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as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, written by Cole Porter and became a signature Frank Sinatra song, and “The Chicken”, originally made famous by Jaco Pastorius.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

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!”

Having narrowly lost to Victoria Junior College in the semi-finals the previous week, our soccer girls took to Jalan Besar stadium on Thursday, determined to win their 3rd/4th placing match against Meridian Junior College. “We came in knowing we needed to beat MJ and end the season on a high note,” said Choo Yunting.

The team was confident heading to the match: “Our plan was to play the usual game,” admitted captain Heng Suyun. “After having played the strongest team VJ before this game, we came into this knowing we could do it.”

Team huddle before the match

Still, the game started off cagily with both teams reluctant to commit players forward and keeping the majority of players behind the ball. Neither side could control possession for significant stretches with kick and chase tactics being used to try and open up the opposing side, resulting in a rather scrappy opening ten minutes.

When Raffles did manage to go forward, the majority of our attacks came down the left flank where winger Koo Hui Fen stood out with her good close control and ability to get past her marker. It thus came as no surprise that the best chance of the half came from that route. After some neat interplay down the left flank, Hui Fen managed to get to the bye-line and beat her marker, playing a teasing ball low across the face of the goal from the left edge of the penalty area. With the crowd rising in anticipation, the cross just barely eluded her two waiting teammates who were looking to apply the finishing touch. The Meridian defence gratefully cleared the ball, ending the danger.

Koo Hui Fen showing good close control

Still, Raffles continued to press on. Midfield dynamo, Liza Tay, in particular, was strong in the tackle, harassing the Meridian players into conceding possession. Her ability to win possession was often a springboard for the Raffles team to surge forward, and led to a few half chances. One of the best came when she won possession on the right, and spotted striker Emiline Elangovan darting into the box. She played a precise through ball, but a heavy first touch from Emiline allowed the Meridian defence time to recover.

Overall, Raffles had the better of the first half with arguably the two best chances, although they didn’t manage a shot on target. Meridian found themselves increasingly pegged back and were limited to two pot shots from well outside the box, which were comfortably dealt with by goalkeeper Chiew Wenqi. Much of the credit for that must fall to a solid Raffles defence, who with the support of their midfield, were able to close down space effectively. Suyun explained, “Our plan was not to panic, hold our ground, and wait for them to come to us. When they (Meridian) were still fit at the start, they could attack us. Hence, we ensured our defence was solid.”

Goalkeeper Chiew Wenqi collects the ball as her defenders look on gratefully

The second half saw a tactical change by the Raffles team as they brought on Jane Ong on the right. Jane had been kept out of the starting line-up due to a knee injury and her introduction clearly made a difference, with Raffles starting to show more attacking intent. A track and field athlete, she was able to use her pace to good effect, and was noticeably the fastest player on the pitch, despite her injury. The Meridian defence, and the left back in particular, found it increasingly impossible to cope with Jane’s surging runs and ability to drive to the bye-line. Within a few minutes of the restart, the left back was pressured into giving away possession to Jane in a dangerous area, and Meridian was lucky to escape when Jane just failed to find a teammate in the box.

Emiline sprinting towards the goal

As the match wore on Raffles increasingly came to dominate possession with Meridian largely pegged back in their own half. They were able to put balls forward for their wingers to chase, and Liza was able to make a few good probing runs at the Meridian defence from midfield. Where Meridian did manage to clear the ball, it inevitably fell back to a player from the Raffles team, in particular Suyun, who was effective in a midfield anchor role. On a few occasions, crosses from the flanks or Liza’s mazy runs down the middle yielded half-chances, but Raffles’ attack found themselves up against a stubborn Meridian defence which successfully prevented the Raffles players from getting their shots away. It was frustrating for the players, even as they continued to put the Meridian defence under increasing pressure.

Jane confronts the tough Meridian defence as she takes a free kick

Then came the moment that everyone thought would win the game for Raffles. After good movement down the right, Emiline was able to brilliantly turn her marker and cut the ball back towards the penalty spot. Liza was perfectly placed and struck the ball sweetly, only to see it cannon downward off the crossbar and into the grateful grasp of the Meridian goalkeeper.

Tiredness was visibly getting the better of the players and the match began to peter out, with Meridian conceding possession far too cheaply in their own half. The Meridian striker cut a lonely figure as the rest of her team packed the defence, with up to seven players in their own box. Raffles resorted to trying their luck from distance, with Jane and Liza taking shots from 20 yards without really troubling the keeper. The final whistle saw both teams deadlocked at 0-0 despite Rafflesian dominance.

Meridian came out flying at the start of extra time, showing renewed attacking intent. After largely being on the defensive, they managed to break down the left flank before center-back Shayna Kam made a last-ditch tackle to snuff out the danger. With tiredness affecting both teams, the game become more open and Raffles responded with a break down the left of our own. Hui Fen made a purposeful run down the left, making a neat turn to leave her defender trailing. Ghosting past another defender, she dribbled into a dangerous area, but the Meridian defenders successfully managed to nullify the threat.

Then came the defining moment of the game. With the end of the first period of extra time in sight, Liza picked up a loose ball in midfield, jinked past three defenders on the right and drove in a low cross that fell to Emiline in the box. Unable to turn or get a shot away, she laid the ball off to Hui Fen who found Jane, in space, at the right edge of the penalty area. Jane took one touch to control the ball before sending it curling towards the goal, where it flew over the despairing dive of the Meridian goalkeeper and nestled in the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Jane fell to the ground, her arms raised in both ecstasy and relief, and was soon mobbed by her teammates.

Later, Jane told us, “I’m really surprised it went in. I was really glad, but I didn’t expect it, because I’ve just come back from an injury and am very unfit.” But nothing less was expected from the team: “I was very relieved when the goal came, but I knew it was coming, I believed that someone would score the goal,” said Suyun.

From then on, Meridian was playing catch-up and much of the exchanges were scrappy. Raffles, playing with ever greater confidence, had a chance to put the game away, when Liza played an excellent through ball to Jane, but her shot lacked enough power to trouble the keeper. They were almost made to pay when a rare defensive lapse led to a Meridian breakaway and a clearance from Shayna fell kindly to the Meridian striker. Thankfully, the Raffles keeper, Wenqi was alert to the attempt to chip her.

There was to be no other moments of high drama, with Raffles showing good discipline and teamwork until tension was finally relieved by the final whistle. The team fully deserved the victory, after a well-organized, astute and dominant performance. It was a solid team performance with everyone working hard for each other. They had a clear game plan to first soak up the pressure and then attack, and this was carried out very effectively. “They played well”, commented Mr Man, their coach, “the defence played well, but for us today, attack was the best form of defence”. I am sure the exhausted Meridian team would agree.

The soccer girls with teachers Mr Leong Chee Mun, Mr Man and Ms Jo Chan

Photos courtesy of the soccer girls.

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.

The final, haunting notes played by the RI Chamber Ensemble lingered in the cool night air, drawing rapturous applause from a captivated audience. It signaled the end to the opening ceremony of the Raffles’ Arts season, drawing the night to a close. Contented guests, which included teachers and students from neighbouring schools, stayed a while for a short chat, or to appreciate the artworks for a moment more.

The Raffles Arts Season 2013 thus opened on a resoundingly high note.

Based on the theme ‘Music, Movies & Magic’, the Chamber Ensemble and their mentors from the T’ang Quartet presented a total of five playful pieces with five different silent films serving as a backdrop, enthralling the audience with their performance.

‘Music, Movies & Magic’

The highlight of the opening ceremony was no doubt the performance by the internationally reknown T’ang Quartet. For the past 20 years, these four Singaporean musicians have honed their craft performing to both local and foreign audiences, garnering numerous national and international accolades and it was certainly a privilege to have them perform a work by a French composer that in keeping with the evening’s theme was written specifically as accompaniment to a silent film. The Chamber Ensemble certainly played their part in the evening’s proceedings , performing four new works written by students of composition at the School of the Arts (SOTA). Lending a nostalgic backdrop to the evening were the five silent films, each dating from the early 1900s, that effectively inspired and complemented the music.

The T’ang Quartet

Similar high-calibre performances will be held in the next two weeks. You also may have noticed exhibitions going up in the A and B Blocks as well as by the canteen. Or maybe watched the film society’s screening of new films produced by Year Fives. Or perhaps heard Raffles Rock practicing. All these are testament to the variety and the riches in this year’s art season.

The Arts in Raffles Institution have truly been given a new breath of life this year, with the creation of the very first Arts Season as a formal showcase for the Arts and Aesthetics groups in the school. The creativity and vigour of our school’s artists is evident in the painstaking mounted photos and the carefully crafted art pieces on show, brought to you by the Raffles Photographic Society and Art Club in a combined exhibition, The Human Condition. The exhibitions are rarely simply what they seem to be. Though they may not be as accesible to some as music or dance, these still works of art are able to contain a deeper sense of emotion and significance and plenty of food for thought.

Head curators Edwin Chow, left, and Kendra Xu, right.

A real crowd-magnet: RProj as featured by the Raffles Photographic Society

Let’s not forget the performing arts, which have been busy rehearsing for their own annual concerts. In these two weeks we will see the school packed full of performances, with activities ranging from the ever popular Raffles Street Dance’s concert titled Anybody Can Dance to Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde, a production by Raffles Players.

The final word on tonight? Given the extraordinary talent on show don’t wait but take this opportunity to immerse yourself in the Arts over the next fortnight.

Information brochures have been put around school on or in musical instruments and their cases wrapped in Arts Season 2013 tape. Events and relevant details are listed on them. Do pick one up to find out more about the events taking place during Arts Season.

Passers-by around Scape would have been scarcely aware of the event that was going on inside the *SCAPE Warehouse, but the fashionably dressed ushers at the entrance certainly turned a few heads. Ushered in by the well-dressed Runway members, a rather subdued atmosphere greeted you as you entered the event space. With the dim lighting as well as the constant flashes of the camera at the photo area, this was truly an event to see and be seen. Even as the show was scheduled begin, immaculately dressed individuals were still observed sauntering to their seats. This was, after all, the perfect occasion to be “fashionably late”.

Friends getting their picture taken at the photo area, which proved to be one of the highlights of the night

In true fashionista style, the show began nearly 20 minutes late, but it was well worth the wait as Raffles Rock delivered an electrifying rendition of Maroon 5’s “Makes Me Wonder” to kickstart the show. The first collection shown was the Mother-and-Child collection which Raffles Runway had launched in collaboration with the ‘motherandchildproject’. The children models specially roped in to model the clothing from this segment were greeted with loud cheers from the crowd, as all in attendance could hardly contain a smile at the sight of a cherubic toddler wearing gorgeous, runway-worthy clothes.

Raffles Rock provided the awesome music for the night, singing a variety of upbeat songs for the models to strut along to.

The children were right at home on the runway, gamely posing for the cameras.

Some of the simple yet stylish pieces in the motherandchild collection

Some of the simple yet stylish pieces in the motherandchild collection

A quick return to the fashion industry proper was in store. The next segment of the event was a presentation of some of the designs by fashion label Noel Caleb, a local online fashion label that has been instrumental in supporting RProject, by overseeing the choreography, organization and catwalk training for the models. The collection featured mostly dresses and skirts with feminine silhouettes and bold colours, and included an element of fun with interesting shapes, cutouts and drapes in the various pieces in the collection.  It was highly enjoyable, presenting stylish designs that were unique and eye-catching, yet easily wearable.

The collection in its entirety

The first segment came to a rousing end with Raffles Rock taking centre-stage and delivering Muse’s “Resistance”, concluding their performance for the night. Dropping the spotlights and reviving the warm glow of the general lighting, the audience eased into the intermission with a casual mood. Cue Round 2 of photo taking and mingling!

The second segment was what most of the audience had been eagerly awaiting – a thematic presentation of an original collection entitled Paradise Lost. Each original piece was designed by the members of Raffles Runway, in lieu with the theme. The limited time that each carefully constructed piece was presented on the runway belied the months of hard work put in by the designers to arduously conceptualize, design, and even personally sew their outfits carefully calibrated to the dimensions of the models. The result of all the work that was put in was indeed a feast for the eyes, which each audience member was sure to have enjoyed immensely and appreciatively, judging from the cheers and applause the emanated from the audience.

The first thematic collection was entitled “Eden”, an allusion to the perfect and ideal harmony of the biblically-documented garden paradise. A common motif across most of the designs was that of flowers – particularly roses, that were sewn onto the outfits by the designers. There was also a widespread use of a white colour base and soft pastel colours, perhaps in reflection of Eden-like purity. This presentation sequence closed with Brenda Tan’s stunning outfit design – a pure white dress with string lights incorporated into the full bodice, which drew gasps in the crowd. What a stunning, eye-catching spectacle to mark the finale end of the first theme.

Designer Xin Yi’s tasteful scattering of red roses across the front of the outfit provided a welcome burst of colour that lit up an otherwise ordinary white dress

The careful yet artful arrangement of white flowers coupled with the model’s loose fishtail braid allowed this complete outfit to exude a mixture of both purity and cheekiness

The Christmas lights incorporated into the bodice of this outfit certainly lit up the faces of the audience

The untainted Eden perfection quickly descended into a sinister mood as the “Sin” collection took to the stage; in short, it was literally Paradise Lost. Outfits in this collection took on a darker tone with the common motif of chains and dark brooding colours, perhaps reflective of the trapped and helpless state of the human condition enslaved to sin. In contrast to the white and pastel colours earlier, the colour combination of red, black and white evoked a dark and hellish motif, with the complementary use of skulls and dark make-up for the models.

The combination of darker colours in this outfit was tasteful yet effective at bringing across the theme of the collection

The long, shimmering cut-out gown on model Stephanie was indeed an eye-catching sight as light reflected of the material with the slightest movement on her part

Black lipstick was commonly employed in the models’ make-up throughout this collection

The baring of backs was not only limited to the female models as male models such as Eugene gamely exposed their backs, all in the name of fashion

Finally, the last theme of the presentation was “Rapture”, featuring outfits designed solely by the graduating batch of Year 6s.  Once again, this theme drew inspiration from a biblical reference to the spiritual restoration of joyous paradise. This collection featured several couple outfits cut from the same cloth, and there was more freedom in the vibrant colour schemes of the outfits. Plunging necklines and tastefully bared backs were the order of the night, but Brian See took it a whole other level when he emerged in only a blazer designed by Jeanine Cheok, exposing his muscular upper body that drew cheers and whistles from the crowd. The models pulled moves all round to entertain, with risque poses and gestures.

Thalia and Kenzo in their matching outfits, featuring a bright and cheery checkered print

This dress channeled elements from the Victorian era with its deep grey colour and ruffles lining the edge of the dress

This playful fiery-red jumpsuit also featured a plunging back

The afore-mentioned abs did steal the limelight from the beautiful blazer, whose sleeves were adorned with gold studs

The conclusion to the whole event reconciled the faceless names on the presentation slides with the talented designers who had painstakingly created all the colourful and stylish outfits on view from scratch, not to mention organizing and executing the whole event to near perfection – the audience fittingly applauded them as they in turn graciously shared the credit by paying tribute to the various people who had worked together to make this event possible.

When asked about what inspired the theme of the show, Paradise Lost, chairperson of Raffles Runway Brenda Tan told Raffles Press it was inspired by John Milton’s epic poem and that it “illustrates the story of man, beginning with Eden, a very basic and natural collection, then Sin, which is men’s struggle with righteousness emulated by the juxtaposition of two contrasting outfits, and rapture, signifying the freedom of man’s will, which we tried to portray through the burst of colours and bolder designs.”

Brenda also shared with us some of the gruelling yet unseen challenges along the way, which included “having to spend late nights up sewing, staying awake since 1am on show day in order to set up the custom-made V-shaped runway and ensure that things were ready for the show in the afternoon”. Moreover, she added that planning for such a large-scale event with a small team of individuals required a lot of work and communication too.

Chairperson Brenda paying tribute to all the people who had contributed to this event in one way or another

The challenges were certainly not limited to the organizational aspect, as models also had their fair share of difficulties. As model I/C Eugene Tan told us, “This year was more challenging because the runway was not in a conventional T-shape, so there was quite a lot of preparation was needed for the actual show, even for the slightly more experienced models. Also, there’s the challenge of commitment; modelling is a voluntary option, so students spend their time outside of their own CCAs. Despite having their own CCA seasons, they still managed to come for all the trainings and rehearsals. Most of the models also spent a lot of time to meet up with their designers for fittings or to meet their partners to practice their couple walks.”

On behalf of all the models, Eugene also wanted to pay tribute to all the designers who did make-up and dressing on the day of the actual shows, as they “spent a lot of time and effort to make sure the models looked their best”. This sentiment was echoed by his fellow model I/C Meaghan Chan, who was also modelling for RProject for the second year running, described the event as an “astounding success” and attributes this to the “tremendous effort put in by the organizers and designers”. She went on to wax lyrical about the “incredible” designers’ creations which “brought on tones that were mature, bold yet mischievous, elegant, innocent yet flirtatious”, and told us that the models “fell in love with these fabulous costumes”.

In hindsight, Brenda stressed the sense of fulfilment and accomplishment that this endeavour has given her. “Nothing beats the feeling of selling out both shows and seeing everything work out smoothly. The process started 6 months ago, seeing designers through their designing and constructing phase right up till their roles in organizing the show, adds to the element of originality and responsibility. My batch in particular embarked on many new initiatives, which pushed the show to another level and made it less conventional compared to other fashion shows”.

Eugene gratefully added, “It’s hard to find opportunities like runway modelling in Singapore, and we are lucky we could experience it as students in Raffles as part of RProject”.

Modeling was no easy feat as these models had to attend numerous rehearsals and dedicated much time to practice their poses and walking

When asked about motivations behind taking up modelling, one of the models shared, “Personally, the reason I tried out last year was to overcome my own insecurities and stage fright. Since then I have come a long way, and I feel that runway has helped make me a more confident person.”

To all aspiring models out there, Meaghan quipped, “My advice to all models and aspiring models is to just be confident on stage and just live in the moment!”

With that, Raffles Press would like to sincerely congratulate Raffles Runway and all the models for putting such a great show and we look forward to even greater exploits by Raffles Runway in future!

ARTSeason 2013 is up and raring to go, and the Raffles Symphonic Band (RSB) opened it at the SOTA Concert Hall on Saturday with one of the first events of the season. In this edition of their annual concert titled A Tempo XXII: New/Classics, the band enthralled audiences with pieces that emphasised the importance of reinvention in music: several pieces drew inspiration from classics yet metamorphosed them into new compositions, while others challenged the concept of classical music being a dry sit-down affair. This occasion also marked the Asian premiere of the piece Extreme Beethoven and the composer himself, Mr Johan De Meij, was seated in the audience.

The emcees for the night

“I wondered why the night was so dark, and then it dawned on me.” With the emcee’s quip, the concert began with the first piece Until The Day Dawns. It is composed by music teacher and RSB teacher-in charge Mr Derek Lim, one of our very own. A refreshing start to the evening, the buildup throughout the piece gave to an energetic finish, echoing the composer’s optimistic sentiment of perseverance despite obstacles, until the very end. Another impressionable piece was the Impressionistic Fantasy in French, definitely a romantic score that included works by French composers such Claude Debussy. The dream-like atmosphere was aided by the addition of unusual instruments, including a guest harp player from SOTA.

Extreme Beethoven was a programme highlight, and given the hype surrounding the premiere, the audience was not let down. Music aficionado Teh Jiun Harn gushed that it was a “very interesting version of the classic pieces that everybody knows from Beethoven, such as the scherzo and the first movement of the 5th symphony, the 9th symphony, the Moonlight Sonata, and the 7th symphony.” True enough, the composer intended to create an “extreme” version of Beethoven’s well known works, weaving them into an astonishing composition, paying tribute to the famous composer. However, what was even more surprising to the audience was that band members started leaving the stage in the middle of the piece, taking their instruments with them. What happened to all the trumpeters and percussionists?

The mystery was solved when the musicians emerged again from the back entrance of the hall, performing their instruments as they marched in. This small ensemble continued playing at the side of the stalls until the end of the piece, inviting cheers and even entertaining a dancing toddler seated to the side. RSB skillfully conveyed the novel concept of not just performing straight from the stage, but letting the audience (literally!) immerse themselves in the music. Even for a professional concert, there was a jovial atmosphere created by these rare moments.

In an exclusive interview with Raffles Press, Mr Johan De Meij, who composed Extreme Beethoven, said that he was “very pleased” about the band’s performance of his work. “This was the Asian premiere and they did it very well. I was happy with the performance.” When asked about the concert he had praise for our band members, saying that it “had a lot of variety in the programming, and there were some fine soloists. I had an enjoyable evening.”

The second half opened with Elixir, a jazz-influenced piece performed with gusto, showing the strength of the band in a piece meant to celebrate musicians and their love for music. It contrasted with the next song, Sheltering Sky, a complex composition that showcased the softer, more melancholy side of classical music. Michelle Chan, a euphonium player, named it her favourite. “I liked the polyphony and the way the sounds blend. I like how it all had to be together, because if one instrument was a little bit off, it would sound wrong.” She also felt that the band performed very well despite difficulties during the dress rehearsal, and that it was “a good show”.

Of course, who could forget the soloists of the evening who gave us such enchanting performances? In Rhapsody for Euphonium, Tobby Satyarama gave a humble performance with the mellow sounds of the euphonium contrasting with the timbres of the rest of the band and held his own, creating a musical conversation between his instrument and other sections.

Soloist Deepak Warrier

In a league of his own was the second soloist, Deepak Warrier, who helmed the German piece Immer Kleiner. The title translated to “Always Smaller” in English, but no one would have imagined that the title would so aptly describe the way the piece was to be performed! What started off as a serious performance took a more mischievous turn as Deepak began dismantling his instrument, and as the piece progressed the clarinet was taken apart again and again until it was no more than a very tuneful whistle. Deepak commented that the conductor had wanted him to perform something that involved both playing and acting, and jokingly said, “I did the acting part better than the performing part! It was a fun experience and the crowd apparently loved it.” The composition was itself very creative, but we agree that it was the soloist’s comic take that made audiences crack up.

A highly anticipated segment was the Les Misérables medley, familiar to many as the world’s longest-running musical and popularised by the recent Hollywood film. Under the baton of Vivian Goh, a student conductor, the medley transported us back in time to Victor Hugo’s 19th century France with Claude-Michel Schönberg’s score. From the crashing grandiose of the overture, the melancholic melodies of I Dreamed a Dream, to the revolutionary fervour of the June rebellion in Do You Hear The People Sing; the whole arrangement was artfully recreated. One of the writers felt that the heart-wrenching tunes played by the band packed the same emotional punch as it did when she saw the musical in London, and for the RSB to be up to par in performing this complex work was no mean feat.

Student conductor Vivian Goh

To conclude the night, the last piece was Home, the most iconic of Singapore’s National Day Parade tunes. Unlike the softer original, this was a modernised symphonic version with a rocking saxophone solo! But it wasn’t the end of the night yet – audiences clamoured for an encore, and conductor Mr Adrian Tan appeared again for the band to perform a rousing American piece, Stars and Stripes.

By the end of the first encore, the crowd was still shouting for more, ignoring the emcees who had announced that it was really the end. And surprise, surprise! Mr Adrian Tan reappeared to say that he had decided to respond to an unusual second encore by performing a newly arranged Institution Anthem (which will hopefully replace the gaudy orchestrations we sing to during morning assembly in the near future). He reiterated that the band was under-rehearsed as sheet music was passed out on stage, but RSB was up to the task and performed to a chorus from the audience. The anthem, with the live accompaniment, was perhaps sung more meaningfully that night by the Rafflesians in attendance than our routine affair on the parade square.

In an interview with the conductor after the show, Mr Tan congratulated the band members. “They were great! They worked really hard to perform the music as it was really quite difficult, and today is an especially long day as they’ve been here since the afternoon. Rafflesians are very, very busy; they have to cope with their school work and other activities, and then they have to work on their music, which in itself could be a full time job! I’m actually very proud of them because they really came through very well, and the audiences look very excited.” It was indeed a successful performance by the RSB, culminating in a double encore and an enthusiastic response from the audience.

We noticed a peculiar tradition in the RSB – whenever there was occasion for applause, band members whose hands were occupied broke into drumroll by tapping the stage with their feet instead, creating a drumroll effect. Even for people like us who can’t tell their Beethoven’s Symphonies apart, we were moved by their sheer passion for performance, and for that, we offer the Raffles Symphonic Band the loudest of drumrolls indeed.

“Every time I wanted to make a film, (my parents) said to go and find a real job. ‘Don’t be too selfish, you need to support your family. You cannot just make some funny-funny video and think that this is art.’” – Royston Tan

The trio were casually dressed in pants and T-shirts, with a scarf on Eva and cuffed skinnie on Royston. They did not stand out. Only on second glance did this writer realise they were the speakers for the assembly talk! They did not look like filmmakers, but then again, Singapore has few filmmakers to typify. How then, did these three start out in the industry?

Like Royston Tan, Rafflesians are probably familiar with parental pressure when choosing careers. “I told my parents to give me three years to prove myself. Because to them, filmmaking is not a job,” he recounted. Victric Thng’s family “had no clue of what (he) was doing”, until he won “a big award and was featured in the newspaper”. “Then, they began to embrace what I wanted to do,” he said.

Raffles Press met Royston, Victric, and Eva Tang when they visited RI to speak with students on their documentary-film, Old Romances, as part of the Arts Assembly Programme. Old Romances is the sequel to the much-acclaimed Old Places, which aired on TV on the eve of National Day 2010. Both focus on locations in Singapore which are fast disappearing, with people calling in to talk about the places that mattered to them.

Starting Out

“I only really wanted to be a graphic designer; I really didn’t want to be a film-maker,” confessed Royston. It was only in his Visual Communications course in Temasek Polytechnic that he found that he “could tell what (he) wanted to say (through film)”. School also helped him to be a better filmmaker. “I think school provides the environment for you to learn and grow with others, teaching you about working as a team,” he said. Similarly, Victric calls himself a “filmmaker by accident”. “At 16, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do.” While working as a salesperson in HMV, he made a 3-minute short film, Locust (2003), for a competition. When it won the Renault Samsung Prize at the Busan Asian Short Film Festival, that kickstarted his career as a filmmaker, and he attributes his current position to “one thing leading to another”.

On the other hand, Eva’s journey appears more deliberate. “During my secondary school days, I loved (reading) literature and going to the theatre,” she said. At the University of Hong Kong, she studied Comparative Literature, and caught many art house films at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. On her return, she worked as a movie critic for Lian He Zao Bao. “I enjoyed writing critiques (of movies), but I also wanted to (make movies myself),” she admitted. She then studied Directing at the UK National Film and Television School, and her filmmaking started. “This is all very important foundation, because you have to write scripts, and theatre helps you to understand the actors’ performance. I learn filmmaking by watching many films.”

To that end, Royston said: “I hope that RI can organise a film festival for students. I think it’s important not to just watch things on the Internet. We have to bring everybody out together, to be exposed to all kinds of films. We need to have discussions – it’s really when we discuss, then it’s really worth it.”

New Chay Hong Beauty Parlour was one of the places featured in Old Romances

Yet, both were quick to point out that filmmaking was a tough career choice. “There is no short cut,” said Eva. Royston adds: “It’s a lot of hard work, and the only thing that will drive you is whether it makes you happy. Being a filmmaker doesn’t earn a lot of money. We went through a period where we were so poor, but so happy.” Royston admitted that while doing Old Romances, the directors “really wanted to have nervous breakdowns”. “I’m very grateful that I had a team. When I wanted to break down, Victric was the one to give me a scolding, while Eva came and asked us to be logical. When I fell, I realised there were like-minded people around to help me — that is the true spirit of Old Romances.”

“I’m still learning how to make films at this point, and I’m still making mistakes, which I think is a good thing – I’m prepared to keep making films for a long time,” said Victric.

Filmmaking in Singapore
When asked how they derived inspiration for their films, Royston divulged, “I love watching Taiwan music videos, and how they can sell emotions in 3 minutes!” It was Victric’s job that exposed him to musical inspiration. “I was posted to the Classical music sales department at HMV, and the music I listened to day and night infused into my soul in a profound way,” said Victric. “These influences are evident in my short films, which are important to create a certain mood.” For Eva, her inspiration comes from poetry, which challenges her to “create a space of imagination” in the minds of viewers through her films.

The trio started the Old Places project as part of TV Channel Okto’s Special National Day Documentary Feature in 2010. “As filmmakers, our responsibility is to document these fast disappearing places. The film is for Singapore, to let the country know about the beautiful places we have,” said Victric. Both young and old have responded enthusiastically to the project, with youths suggesting locations to film for the directors on a Facebook group. “It’s not the age, but the curiosity (in a person). It’s whether they want to know who they are and where they come from,” said Eva. “During our screenings, the youths brought their elder family members, and these were the people who wept,” Victric recalled. “We’re glad to involve both young and old in this project.”

Indeed, Old Places touched many Singaporeans, prompting the sequel – Old Romances. The directors are glad to have aided Singaporeans in documenting their past. “A lot of people resonate with the films, because these places play a part in forming our cultural identity,” said Victric. “We embrace the future by remembering our past, not discarding it. Making these films is a way of doing that, by remembering places we cherish deeply. These are little pockets in Singapore where we can go and be ourselves, and enjoy that familiar cup of coffee and Teochew cake.” “Memory is a powerful collective thing,” said Eva.

Yet, Singapore’s film industry has only recently been growing, with household names like Jack Neo and his popular Ah Boys to Men dominating the scene. The directors of Old Places hope to see the scene mature.

“A healthy film industry is when you have a mixed group of directors doing different kinds of stuff. If we consistently stick to a certain type of film that promotes coffeeshop humour, eventually people will grow sick and tired,” said Royston, smiling wryly.

Eva feels that it is the audience that must demand more diversity, and “voice out their choices”. “In Singapore, Golden Village, Cathay, Shaw are all showing the same movies. I don’t see a distinctive difference. There are so many films out there that Singaporeans are not able to see (on the big screen). We must have choice as consumers.”

Photo credit: Objectifs (www.objectifs.com.sg)

With the Old Places and Old Romances project coming to a close, we asked the directors about other aspects of Singapore they would like to document. “One of the most immediate things I want to document is food. There is a lot of culture in food,” said Royston. “And the taste of it is changing.” While admitting that it would be hard to film a documentary on, Royston added: “It’s time to bring dialect back. Let’s not silence the older generation.” Meanwhile, Eva hopes to “document an era” such as the ‘60s. “For me, it’s not only about documenting objects. They accumulate to form a memory,” she said.

“There was nothing to celebrate when we did Old Places and Old Romances, it was actually a tragedy. We were crying inside, because we knew that the audience would only be able to enjoy these spaces through the film,” Victric lamented. “I hope that we don’t have to do food, because I hope that it will continue to be as delicious. I hope we will not do a part 3 for Old whatever, and that all these good things continue to exist.”’

Raffles Press would like to thank our interviewees for speaking with us, and Dr Gooi (ADH/Music and Aesthetics) for arranging the interview. Readers can catch the trailer for Old Romances here. A copy of Old Places is available for loan at the Hullett Memorial Library.
Selected photos courtesy of Royston Tan and Objectif Films.

Photographs by Zhang Ziyu from the Photographic Society

After a gruelling 3 hour fight, Steve Ng from RI threw out a long shot that secured RI’s 5-0 win against ACS(I) in the tennis group finals. Immediately after the winning shot, he collapsed on the ground in sheer exhaustion as his teammates rushed towards him with beaming faces.

Steve Ng launching the tennis ball

Steve’s match was the longest out of the ten matches that were played at Kallang Tennis and Squash centre on 9^th May. Both matches were played against perennial arch-rivals: ACJC for the girls and ACS(I) for the boys.

The boys’ team put up a stellar performance. In the singles rounds, Lee Kai Yi won with a score of 6-0, 6-2 and Tan Jun Sing dominated his sets 6-0, 6-4. Of our doubles teams, Tan Jia Wei and Benedict Chua finished their games 7-6, 6-1 in an excellent display of teamwork while Basir Koh and Chris Wu put up a solid front as well, winning 6-3, 6-0. Steve Ng also defeated his long-time rival with 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 to top off a series of remarkable victories.

Lee Kai Yi’s singles

The girls’ team were not to be outdone, coming out ahead in 4 out of 5 games. The three singles matches comprised of Rehmat Johal who made a clean victory, winning 6-0, 6-0, Jennifer Wu, who won 6-4, 6-1 and Hannah Chew who persevered, but unfortunately lost to her opponent, one of the top tennis players in Singapore. In the first doubles, Stephanie Wong and Ting Yang Gin together won 6-4, 6-2. The most exciting match for the girls team was the doubles played by Sabrina Tan and Jean Iau, who played for 2 hours, winning 7-6, 6-7. 6-2.

Stephanie Wong and Ting Yang Gin in their doubles

The players were ecstatic about their well-deserved victory, being quick to thank their coach for his guidance and support. Yang Gin, when asked if she had expected to perform as well as she did, remarked “Before our match our coach gave us a prep talk and that really boosted our confidence. He made sure that when we went in, we played our best. Even though we can’t control the results we can control how we play. All we had to do was to play our best. So we were confident of winning since we played our best.”

Jennifer and Jean, captain and vice-captain respectively of the girls’ team released a joint statement, “Today was truly amazing, everyone fought their hardest and gave all they had. We couldn’t be more proud of the team for this very difficult win. We also want to thank all our friends and supporters who helped us throughout this season especially when the going got tough.”

For the boys, Jia Wei and Mitchell, the captain and vice-captain had this to say, “From the score line it may seem like a comfortable victory but it was a really tough game for us. We were lucky that we got a favourable lineup too! Really pleased that the team fought back really hard as some of the matches we came back from behind and won! Big thank you to the supporters that came down and CCAD for being constantly behind and supporting the team!”

While the fervour displayed on the tennis court was remarkable, the camaraderie between players outside the court was unforgettable as well. Once players finished their matches, they went on to support their other teammates playing regardless of how tired they themselves were. Every point scored by Team Raffles would be invariably followed by a volley of cheers and encouragement from their ardent supporters. The team spirit and selflessness between the tennis players made the victory all the more impressive.

Supporters were divided into two camps- the RI side and ACS family. Both sides screamed their hearts out, continually waving banners and also breaking out into cheers every now and then. Raffles supporters were more dispersed as we had players in all ten courts whereas ACJC supporters were concentrated around 5 courts and likewise for ACS(I). Despite this, our Rafflesian supporters still did a great job of keeping the Team Raffles spirit raging by roaring till their throats were sore.

Our Rafflesian supporters

Controlled playing and mental stamina were the keys to success in the tennis matches today. The head coach, Mr Weber Oh said the 5-0 that the boys scored was “one of the epic, best results so far” and was unexpected. Both teams scored better than what they were aiming for. He added that he was really proud as they had worked extremely hard for this day. When enquired about the secret of their success, he remarked, “The line-up was very good. That was an added advantage for us,” and for Steve, the fact that the opponent cramped before he did, helped him. He said “Both of them were equally good, but Steve held his nerve better than his opponent, which can be very difficult under such pressure with so many people watching.”

Raffles Press would like to congratulate the Raffles tennis team for their impressive performance, wishing them the best of luck for next year’s season.

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by Ashley Wee (13A01A), Leong Yee Ting (14A01C) and Regina Marie Lee (13A01B)

Photos by Wesley Chioh (13A03A)

Anyone who has patronised the 7-11 will remember Mr Aung Bo Win’s warm smile. Since coming to Singapore in 2011, the Burmese national has been working at RI’s 7-11 store, serving up delicious waffles and tirelessly operating the store in the evenings until 9PM.

Recently, we decided to speak with Mr Aung to find out more about his life and his work. “This is my first job in Singapore,” he said. “I am happy to be here.” At 26, Mr Aung arrived from Magway in Burma through an agent, and was employed by his boss, who owns the 7-11 in RI. A typical work day for him begins at 7AM, when he fixes up the machines that dispense mashed potatoes and Slurpees!

“Waffles are the most popular (amongst students),” he told us. Indeed, walking past the store is an experience in itself, because of the delicious smell. “They also come and buy a lot of drinks,” said Mr Aung with a smile. “I like them all.”

Unfortunately, he will be leaving RI’s 7-11 outlet soon. “I’m going to move to an outlet in Novena, because my boss wants to move there,” he told us. “They won’t be closing this down; other people will come and take over.” Mr Aung’s absence will certainly be missed – a school-wide effort to collate farewell messages for him met with much success.

After spending 2 years here, Mr Aung’s feelings about Singaporean food are neutral, but he does miss the food in Myanmar. To satisfy his cravings, he goes to Peninsula Plaza with his friends every weekend. Indeed, Peninsula Plaza has been named ‘Little Burma’ for a reason – not only does it feature a diversity of Burmese curries, stir-fries, soups and noodle dishes at various food stalls and restaurants, but it is also home to Burmese beer shops, convenience stores and even a library. It is thus not hard to see why Mr Aung goes there every weekend – not simply for the food and friends, but also for an environment as reminiscent of home as you can find in Singapore.

Like most other Burmese, Mr Aung is religious, and you may also be able to find him at a temple on his off-days. As for the rest of the time, Mr Aung calls his home in Singapore a rented flat at Toa Payoh.

Mr Aung also enjoys soccer as a hobby and follows the Spanish La Liga. “Spanish clubs have very good players,” he said, laughing. Some of his favourite players include Christiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid FC and Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona.

So, what’s next for Mr Aung?

One of his plans includes getting married back home. “But I don’t have a girlfriend now,” he said, laughing. We asked him what else he would be doing when he returned home in search of his perfect girl.

“Me? I want to open a doughnut shop,” Mr Aung tells us with a wide smile on his face. After 7-11 at Novena, he plans to return to Myanmar at the end of the year to set up a family doughnut shop with his elder brother. He hopes to learn the tricks of the trade from his brother, an “expert in doughnuts”, who currently works at a doughnut shop back home.

With his amazing 7-11 waffles a testament to his skills, our mouths water at the thought of a freshly-glazed doughnut from his shop.

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Appreciation Week featured this story and more at a mini-exhibition in the canteen and ended today. We hope you enjoyed the staff features this week! Appreciation Week may have ended today, but this doesn’t mean the appreciation stops – we hope you take the time to show your appreciation for those around us who contribute to make our school lives so much better.