Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.

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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.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

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.

Reading Time: 7 minutes

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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