment by Raffles Voices on a high note.

Raffles Chorale was represented by the Year 5 batch, but their size did not matter in a segment that was full of heart. The segment opened with Kentaro Sato’s Mae-e, a beautiful song of hope for Japan in the aftermath of the 2011 disaster, executed with little difficulty. For Yang Sinyee, it was a personal favourite because of “the meaning behind it, and that [the Japanese] can make such beautiful music out of tragedy.” For the choral music fanatics out there, a little research post-concert showed that the score is available online for free.

Arranged by the conductor, Mr Toh Ban Sheng, Lok Sui Tien is a Hakka folksong about rain. With a stunning opening, reminiscent of the skies clearing after the rain and the sun shining through, the piece held the audience’s attention throughout. Clean glissandos and excellent dynamic control marked the work song, filled with brilliant harmonies, dazzling to the very end. The world premiere of Los Espejos was no less captivating. Percussive and demanding in terms of vocal agility required, Raffles Chorale pulled it off without difficulty. The bright, clear solo bursting through the layers of colour and harmony by Tiara Valencia Sadikin was the icing on the cake.

Raffles Chorale hard at work during rehearsals for Nota

Nota by Jan Bark was a daring choice, challenging both the audience’s perceptions of conventional choral music, and the choir’s spontaneity. The raw quality of soloist Ma Yuqing’s folk singing recalled the vast Mongolian plains. Much of the music had to do with movement and formations, which brought out different aural effects as well as visual stimulation. Chorale member Gladys Yeo remarked, “Every rehearsal was very different for this piece, due to its spontaneous nature. We had to react and think on the spot, so it was not a piece that we practiced over and over again to get the details right, unlike the other pieces in our repertoire.” Nevertheless, it was refreshing to listen and watch.

With A Little Help From My Friends, arranged by Peter Gritton, was short and sweet, with confident solos and cute choreography from Lau Rui Joong, Bryan Ang, Andrew Yap, and Raoul Muttom.

The third segment of the concert saw the alumni of the Raffles choirs come together. Their respect for Mr Toh clearly had not waned as they looked to him for their visual cues. Raffles Singers delivered an overall solid performance, with Dziedot Dzimu’s soaring melodic lines and rich harmonies encapsulating the yearning for freedom in Soviet Russia. Le Baylere was lyrical and romantic, typical of French song, and proved a breeze for the seasoned singers. Pekka Kostiainen’s Jaakobin Isot Pojat was technically challenging, requiring great control and chemistry among the singers, as well as a keen ear. The Raffles Singers pulled it off, demonstrating once again the maturity of the choir.

All three choirs gathered on stage once again to deliver the final segment of the programme. Ametsetan, a song of celebration written by Javier Busto, was no doubt one of the grander pieces in the repertoire. The exquisitely angelic four-part women’s chorus, followed by a waltz replete with choreography, marked it as one of the high points in the concert.

Mere words fail to do justice to the last song on the programme. The Long Road is a Latvian love poem set to music by Eriks Ešenvalds. Deeply haunting in its beauty, intense in its subtlety, it encapsulates the yearning and tenderness of lost love all into one. Two recorder solos and two ocarina solos soared above the sustained harmonies, calling to mind the vast distance between the two lovers. Mellifluous melodies sung by the descants, and interlocking textures brought the piece to a heart-wrenching climax, before bringing the piece to a bittersweet close. This piece was definitely the highlight of the night, and several audience members could be seen brushing away their tears discretely.

Of course, no concert involving the Raffles choirs would ever be complete without the Institution Anthem. Tradition dictates that the Anthem has to be sung as the encore, and the combined choir did so that night. Rafflesians around the concert hall arose and joined the choir in voice, reminding the audience once again that this was not just a virtuosic showcase, but a sharing of music before the term drew to a close.

The concert was the culmination of the choirs’ efforts over the past three months, while the rest of the school has been hitting the books. For Sinyee, “this concert meant a lot to me because our performance consisted of just our batch alone, and it was amazing how thirty of us pulled this off in just three months.” And the seniors are just as proud of their efforts. Year 6 Chorale member, Brendan Loy, commented, “We always knew how talented they were from the beginning, but to see everyone having leveled up was really heartening.”

All in all, Vocal Exploits XXIII was an amazing experience for both performers and audience alike, and was definitely a Saturday night well-spent. This reviewer looks forward to Vocal Delights at the end of the year!

Raffles Voices

Additional reporting done by Carol Yuen (14A01A)

Complete Programme

Raffles Voices

Raffles Chorale

Raffles Singers

Combined Choir

*World Premiere

By Austin Zheng 14A01B
Additional Reporting by Gao Wenxin 14A03A

‘I know what the world’s like. Because I own it.’
– Claire Zachanassian

Would you kill for a million pounds?

Yes, you would.

Such is the inevitable conclusion of the Raffles Players’ rendition of The Visit, a 1956 tragicomedy by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. A chilling tale of human weakness and wickedness, The Visit follows the inhabitants of an impoverished town named Guellen as they slowly cave in to temptation, accepting the offer of millionairess Claire Zachanassian and killing her former lover, Alfred Ill, for a million pounds.

It is particularly difficult to perform tragicomic plays well, since the actors have to deftly manoeuvre between the comic and tragic aspects, and ensure that they complement, rather than undermine, each other. The Players did manage to pull it off (made an admirable effort to pull it off), but their comedy fell short one too many times. This was due to the play’s darker portions overshadowing the humour, imperfect comic timing, or even the inherent blandness of some self-inserted jokes. Puns like ‘Are you ill? / No, I’m scared!’, for instance, failed to elicit an audience response amidst the frightened desperation of Alfred Ill. Furthermore, the more light-hearted scenes at the start of the play were diminished by their confusing, muddled nature. The inconsistent humour was unfortunate, especially since the comedy was largely executed well, with several uproariously funny moments.

Overall, the production was very enjoyable, in large part due to the adept acting. Aaheli Tarafdar was the star of the show, commanding the stage as the twisted, imperious and tragic Claire Zachanassian. One caveat, however, is that Aaheli did not portray her character’s sorrow, indignation or bittersweet, distorted love as convincingly as her callous dominance. Even when Claire Zachanassian was reminiscing about her childhood love and abandonment with Alfred in Konrad’s Village Wood, Aaheli’s tone remained predominantly haughty. While her gestures and expressions hinted at a greater complexity to Claire Zachanassian, her tone and the speed of her delivery did not quite mesh with her changing emotions, resulting in a largely one-dimensional, though nonetheless admirable, portrayal of her character.

The play’s lead actor, Ejaz Latiff, was also exceptional as Alfred Ill, being smoothly charismatic as a lover, aggressively paranoid as a victim of persecution, and calmly resigned as a man who had accepted his fate. And though he was a supporting actor, Aeron Ee deserves special mention with a magnificent performance as the mayor, alternatingly bumbling, grave, pained and casually threatening. Unfortunately, some of the other actors were less polished, with their performances suffering from irritating accents, insipid gestures, or even incomprehensible screaming. This made certain scenes, such as the townspeople’s scrambled preparation for Claire Zachanassian’s arrival at the start of the play, rather bewildering.

A particularly outstanding aspect of the production was the Players’ alterations in their casting, which also reinforced The Visit’s surrealistic undertones. Faced with a lack of manpower for the original play’s large cast, they replaced Claire Zachanassian’s husbands with hand puppets that were controlled by her butler. The puppets illustrated the husbands’ disposability, facelessness, foolishness and complete subservience, bringing a new dimension to Claire Zachanassian’s line ‘You only have husbands for display purposes, they shouldn’t be useful.’ Similarly, the mayor’s wife and grandchildren were replaced by cardboard cut-outs, emphasising how he also primarily used them for decorative purposes. Indeed, the innovative way in which the Players simultaneously resolved their practical problems and illuminated The Visit’s thematic concerns was nothing short of impressive.

Conversely, the set changes were far from ideal, with the stage hands being clearly visible and audible for extended periods of time. This soon became distracting after multiple scene changes. Consequently, the emotional impact of certain scenes were undercut, most notably hindering the audience from fully digesting the implications of Claire Zachanassian’s ominous ‘I’ll wait’ as she expressed a cold confidence that the townspeople would eventually murder Alfred. The constant switching of spotlights from Alfred to Claire Zachanassian during the balcony scene was also jarring. The sets themselves, though, were well-crafted, and the lighting atmospheric, allowing the audience to visualise the derelict Guellen and appreciate the play’s simple, rural setting. The neat, well-stocked shelves and soft lighting of Alfred Ill’s weathered shop, for instance, gave an impression of a man (initially) comfortable in his hometown, despite its poverty.

Click to view slideshow.

Ultimately, while the production did have considerable room for improvement, it was a remarkable and memorable performance that overcame its flaws, with the play becoming more engaging as it progressed. Nevertheless, it is a true pity that the Players did not quite live up to their vast potential, given the solid cast and insightful alterations.

by Tan Su (15S07A), Amanda Chang (15A03A), Qiu Jia Hui (15So3B)
Photos by Yang Yang (15So6P), Amanda Chang (15A03A), Raffles Photographic Society

As the curtains parted, “Esperanza” itself was quite literally seen from the strings of fairy lights that illuminated the entire stage, giving rise to an almost magical atmosphere. This theme represented the hope that Raffles Guitar Ensemble (RJGE) wished to bring to the audience with their music, and we can assuredly say that they achieved what they set out to do.

The concert kicked off with the main ensemble performing a selection of lilting tunes such as “Summers Wind” and “Coup de Couer – Les Reves du Matin”. “Summers Wind” was an uplifting and pleasant piece, which occasionally inherited mysterious undertones at times, but edged the audience into a spirit of light-hearted nostalgia with pizzicato plucking in the main melody. “Coup de Couer – Les Reves du Matin”, on the other hand, was a piece that commenced deceptively cheerfully but took its audience on a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. Halfway through the performance, the peaceful tones smoothly transitioned into a wistful melody with a series of deep, resonant notes, as the ensemble employed a few pregnant pauses to allow a dark and melancholic mood to settle in. This heavy mood then swelled as rapid and slightly disconcerting riffs crescendoed until the ensemble eventually burst into an abruptly ecstatic melody. The overwhelming enthusiasm in the piece was quickly tempered, as the ensemble gently brought across the final cadences of the piece. This performance truly kept the audience on the edge of their seats, engaging the dynamics of music to accentuate its mystifying nature.

All pieces by the RJGE main ensemble, including two other pieces of Ai No Kurashi and Scherzino Mexicano, were conducted by Mr Michael Gaspar, a graduate of LaSalle College of the Arts with a Diploma in Music who has picked up numerous awards in his professional career as a guitarist such as the Grand Prix awards in the Singapore Guitar Festival.

Following the Main Ensemble, the Junior Ensemble put on a wonderful performance, made all the more impressive by the fact that it was their first time on stage. According to Mr Gaspar, the confidence level of the Year 5 batch was remarkable, seeing that the time they had to learn the pieces was very limited. Classical guitar pieces including “Calypso” and “English Country Garden” allowed the audience to unwind with their spirit-lifting and cheerful tunes. Backed up by the Year 5 batch on guitar, the impressive rendition of OneRepublic’s “Counting Stars” also put vocalists Alina Sng, Alyssa Chua, Sarah Chooi and Jaron Chong in the limelight. They took turns to display their vocal prowess to the audience, and their solid harmonies certainly did not fail to enrapture and entertain, seeing that some members of the audience were bobbing their heads along to the catchy tune. However, it was unfortunate that their vocals, perhaps a tad too powerful, drowned out the ensemble’s accompaniment. The performance, though already outstanding, could have been improved with better sound balance.

The concert could not have been complete without guest performers from the Raffles Girls Guitar Ensemble (RGGE). Decked in elegant, flowy gowns, the ensemble worked harmoniously, greeting the audience with lively tunes such as Howl’s Moving Castle Theme – “Promise of the World”, and “Tango” which got the audience’s feet tapping. It was clear from their fluid performance that they had had months of practice under their belt and were truly passionate about their music. Their enthusiasm truly rubbed off on the audience, who thoroughly enjoyed their pieces. A highlight of the RGGE’s time on stage was “Duet” performed by Lim Jiahui and Joelle Ocampo. The two had near-perfect coordination, fingers skipping over the frets deftly with only eye contact as communication between them. The connection between the two performers in their unspoken understanding, provided the audience brief glimpses of the chemistry that guitarists share. What was even more admirable and impressive was that the pair did not have, or rather need, to refer to score sheets. What a testament to their skill and the effort that they put into the performance!

The chemistry between performers was also demonstrated through smaller group items as performed by the different sections of the RJGE; sections took turns to charm the audience with themed, often colourful costumes, showing off their wide repertoire of songs. Examples included recent hit “Let Her Go” by Alto 1, while Prime section performed “Itsumo Nando Demo” from the movie “Spirited Away” by the widely acclaimed musical composer Joe Hisaishi. “Childhood Memories” by Alto 2 was a vivid performance featuring familiar tunes which ignited fervent chatter amongst audience members each time someone managed to identify a song. Incorporating melodies like the theme song of Doraemon allowed each member of audience to reconnect with his or her cherished childhood memories. “I Believe”, the theme song of hit Korean drama “My Sassy Girl” performed by Bass section, certainly enlivened some K-pop fans in the audience.

Other performances included “Air On A G String” by the Executive Committee of RJGE and “One” by Yu Chen and Zong Tai. “Little Talks” by Anabelle, Wei Sheng, Alysia and Nicholas even ventured into other instruments such as conga drums, which infused a clear sense of rhythm. This definitely demonstrated the sheer versatility and talent present within the RJGE community. Watching the sections and groups perform individually also allowed the audience to engage themselves in the unique camaraderie that each performing group had developed over hours of practising together. While the pieces may not have been perfect, it was clear that the sections had given it their all. This was sufficient for those in the audience that day, and the overall atmosphere of the concert was in general a joyful one.

At 9.30pm, the curtain was brought down after a final item by the main ensemble: “Tanquillo de Cadiz”, a particularly rhythmic piece incorporating powerful strumming and strong bass tones to create a warm and lively mood- the perfect recipe for an impressive finale.

However, the concert wasn’t over just yet. As the emcees took the stage, the audience quickly caught on to the emcees’ hints at more to come, cheering the guitarists on with cries of ‘Encore!’ True enough, the guitar ensemble was ready with what was considered by most to be the highlight of the evening. After an introduction to the encore piece by Mr Gaspar and a brief prelude by the main ensemble, the rest of the ensemble drew laughter and applause when they entered decked out with ukuleles and brightly-coloured leis to line the front of the stage. The two teachers-in-charge, Mdm Low Chor Huang and Mr Winston Cheong were not spared the Hawaiian treatment either!

With that, the ensemble began “Aloha Oe” (Farewell to Thee), a folk song by a Hawaiian princess that was adapted into English by Elvis Presley in the movie “Blue Hawaii”. “I liked how different styles of music were played on different instruments. It was a quirky but heartwarming ending,” said Xu Yanling of 15S03C. Truly, the mellow, cheerful chords of the ukulele complemented the main ensemble’s smooth harmonies, and light-hearted “Aloha!”s from the entire ensemble ended off the concert on a brilliant note.

by Martin Lim (15A13A), Kang Yi Xi (15S03N), Chew Sher Mein (15S03H)
Photos by Michelle Zhu (15A01B)

A flurry of wildly moving, iridescent disco lights met our eyes as we entered the concert venue, LT2 – a place normally bathed in an aura of strictness and gravitas. In stark contrast to most other concerts held in the school, which tend to feature performances revolving around a single aesthetic domain, CultuR Shock! promised to be an event that would showcase a myriad of artistic talents. Additionally, as Organising Committee member Liu Fangzhou said, “We’re hoping to use this CultuR Shock! as a platform to promote the website CultuR, where we’re basically trying to give all the different arts and arts groups in RI a chance.”

It was not long before the curtains parted and the emcees, former Council President Ashlynna Ng as well as Lawrence Ora, welcomed the crowd with cheery dispositions and puns aplenty. Mr. Kenneth Kwok, a former Deputy Principal of the school who had a stint working for the National Arts Council, was then invited to kick off the event by sharing several anecdotes about his colourful history with the local arts scene. In a surprising revelation, he recounted how he had performed with Emma Yong – who later became a member of the locally-renowned musical cabaret group, the Dim Sum Dollies – during his time in RI.

Without further ado, alumni band Branranaway (comprising Chris Loke on vocals, Wenwei Chionh and Alex Yeo on guitars, Gordon Kang on drums and Stephanie Yeap on the keyboard/guitar/vocals) started the concert on a high note with ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’, a song penned by the ubiquitous rock band, The Killers, and ‘Arabella’ by the Arctic Monkeys. The guitar riffs against a backdrop of thundering drums, coupled with the impressive vocal chops displayed by Chris, galvanised the crowd into spontaneous clapping to the rhythm of the music, with the songs ending in roaring applause. Sustaining their momentum with Paramore’s iconic ‘Crushcrushcrush’, Stephanie took over Chris as the lead vocalist. Despite struggling slightly with the first few notes of the song, she soon got her act together and her rendition of the Paramore song had the audience tapping their feet to the rhythmic repetitions of the lyrics. With their next song, ‘My Body’, by Young The Giant, the band managed to keep the audience’s anticipation running high as Chris took over once again, ending the song with a single high pitched note that showed off his range. Upon hearing calls for an encore, the band’s set ended with one of their trademark set list songs: ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’, another widely acclaimed hit from The Killers. With the conclusion of their enthralling set, it was clear to the audience that the subsequent performers would have much to live up to.

The crew of Branranaway engaging in a gripping cover of ‘Arabella’

The next person to take the stage was a face familiar to all. Edward Kim was aptly introduced by Lawrence as the “Student Council president with good grades, hot body, and pretty girlfriend”. That night, he added another talent, beatboxing, to his repertoire. Edward led off with a short but nonetheless rousing number in which he evinced his aptitude at recreating the sounds of a drum kit. This was merely a prelude for a much more intriguing performance featuring the usage of looping (done via an iPad application), a technique that enables one to layer multiple soundtracks on top of one another to create a musical piece. Despite technical problems being rampant through his performance, with plenty of mike-adjusting and speaker-screeching, Edward managed to pull off commendable renditions – complete with instrumental sound effects and soothing harmonies – of the OneRepublic song ‘Apologize’ and the rhythm and blues classic ‘Stand By Me’ by Ben E. King, both of which were met with resounding applause and catcalls.

To the crowd’s surprise, the next performance was not by a student, but by Mr. Koh Say Yong, a teacher in the PE and CCA Department who has been playing the guitar since his secondary school years. Trading his usual track shoes and sports shirts for an acoustic guitar, he launched into the heartwarmingly romantic covers of the Beatles’ White Album classic, ‘Blackbird’, and Cyndi Lauper’s popular love ballad, ‘Time After Time’. The melodious, elegant tunes produced by his instrument as well as his distinctive country twang and sensitive, soulful voice gave the LT a rustic atmosphere and also served as a well-timed contrast to the previous two electronics-heavy performances.

Liu Fangzhou, a Writer’s Guild member, then made the mood in the auditorium more serious with her recitals of two rather sombre and thought-provoking literary works: a self-composed poem titled 21122012 and an untitled prose piece by Catherine Hu. Notably, the former piece had clinched a merit award in the prestigious Foyle Young Poets competition. The lyrical, expressive compositions were definitely engrossing to listen to and well worth reflecting upon. Those who missed the performance may find the poems in the anthology ‘Love, Death and Some Things In Between’, which can be purchased from Writers’ Guild at $6 along with a free copy of ‘Compositions’, a collaboration between Writers’ Guild and the Raffles Photographic Society.

Next, Lim Wei Khai took the stage and proceeded to regale the crowd with a self composed poem about a monstrous boogeyman-esque creature. He was promptly followed by Aaheli Tarafdar, who told a similarly grisly narrative about a family’s deadly outing to the zoo. Both narrated their stories in ironically exaggerated, jocular tones of voice, and the tales were also chock-full of black humour, making for a decidedly mirthful and enjoyable listening experience.

The boisterous peals of laughter the storytellers managed to elicit from the audience faded away as Feng Yu Chen and Clevereno Dairini from Raffles Chordslingers played the introductory notes to a mashup of ‘Counting Stars’ by OneRepublic, ‘Timber’ by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha and ‘Wrecking Ball’ by Miley Cyrus on two majestic grand pianos, lulling the audience into tranquility. Raffles Chordslingers is a self-initiated piano interest group not unlike RI’s Chamber Ensemble, and comprises Year 2-3 RI boys who arrange their own music and perform their own covers. A well coordinated duet between two pianists is no mean feat, and Yu Chen and Clevereno, with their relatively smooth rendition of the band’s hit single, successfully managed to surmount the considerable challenges inherent in executing such a performance.

The well-positioned stage lighting gave the performance a mystical, haunting quality

Legendary amongst actors and non-actors alike within RI, J3 alumnus Shrey Bhargava’s stand-up comedy routine was, without doubt, a much-anticipated performance for many of the attendees. As it turned out, ‘boring’ is the last word one would use to describe the talented thespian’s act. Shrey’s stage presence and overwhelming confidence had the audience in guffaws and applause throughout his performance, despite it being only his second attempt at stand-up comedy. His performance included imitating various witty versions of accents and national stereotypes from around the globe, and he touched on features such as the ‘small mouth’ effect of Russians and the ‘politely violent’ undertone of Japanese accents. His interpretation of Indian accents was met with especially uproarious laughter, and so were the hilariously unsuccessful attempts of the three volunteers he had invited onto the stage to learn from his ‘tutelage’.

Actor Shrey Bhargava doing a particularly expressive accent impression

The emcees then informed the audience that the next performance was about ‘Slam Poetry’; this was a strange-sounding concept many of us viewers were unfamiliar with. All queries were quelled when Wahid Al Mamun, Naresh Manoj and Gabriel Ng each carried out a trenchant, captivating recital of their self-penned poems, which bravely grappled with difficult topics such as alcoholism, depression and the nature of love. The quality of their poetry was indeed commendable and symbolism was rife within their works.

The three aspiring poets are, as Naresh revealed, part of a community called Burn After Reading Poetry (BARPo) – a spoken word poetry interest group. Naresh related how he had found poetry “way too inaccessible” until he had spent an eye-opening time with the branch of BARPo located in England while on his Gap Semester trip. Upon his return, he and a few other like-minded peers came together to form a Singaporean offshoot of the programme.  “We plan on an anthology soon and recently had our first performance at Artistry Cafe, which was exciting,” he shared. Clearly, Naresh’s participation in such extracurricular activities, like that of so many other Rafflesians, is indicative of his unalloyed passion for his chosen field.

Wahid Al Mamum deeply absorbed in reciting a poem about one’s ruminations on love, ‘The Horoscopes are Lying’

The rather pensive atmosphere generated by the poetry recital was immediately broken by the appearance of the popular performing arts group Raffles Street Dance, who performed to a pulsing, energetic remix of the OneRepublic hit ‘If I Lose Myself’. Their perfectly synchronised hip hop choreography and visually stunning formations against a backdrop of radiant, flashing strobe lights created an eclectic effect that channelled the spontaneity of street culture with the grace and elegance of dance. Such was the quality of Street Dance’s performance that Ernest Chng from 15S03H praised it as his favorite performance of the evening. The arresting performance, made even more impressive by the fact that it was the J1’s debut performance as a batch by themselves, certainly could not have been pulled off without much hard work and enthusiasm on the part of the dancers. As member Lim Kai Bing Danson said, “We spent quite a lot of time cleaning our movements for that set of choreography…we were also extremely excited and hoped that our audience could feel our spirit and energy.”

Next was Yeo Min, one of the top-eight finishers in the 2013 Campus Superstar competition and a multi-instrumentalist who can handle the cello, guitar and piano. She first started her two-song performance with the song ‘魔鬼中的天使 (Angel Devil)’ by  Hebe Tien; the intermingling of her voice and the soft chords of the piano created a near-perfect rendition of the Mandopop hit.  Displaying the musical virtuosity and flexibility that had carried her so far into the competition, Yeo Min followed this performance with a stellar rendition of the classic and heartrending love song, ‘Love Me’ by Collin Raye, which told a story about a couple’s journey in love through the years. The song featured poignant vocals and melancholic piano playing that tugged on the heartstrings of many amongst the crowd, the authors not excluded.

Yeo Min serenading the audience with her vocal prowess and refined piano-playing

Though it flourished nearly a century ago, in the Roaring Twenties, the audience’s spirited response to the Raffles Jazz team’s set made it patently evident that jazz music remains relevant to many in the present day. Their first song, Canadian singer Nikki Yanofsky’s ‘Bienvenue Dans Ma Vie (Welcome to My Life)’, was defined by powerful, evocative vocals from Faith Ng and first-rate musical accompaniment. Stefanus Phan then took the microphone for a lilting, rousing performance of ‘Pedestal’ by Charlie Lim, during which the audience became so enlivened that they started clapping of their own volition. The finale, a purely instrumental piece named ‘Strasbourg/St. Denis’ by Roy Hargrove, marked a consummate showing of the Jazz team’s proficiency at their genre of choice. Bassist Zhu Wei Jie, who had little experience with performing prior to RIJC, remarked that in her time in Jazz this year she had learnt to “enjoy the time standing on stage and make music as a conversation with audience, instead of getting stressed.” With that, CultuR Shock! concluded amidst fervent applause from the audience.

Overall, we found CultuR Shock! to have been a greatly entertaining and unforgettable experience. Though their sets were only 15 minutes long at the most, it was clear that all the performers had passionately invested considerable amounts of effort into preparing for their brief appearances under the spotlight. More importantly, though, CultuR Shock! was an arts buffet that showcased the sheer diversity of Rafflesian talents, while opening our eyes, ears and minds to a diverse variety of individuals and art forms that, owing to a lack of awareness, we had never really appreciated before. Credit must also be given to the organisers, who had planned the order of the performers such that different genres of performances were evenly spaced out throughout the concert – the musical performances alternated with the literary ones – and this meant that we never felt overloaded by a single type of performance and paid rapt attention throughout.

by Tan Yi Chern (15S03N), Katrina Jacinto (15A13A), Wahid Al Mamun (15A01A)
Photos by Raffles Photographic Society: Rachel Tan (15S03N), Yany Chan (15S06E), Jessia Khalis Tanujaya (15S06N)

Over two consecutive evenings, Raffles Jazz captivated at their annual concert, this year entitled Take My Word For It. If any concert goers had any misconceptions that jazz was simply “boring elevator music”, they were quickly proven wrong. Instead, audiences were offered an exciting array of soulful jazz music – from swing to funk and everything in between – that amazed and entertained, regardless of whether they had the musical chops to fully “appreciate” it. And if it didn’t, the hilarious skit interwoven with the second half of the concert, a feature unique to Raffles Jazz, surely did.

Impressing from the get-go, Raffles Jazz opened their set with a lively, energetic performance of “Always There”, catching the attention of the audience and drawing them in. The piece had a distinctly funky vibe, with interesting two and three-part harmonies and highly technical runs by the soloists, which got the audience pumped up and eagerly anticipating the rest of the concert. This upbeat mood was carried over into  in their second piece, “Cantaloupe Island”, which showed off the technical ability of the two soloists, Andrew Chia on the soprano saxophone and Quek Qian Yi on the trumpet, who pulled off elaborate runs throughout their solos. Of note, too, was the strong rhythm set by the piano, bass and drums, which set the pace of the song and held the piece together remarkably.

Vocalist Melody Kang with her impressive rendition of “A Felicidade”

If the first two pieces were full of energy, the third song, “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky”, was a more laidback, dreamy song which allowed the audience to relax in their seats and lose themselves in the music. The flute, played by Shao Yinuo, was a welcome addition to the already heartfelt song, lending an ethereal quality to the performance. In contrast, the next piece, “A Felicidade”, was more sensual, with vocalist Melody Kang pulling off the challenging Portuguese lyrics beautifully. However, technical issues plagued the performance, muffling the guitar solo such that the audience could not fully appreciate the guitarist, Lin Qi’s, skillful work.

Next up, Raffles Jazz performed “Recorda Me”, which mainly revolved around a question-and-answer between Andrew on the saxophone and Louisa Huang on the guitar. The song allowed both soloists to show their considerable expertise on stage – including a trill by Andrew which wowed the audience. The next song, “Sir Duke”, immediately got the attention of the audience with an enigmatic entrance by the performers, who all donned sunglasses. This piece was incredibly catchy, and the two vocalists, Sarah Tham and Sonia, had no problems getting the audience to clap along. Musically speaking, it was yet another hit, as the the two showed off their vocal prowess by reaching the extreme ends of their registers with relative ease. They also proved to be extremely seasoned performers, commanding the stage with a presence and confidence that some of the other, less experienced performers lacked.

Finally, to round off the first half of the concert, Raffles Jazz performed “Take Five”, widely considered to be a mainstay in jazz canon. The song, performed in an unconventional 5/4 meter instead of the traditional 4/4 meter, was among the most challenging pieces of the entire night. However, to the delight of the audience, all the members clicked well on stage and were able to do justice to this classic. Not only that, but the vocalist, Sonia, delivered her parts exquisitely, despite the high range and rapid rhythm of the song. On that delightful note, the concert broke for intermission.

Mitchell Kwong and Xu Chengyin as Victor and Jenna

Upon returning, the audience members were surprised to find five chairs set in a semi-circle in front of the PAC stage. Baffled, the crowd reassumed their seats, expecting more musical mastery for the next hour or so. Instead, they were treated to an entertaining skit by the Y5 Jazz members, centred around the failing relationship between Victor and Jenna, played by Mitchell Kwong and Xu Chengyin respectively, after Victor fails to meet Jenna’s expectation on a date. In an attempt to salvage their companionship, Victor attends a Lonely Hearts Club meeting, where he joins four other men in bemoaning their love lives (or lack thereof) and seeking counsel from the club’s enigmatic founder, played by Erica Ngiam, to solve their problems. In something of a self-help group parody, each club member briefly shared his troubles with the audience, punctuated, at the end of each “sharing”, by a different song.

The songs were clearly chosen to reflect the nature and character that the skit was taking on. For instance, right after the breakup scene between Victor and Jenna, the group performs an outstanding rendition of “Cry Me A River”. In particular, Saaradhaa’s powerful vocals and extensive range evoked a heartbreaking melancholy, which was complemented by Yinuo’s equally emotional flute solo. Other notable pieces from this section were “Pedestal” and “Four”. Pedestal, composed by local musician Charlie Lim, was a sensuous crowdpleaser, though its borderline-pop tone made it an almost incongruous piece in the whole jazz lineup. However, it was still an excellent song, with Stefanus Phan, the sole male vocalist in Jazz, blowing the audience away with the blend of technicality and soul in his voice as well as his impressive vocal riffing. It was also aided by the electrifying chemistry clearly present between all the members of this set-up, which made the piece stand out amidst the other performances of the night. “The Third Song” also piqued the attention of the crowd with its happy-go-lucky vibe, due to the chemistry between the instrumental parts.

However, despite the clever humor and endearing characters, the skit’s repetitive structure eventually took a toll on the audience, as the weariness of having to cycle through all five stories caught up with them. Furthermore, the sheer amount of props and sets utilized made transitions unnecessarily long and, at times, rather awkward.

The encore by Raffles Jazz

Nonetheless, when the curtains eventually closed on the finale of the play, in which Victor and Jenna get back together, the audience yearned for the night of enchanting music to continue. In response to numerous calls of “Encore!”, the whole of Raffles Jazz came on stage, bedecked in snapbacks and shades, as they led the entire PAC in a hip-hop singalong to the song “American Boy” by Estelle.

“Take our Word for it” was undoubtedly a memorable night of music and entertainment that will be remembered fondly by both audience and performers alike. This year’s jazz concert departed somewhat from the usual repertoire, with performers dabbling with songs that are not typically classified as jazz but were nevertheless crowd pleasers, described by J3 senior Yue Ling as being “very refreshing”. Marcus Peh, another alumnus of Raffles Jazz, also gave testament to the effort involved in putting the performance together, sharing with us how they “exceeded expectations and improved really fast.” Even Jazz instructor and alumni Seow Yi Zhe expressed how inspired he was by the expertise of the jazz members, especially for their ages. Evidently, Raffles Jazz did not disappoint with this year’s unique display of musical talent and artistry; on that note, we wish the club all the best in continuing to spread their love for jazz in the years to come.

by Christopher Liew (15S06E)

<且行且珍惜> (pronounced as qiě xíng qiě zhēn xī), meaning to appreciate as you walk on, was the theme of CLDCS’ latest stage production.This year’s installment of performances offered a cornucopia of audial and visual delights, entertaining the audience with a unique blend of drama and music. This was further topped off with shots of delightful humour, all on one stage, lighting up the performing arts centre with yet another impeccable production in this season of arts & aesthetics.  Living up to it’s rather ruminative title and theme, the show showcased dramas and songs which drew upon the emotions of romance and friendships that we might experience in our lives as youths, inciting anyone to ponder over the relationships we already have as we march on through our lives in junior college.

Perusing the programme for <且行且珍惜> I found it strange how they had decided to have a <歌创> (Songs) segment right smack in the middle of the show. What I found even stranger was their decision not to amalgamate <歌创> and <戏剧> (Drama) into creating  a single fluid and homogenous piece. To be frank,  I had a tinge of uncertainty and anxiety, for fear that the production would turn out rather disjointed, but also great curiosity on how they would bridge the gap between the banks of <歌创> and <戏剧>. Thankfully, my worries proved to be unwarranted.

The show began with the curtains pulling open to a white screen, with a couple of pseudo James Bonds creeping out from behind the curtains.Their entrance only excited the audience as livened up the atmosphere using a humourous micro-skit to tell everyone to switch off all mobile devices and enjoy the show. Following which, the screen behind flickered to life showcasing a mini documentary on the makings of the show, complete with cast interviews and short snippets of self composed songs, piquing the curiosity of the crowd gathered at the Performing Arts Centre.

<戏剧—-存在>

With all the teasing out of the way, and the mood up, the show began proper. The night started off with a light hearted drama set in the Qing Dynasty <清朝>, entitled Existence or

<存在> , bringing onto stage a beautiful set encapsulating elements of the era itself. <存在> follows the story of ābùlǔbā <阿布鲁巴> who serves as a note taker for the district court and the curious case of an altercation between a aristocrat and a fruit seller on a street over a broken vase. The play stayed true to its context with its script and the complements of exquisite traditional costumes, but takes a turn in a different direction by adding contemporary elements, as well as injecting pockets of humour throughout the drama which effectively stripped away the bore and monotony that might entail with its historical setting. In one instance, a character by the name of nàlǎn <纳兰>, a Caucasian businesswoman, spontaneously erupts into catchy lines of promotion, something you and I would hear on a television commercial. <存在> executes with great finesse in the areas of entertaining and captivating the audience with clever wit and dramatical humour, and proved to be thoroughly reinvigorating after a long day. However this was at the expense of the play’s protagonist, ābùlǔbā <阿布鲁巴>, and the theme of existence faltered in the course of the story.

<歌创>

The show continued on with the performances of self composed songs by the CLDCS members, the stage had now becoming a platform for the CLDCS members to effuse their emotions through song and lyric, with many of their songs showcasing sombre melodies and lyrics on heartbreak and relationships. The segment began with ‘Horizon’ <天边> sung soulfully by Zhou Si Hui (周思慧). The song conveyed  the emotions of a girl who does not have the confidence to confess to a guy she really likes, but what topped it off were the nuances in the tone of her singing which made all the difference. Following it up was probably the most memorable performance entitled ‘Love Bento’ <爱的便当>, which entertained not only with its joyful tunes, but the many hand gestures and actions employed by the duo on stage to accentuate the lyrics of the song. The next few songs brought about dynamism to their musical repertoire with an ensemble consisting of a guitar, bass, piano and drums accompanying the vocals for songs like ‘XX’ <某某>. All in all, the emotional singsong of this section of the show set the tone for the next play, <好人卡> or ‘The Good Guy Card’, which would bring on a wave of emotional turbulence.

~PLAYLIST FOR THE NIGHT:

1) 天边 (Horizon)
2) 爱的便当
3) 你已走了
4) 冷却的渴望
5)深浅
6)双曲线
7)某某
8)牛奶咖啡
9)无名的话 （最后一首歌）

<戏剧—-好人卡>

“You’re a good guy, but…”, this is the play titled ‘The Good Guy Card’ <好人卡> in its very essence, one which tells the story of rejection and heartbreak. The play centered around a good decent young man, Wang Xiao Wei,  who is exasperated by his twenty years of being single, and often being rejected by girls with the cliched “You’re a good guy, but…”. However, after the final straw, he throws away his ‘good guy’ persona and is compelled by his casanova of a friend to learn the ways of picking up girls. The results of his new skills help him get closer to the girl he really likes, but he loses himself in the process and becomes ignorant of those who really appreciate him. Things take a step further in the opposite direction for this former ‘Good Guy’ as his love life turns awry as he discovers that the girl he likes was already in a relationship with one of his good friends. The play was executed with precision to detail as well as tip top acting by the cast, especially during its most dramatic scenes, like the ‘slap scene’, which was delivered with finesse, courtesy of Liu WenQian. Despite the plot seeming rather blasé, it was made up for by the acting and the small details carefully thought of by CLDCS, such as tunes that were sung by Zhou Si Hui during the transitions between the scenes, making the play progress smoothly.

Their entire performance caps off with CLDCS’ final song, <心中歌唱>, as the cast, musicians and singers took to the stage for their last piece of the night. The audience reciprocated with resounding applause, congratulating them for their wonderful performance. <且行且珍惜> was the culmination of countless hours of hard work and grit, where many of the cast members often rehearsed and prepared till ten at night in the weeks before, just for this night alone, putting everything aside solely for this presentation. It is without a doubt that CLDCS did not fall short of an excellent performance this year, which had both the cast and audience smiling cheerfully from ear to ear as the night came to a close. Now, we can only wonder what CLDCS would do in next year’s production to top this one.

by Wilson Chan and Lorraine Fong (15A01c)
Photos by the Raffles Photographic Society

On the 16th of May, Raffles Institution Chinese Orchestra (Year 5-6) (RICO) marked their return to the public limelight after two years with their highly anticipated concert, 《叙》 or Recollections. Held at the Singapore Conference Hall, Recollections explored the emotions one feels when reminiscing the nostalgic past, by balancing longing and heartfelt yearning with the joy of childhood memories. Juggling the complexities of blending Chinese melodies and Western harmonies, this specially-themed evening, coupled with the unconventional and unexpected use of instruments, enthralled audiences with both familiar tunes and ancient soundscapes. Just as how diverse and wide-ranging our recollections are, the varied repertoire that RICO presented shattered any misconceptions that the orchestra was limited in form or genre.

RICO opened with one of the main highlights of the evening – an enchanting medley incorporating some of the most inspiring and popular tunes from The Phantom of the Opera. Arranged by Mr. Tan Bing Liang, a ‘RICO alumnus-turned-dentist’, the medley started with a simple, yet reverberating keyboard solo of Masquerade. This simple melody seamlessly transitioned into an immersive orchestral playing of Think of Me. RICO continues to take us through this riveting journey with another effortless passage, where cellist Rui Chen (one out of six secondary 4 orchestral members) took on the role of Raoul, and Kim Ji Hwan (15A01C) the role of Christine in the heartwarming duet All I Ask of You. With the flawless solos of the cello and the gaohu (a smaller, higher-pitched version of the erhu), Ji Hwan commented how his maiden solo performance was “nerve-racking yet exhilarating at the same time”. The audience, which was busking in the romantic atmosphere, was mercilessly hurled into the sinister, dark world of the Phantom. The most iconic and stirring song, The Phantom Of the Opera, resounded forebodingly through the hall, drawing the audience into the mystery and dangerous unknown of the Phantom’s lair. The audience is then led from fear to a solemn, heart wrenching delivery of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, evoking sadness and sympathy in their hearts for the loss of Christine’s father in the original musical. RICO closed the medley with a self-descriptive piece, Music of the Night, as student conductor Benedict Lim faded the emotion-provoking medley into silence.  For a moment, the audience was left dumbfounded, but snapped out of their enchanted states to mask the silence with roaring applause.

As the main orchestra took their leave, a small chamber ensemble emerged onto the stage to perform their second piece, Dun Huang. Departing from the Broadway strains of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the audience was plunged into the mysterious and exotic locale of the Silk Road. Set against a rich and groovy accompaniment, influenced by the fusion of Indian and Western elements which capitalised on the unique sounds created by the pipa and the zhongruan, the whole musical landscape was inspired by the cultural melting pot of Dun Huang as a blend of both Eastern and Western styles. Furthermore, it functioned as an exciting and refreshing twist to the otherwise more commonplace pentatonic scale employed by traditional Chinese instruments. Beginning with a bangdi solo by Sue Jean, the small ensemble then drove the music forward passionately, shaping the seemingly dissonant notes into complementary layers of euphonious and energetic music. The intensity was then kicked up a notch when the performers started to rap on their respective instruments, conjuring a fast-paced rhythm which eventually culminated in rapid and furious playing, which concluded this colourful piece. Special mention should be given to these talented performers, who constantly had to follow each other’s pulses consistently in order to be synchronised with each other. The chemistry they had with each other was a testament to the amount of effort they had put in to perfect and to coordinate the entire piece of music.

The animated and spirited atmosphere kindled by Dun Huang was in stark contrast to the next piece that followed, Spring of the Seaside. This time, the number of instruments decreased to just two, as sheng soloist Nicholas Teo and pianist Chua Zhe Xuan commanded the stage with a quaint duet. The rolling of the arpeggiated chords of the piano symbolised the ebb and flow of the waves as it reaches the shore, while the poetic style of the sheng drew one’s attention to the allure and charm of the seaside, and its striking scenery. With an almost intriguing quality to the music as its softness and gentleness drifted from the sheng and the piano, it was then superimposed upon by the introduction of a livelier rhythm, making the middle sections more passionate and cheerful. The piece soon ended with the mellow mood set in the opening, coming full circle.

One of the night’s highlights was their fourth piece, The Game of Drums, a contemporary piece which brought Chinese percussion music to another level. Commissioned by and premiered at the Chinese Classical Music Special Concert at Paris in 2000, RICO’s rendition of this unorthodox piece explored the dynamic techniques of Chinese percussion music with an upbeat tempo. The beauty of the piece lies in how the different rhythms interlocked to create a unique and exciting feel and atmosphere to something merely accompanying in nature. The wholly percussion sound allowed the soloists to showcase the full strengths of the section in all its glory: the furious rapping of the drumsticks, the superb skill in the timing and coordination of the whole piece, and in never overshadowing the other percussionists by being too loud. The fiery piece then ended with a loud cry from the performers, drawing to a close the first half of the concert.

After a brief intermission, the full ensemble took to the stage once more with their fifth piece, The Plaint of Love, featuring the guzheng as the main instrument in a concerto. The wistful melodies that flow from the guzheng are accompanied by the sonorous backdrop of the orchestra. The music is soon interjected with a graceful interlude where Nicholas Quek, the guzheng soloist, has a cadenza – the whole orchestra recedes to allow the soloist to bask in the limelight with a powerful solo. In this case, Nicholas’ quick fingers and expressive playing does not disappoint. He describes the challenges of his solo:  “I would say the process had its challenges, because as a soloist, whether playing by myself, or with a piano accompanist, or with an orchestra on stage – these are three very different things. So there’s a lot of adjusting within the three at the same time.”

The final two pieces of the concert dealt with the languid and unhurried poetic paintings of Chinese landscapes and symbolic entities. Delving into Southern China, Music of the Alleyways brought us through the wide streets and narrow alleys of the bygone days. The calm and soothing opening quickly transitioned into a reverberating and joyful folk tune, which employed a call-and-response technique within the plucked strings section. The playfulness of the entire piece recalls a time of optimism and childlike imagination, and this was accompanied by an increase in tempo in the uplifting themes in the gaohu and the flute. Eventually though, it ended off with a slow and unhurried, yet enrapturing, tune which led into the next and final piece.

The Golden Lotus Flower enticed the audience with its magical tune and symbolism of hope. The focal point of the piece was the use of the yunluo in both the opening and the conclusion, while the distinct and mysterious chords were enhanced by the absence of the pentatonic scale. Alternating between grand and dramatic sections with the sublime and soothing, it aptly describes the golden lotus flower: a divine and beautiful flower which represents purity. With the yunluo in the limelight once more, the boldness and loudness of the discordant chords convalesced into one majestic and dignified blast of music, thus signalling the end of the piece. The audience then exploded with a thunderous cheer as the orchestra took their bow, and conductor Mr Yang Ji Wei was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a teddy-bear plush toy. Before long, the audience chanted “encore!” in synchrony.

Much to the audience’s surprise, Mr Yang handed his conducting baton back to student conductor Benedict Lim. The audience cheers excitedly from the conceding of their request, but quickly falls silent as the familiar tune of Those Bygone Years《那些年》, from popular Taiwanese romance movie You Are The Apple Of My Eye, starts to play. The audience sighs with heartwarming satisfaction as the love song filled the hall.

The evening then finished with another encore piece, RICO’s rendition of Cups, a song popularised by American actress Anna Kendrick. Providing a new twist on a familiar melody, it overturned any expectations that the Chinese orchestra was not versatile enough to be able to adapt to the modern harmonies of pop music. The percussion imitated the beat of the cup game used in the song, while the rest of the ensemble gave voice to the original tune; this simple arrangement presented an invigorating change from the overplayed version. Mr. Yang also invited the audience for a little interactive session when he got everyone to clap along with the orchestra. The energy which then pulsated from the entire hall brought the whole performance to a climax, and ended the concert off with a bang.

There is a Chinese saying which goes “台上三分钟，台下十年功”, literally meaning how the three minutes on stage equates to ten years of hard work behind the scenes. A tremendous amount of effort and perseverance from all the students involved and the conductor, Mr. Yang, has gone into making this concert such a successful one. “Right at the beginning, they were very sure of their goals and what they wanted to achieve. They were very motivated, and knew that they wanted to be at a certain standard, and managed their time well while juggling between practices and studies,” said Mr Yang of the students. “They worked very hard and what the audience saw today is a good conclusion, and they actually delivered higher than my expectations. They really achieved beyond their goal and it’s because they’ve been working very hard from the beginning.”

Mr Yang also went on to thank the audience for their presence: “I think the orchestra would like to mention and appreciate our audience, or the concert would not have been successful if there’s nobody watching.”The audience did enjoy the concert – the concert hall was packed full of supporters and even teachers who came down to show encouragement for the performers. “It was very unexpected,” Jamie [15A01C] said. “This is my first CO concert and I didn’t think that it would sound like this; it was really good!” Indeed, the whole performance was of exceptionally high standards, and affirmed the commitment each RICO member showed for the CCA and for their concert.

On behalf of Raffles Press, we would like to congratulate RICO on their astounding performance, and we wish them all the best in future endeavours. This concert will truly be a part of our recollections.

Our writer at Raffles Press has written this review in response to the posting of a video by “The Mob” featuring “Step Up! 2014″ (a dance workshop which they organised).

by Nicolas Baey (15S03F)

Outside LT1 is an empty, unassuming space, more commonly known as the ‘mirrors’; the atmosphere of this area is usually very laidback after school. But one particular afternoon, the mirrors were jam-packed with people learning to… you guessed it, dance. Step Up! 2014 was a hip hop dance workshop organised by “The Mob”  (an allusion to the protagonist dance crew in Step Up Revolution: The Movie) on 8 May after school. The workshop aimed to expose people to what dancing encapsulates — to feel the groove and express themselves.

More than 40 participants came down to the mirrors on the long-awaited day; their time did not go to waste.

First, there was the welcoming introduction of the dance instructors who would be guiding us through the choreography. They came in all-smiles and really set the mood for the whole event. There was also a short but important warm-up session. Stretching was a really important part of the process, as practicing without former preparation could cause you to pull a muscle. Many then took their first baby steps in following the tune of and matching their moves to the newly met dance instructors. The energy was invigorating with everyone shaking, stepping, leaping to the beat of “Now or Never” by Kendrick Lamar. The song itself was really upbeat with a repetitive melody that made it easier to follow. Some struggled; my psychomotor skills failed me as I mixed up my right arm for my left. Fellow participant Cayson Chong (15S07D), admits that he was really bad at dancing and “probably would never have dared to try dancing in front of so many people.” Nonetheless, everyone  was pumped up and ready to put in their best, even continuing to practice during the water breaks.

What was truly impressive about the whole event was the J2 instructors, or as they so enthusiastically call themselves, ‘The Mob’. The process of teaching their fellow batch mates and juniors was no mean feat, especially since the choreography had been finalized only a week prior to the event, as Nanshan Li (14S06B) pointed out. “We had to balance issues such as the length of the dance so people don’t tire out when it’s too long or lose out on the exposure when it’s too short.” However, the instructors felt really great to see that everyone enjoyed themselves and that at the end of the day, all their effort was really worth it. Nanshan also hopes that “all of the participants out there would want to expose themselves to more dance and not just let the workshop be the end of their passion.”

As Step Up’s motto goes, ‘We believe that everyone has a dancer in them- so why dance alone, and hide away the myriad of colour and potential waiting to be discovered?’ Even though the workshop was only 2 hours long, the inspiring talks that the various dancers gave about their humble beginnings gave us insight into what dance really is all about. One such example would be of Yao Cheng Hui (14S06K), who learnt the moves together with the rest of the participants. Although Cheng Hui is a bowler, he comes down to the mirrors to dance and have fun whenever he wants to kill time. When asked about his first experience dancing, he replied, “Well, it was really quite awkward at first because I wasn’t really that good at dancing.” But as he spent more time polishing his craft, Cheng Hui managed to learn more about dance and grow as a dancer.

The workshop was a great success as even though not everyone was able to perform the dance at 100%, we were all able to learn something at the end of the day. I was finally able to get a feeling of the ‘expression’ of dance even if it was only for a short while. As the workshop came to an end, everyone put their hands to the center to give one final resounding “Step Up!” for a final send-off.

You can watch the video of “Step Up! 2014″ here: