Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Zara Toh (13A01B) and Jonathan Tan (13A01C)

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”.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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!

Reading Time: 6 minutes

by Gao Wenxin (14A03A) and Nguyen Hoang Nhan (14S03K)
Photos by Chelsea Ng (Photographic Society)

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.

“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.

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.

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.