This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.
By Bryan Tay (16S03B), Farah Wu (16A03A) and Yee Yang En (16S06B)
Hidden away in the cosy haven of the Chamber Ensemble room situated behind the Indoor Sports Hall, the musicians typically rehearse every Wednesday from 2.30 – 6.30pm and Thursday from 3.30 – 6.30pm. While practicing interesting and challenging works, every musician indulges in the jokes and anecdotes by our conductor Ms. Marietta Ku. It is truly a magical experience working together to make music, and of course procrastinating before rehearsals; no doubt it is a good break from school work. The reason why the musicians all enjoy rehearsals perhaps is the fact that the Chamber Ensemble is a safe, non-judgemental environment — we laugh at our own mistakes! Perhaps one of the most memorable moments would be the ones where we break off into small, cosy chamber groups such as quartets — that’s where we really get to know each other well!
Size would be the identifying figure of the CCA, which boasts a single-digit membership from our batch. This makes the bonding between members infinitely easier. Though rehearsals are strenuous and often tiring, the massive sense of accomplishment at the end of a concert is the moment that they live for. Outside the CCA, members often indulge in individual practice sessions, entertaining themselves by taking practice selfies with their instrument and sending it to the ensemble group. The ensemble also occasionally performs at events.
This year, the ensemble was privileged to have held a CCA concert Intime, a collaborative concert Una Corda with the RI String Ensemble, and another one with RI and RGS Strings. It was heartening to have the members of the Raffles Strings family to come together and forge everlasting friendships. Ultimately, the aim is simple — to provide a supportive environment for musicians to play together, and at the same time expose the wider population to music.
