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 190th 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.
Photographs by Natalia Chioang from the Photographic Society
For any reviewer, the first step to objectivity is paying out of one’s own pocket for the concert ticket. The next is to go for said concert out of one’s free will. Both these conditions were satisfied when I attended Rejoice! A Celebration of Music – performed by the Y1-4 and Y5-6 Guitar Ensembles – on the 31st of May. Now if you expected that to be a handle for a horrendous review to come, be mistaken – it was a night of good music played in a relaxed atmosphere that certainly lived up to its tagline. Even those attendees strong-armed into coming by their friends were visibly enamoured by the tunes.
To be honest, first impressions left me slightly disappointed. Instead of guiding guests into the RI Auditorium, the ushers were busy exploiting the modicum of free time posing for photos. Perhaps that explains why people were still shuffling in until the concert commenced at 7.45, that is 15 minutes late. To make matters worse, the emcees (more about them later) started the show in an awkward manner and the lights crew seemed unable to decide if they wanted the hall illuminated or not. Thankfully, my doubts about the concert’s quality were cleared with the opening song, Handel’s La Rejouissance, played strongly and expertly by RJGE’s Year 6 batch.
The Year 6s were soon joined by the rest of the ensemble who then performed Slavonic Dance No. 8 and Mountains in Autumn in a rousing display that held the audience’s rapt attention throughout. That the guitar could be used as a percussion instrument at opportune moments surprised many in the audience. Most impressive, was that the guitar’s full range was utilised to produce a harmonious, full bodied sound, debunking the myth that the performance would be monotonous if not boring.
As this was a combined concert, the Year 2 Ensemble then took to the stage, performing Mizuiro no Waltz and Maroon 5’s Payphone. Despite stumbling a couple of times, the conductor Mr Francis Sta Maria managed to bring the boys together completing the songs to resounding applause from the audience. Their choice of pieces also showed that the use of the classical guitar was not only restricted to classical songs, albeit with a few exceptions…
…like Soul le Ciel de Paris, played by the Year 5 batch, where it was evident that the guitar could not replicate the smooth melody as sung by an accomplished French vocalist. On the other hand, the following classics I Will by the Beatles and Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx were brilliantly executed, as was Aquellos Ojos Verdes, a Spanish song performed by the Y1-4 Ensemble.
Never failing to surprise, RJGE’s EXCO then performed a pre-intermission medley of cartoon theme songs decked out in colourful dresses, a clear contrast from the all-black uniform of the full Ensemble. The small group performances continued after the break, with RIGE’s EXCO playing Brazillian Streetdance. RJGE continued their fashion show with hip clothing to a medley of Jay Chou songs and more elegant wear while playing a medley of movie soundtracks. The vocal accompaniment to many of the songs added to the feel-good lounge mood of the concert.
Perhaps the most professionally executed pieces of the night were Year 1-4’s SYF songs Allegro, again by Handel, and Rainbow Overture, a song specifically written for Guitar Ensemble. Not to be outdone RJGE performed Colours of the Wind from Pochohantas. (Ever the self-conscious reviewer, I am definitely running out of things to say by now)
Before the Ensembles could come together for a final song together, there was much confusion in an act whereby the conductor Mr Gaspar was ostensibly kidnapped and an actor took his place in an attempt to conduct the ensemble to little success. While this reviewer is cognizant of the Ensemble’s desire to show some appreciation to their hardworking conductor, the self-indulgence in this effort lacks true meaning insofar as it alienates the audience, leaving many bewildered.
This theme of self-indulgence is recurrent throughout the concert. For example, the emcees fall over laughing at their own jokes, most of which were inappropriate to the occasion. The vocalist during the encore performance, who was pretty good by the way, was a character entirely foreign to this reviewer as well as the person sitting beside him. But these are minor problems – as a concert billed as a celebration of music and with only a month after the SYF to prepare and rehearse, I would call it an excellent performance.
They say that ‘music calms the savage breast’, a claim that in most contexts would seem like utter rubbish. Not here though. RI and RJ Guitar Ensemble’s combined concert brings out the unique character of each Ensemble, showing that beyond the gaffes and lame puns, Guitar Ensemble is brilliant at what they’re supposed to be good at – bringing great music to our ears.
By Tyronne Toh (14A01A) Photographs courtesy of Chelsea Ng from the Photographic Society
Appena La Voce was undoubtedly the most highly anticipated a capella event of the year, and quick glance around the packed auditorium confirmed this. Batchmates and members of the public alike thronged the auditorium the minute the doors opened, filling it with enthusiastic chatter. While the excitement was tangible, one common question on many a mind was whether this year’s version of Appena would live up to the standard set by previous years’. (For the uninitiated, 2013 is the fifth year Appena La Voce has been organized)
Well, in a matter of minutes, that question was certainly addressed. As emcees Simon Ang and Tiara Sadikin quipped, these people certainly could do amazing things with their mouths.
Simon and Tiara welcomed the crowd with brilliant smiles and a pun-filled script
Setting the tone for the night was Vox! a Year Five a capella group comprising Marc Leong, Lim Jin Jie, Chua Zijian, Vivek Kai-wen, Melvin Ng and Oliver Chan. To say they got a warm welcome would have been an understatement, for they received a raucous reception from the audience. Peppered with catcalls and shouts of the members’ names, the crowd was definitely hyped up by the time Vox! broke into their opening number. With Melvin first taking the lead role, they performed a medley of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. They then proceeded to charm the crowd with covers of Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”, Toploader’s “Dancing In The Moonlight” and even a Japanese song, TRY-TONE’s (A Capella de Yukou), finally ending with their rendition of David Guetta’s Titanium, which was spiced up with a little choreography.
With signature brightly colored trousers and an upbeat performance, Vox! livened up the stage and got some audience moving along to their beats.
When asked about their experience performing together, Oliver replied that “I daresay we all love singing in an a capella group.” But he too acknowledged the challenge of singing a capella. In his words, “in small groups like these, performing definitely becomes a frustratingly individual effort; especially considering the choral backgrounds most of us are bred to sing in.”
Where Vox! roused the audience, the next team calmed and moved them. Consisting of Yang Sin Yee, Daphne Quek, Lee Wan Yii and Tabitha Ng from Year 5, 无名氏 (meaning ‘Anonymous’) made for a heart-warming, uplifting performance. They performed a number of Mandarin hits, including F.I.R.’s “天天夜夜”(Day & Night), Harlem Yu’s“情非得已”，and Ocean Ou’s “孤单北半球”. Through the performance, the audience seemed soothed by the sound of Anonymous’ serenading. Finally, capturing the spirit of the evening (and their bilingual ability) was their final piece, ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ by Michael Bublé. Special mention goes out here to Bryan Ang (more popularly known as BANG) for his splendid beatboxing during 无名氏’s performance.
Matching outfits and well-practiced routines made for a coherent performance.
When asked about a capella, the girls responded, “a capella is challenging, but singing harmony together is satisfying. Arranging songs was fun but stressful at the same time; fun as it’s interesting to see how a song can be recast in a different style, but stressful knowing there are deadlines on that creativity!”
Such polished performances could not have been put together without much behind-the-scenes effort, though. Vox! practiced about 7~10 hours a week, while 无名氏 practiced 3~4 times a week, for 3~4 hours each.
The first half of the evening concluded with a splendid showing by the V.O.calists, which consisted of Hwang Kai Wen, Chua Zijian, Letitia Chen, Shankar Tamilselvam and Isaac Teo. The quintet was RI’s first cross-batch a capella group when it formed in 2010, comprising members from both the Year 1-4 and Year 5-6 side of the school. Visually and audibly stunning, this group performed the likes of BIGBANG’s ‘Haru Haru’, Kings of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ and McFly’s ‘Love Is Easy’, prompting many members of the audience to sing along or bob their heads to these popular and catchy tunes. However, their performance was tinged with sadness, as Kai Wen announced that the group was disbanding due to its members’ other commitments.
But while the band might not be around anymore, the bonds certainly will survive. As Zijian of the V.O.calists said later on, “it’s been an incredible opportunity having been able to perform with such wonderful humans… now that it’s time to say goodbye, I will always fondly cherish the memories of practicing, performing, and fooling around with these impossibly talented people I’m proud to call friends.”
Matching, sombre outfits in black and white.
Closing their performance was a haunting medley of “Fix You” by Coldplay and “If I Lose Myself” by OneRepublic, which ended amidst thunderous applause from the appreciative audience. Being able to watch such a well-groomed group’s swan song was definitely a privilege for us, and we left for intermission with the ghosts of their harmonies echoing in our heads.
The next half of the evening kicked off with another pun from our dynamic emceeing duo, drawing a mix of laughter and groans from the audience. We were treated to an amusing sight of Tiara beating a box in an attempt to hint at the subsequent performance; a Beatbox Battle between Isaac and Kai Wen of the V.O.calists. They managed to replicate the sounds of various musical instruments, from kick drums and snares to trumpets and electric guitars, stunning everyone. Tabitha Foo of the audience was especially impressed, exclaiming about how “cool” the duo were.
We were then entranced by a performance by Nuance, a cross-batch a capella group. Nuance consists of RI boys from Years 2 to 4; namely Anthony Wu, Adrian Wang, Lim Ziwei, Joel Yeap, Teo Qixuan, Ryan Han, Ryan Heng, Christopher Chia, Benjamin Ang and Clevereno Darini Sam Wei Jie. Squeals and exclamations of “So cute!” from the audience, especially when soloist Christopher Chia took the mike and enchanted the audience with his fresh, youthful voice, were abound as they took on the sounds of ‘Demons’ by Imagine Dragons, ‘Without You’ by David Guetta, ‘Carry On’ by fun., and ‘Trespassing’ by Adam Lambert, injecting youthful flavour and energy into these tracks.
“SO CUTEEE!”
It is certainly worth noting they were the youngest a capella group to perform. However, the age difference was not a barrier but rather a boost for them. As Anthony from Nuance commented, “No doubt we feel pressured to maintain a high standard since every other group is older and more experienced than us. This stress is also compounded by the fact that our group is a cross batch group, which means that it would be much hard to find common times to practice, urging us to work doubly as hard to give an enjoyable performance to the audience.”
Finally, the audience was treated to a collaborative piece between all the performers and students of the Grace Orchard School in a deeply moving rendition of Nick Lucas’ ‘Side by Side’.
Autism does not equate to inability, and these children were living testament to that. Despite living with intellectual disabilities or mild autism they pulled off the performance with praiseworthy showmanship, brightening up the amphitheatre with their wide smiles and leaving the audience with pleasant vibes to end the night.
Appena La Voce would not have been possible without the commendable efforts of this year’s OrgComm; Oliver, Zijian, Jin Jie, Vivek, Melvin and Marc. When asked about the experience of organizing 2013’s Appena La Voce, Zijian revealed that “It’s the first time any of us has handled anything of this calibre… it was a slightly longer than six month planning process, from concert naming to beneficiary searching to logistical support, every single step bringing us closer and closer to the concert itself”. Nevertheless, they managed to accomplish a splendid showing; kudos to them!
All in all, it was a great evening. Coupled with the quality performances put up by our very own home-grown a capella groups was the cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere brought about by Simon and Tiara from their tirelessly enthusiastic emceeing.
Just ten dollars for a night of good fun, good music, and all for a good cause—raising funds for the Grace Orchard School— what’s not to like? We at Raffles Press are definitely looking forward to next year’s Appena La Voce!
Line-up:
Vox! (Marc Leong, Chua Zijian, Vivek Kai-Wen, Oliver Chan, Lim Jin Jie, Melvin Ng)
Baby/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You Medley
Justin Bieber/Frankie Valli/Arr. Chua Zijian
What A Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong/Arr. Chua Zijian
Dancing In The Moonlight
Toploader/Arr. Chua Zijian
アカペラでゆこう(A capella De Yukou)
TRY-TONE
Titanium
David Guetta ft. Sia/Arr. Chua Zijian
无名氏 (Tabitha Ng, Daphne Quek, Yang Sin Yee, Lee Wan Yii)
天天夜夜(Day & Night)
F.I.R./Arr. Daphne Quek
情非得已
Harlem Yu/Arr. Tabitha Ng
“孤单北半球”.
Ocean Ou/Arr. Tabitha Ng
It’s a Beautiful Day
Michael Bublé/Arr. Tabitha Ng
The V.O.calists (Hwang Kai-Wen, , Chua Zijian, Letitia Chen, Shankar Tamilselvam and Isaac Teo)
Haru Haru
BIGBANG/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Use Somebody
Kings of Leon/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Love Is Easy
McFly/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Fix You/If I Lose Myself Medley
Coldplay/OneRepublic/Arr. Hwang Kai Wen
Nuance (Anthony Wu, Adrian Wang, Lim Ziwei, Joel Yeap, Teo Qixuan, Ryan Han, Ryan Heng, Christopher Chia, Benjamin Ang and Clevereno Darini Sam Wei Jie)
Demons
Imagine Dragons/Arr. Teo Qi Xuan
Without You
David Guetta feat. Usher/Arr. Cleverence Darini
Carry On
Fun./Arr. Joel Yeap
Trespassing
Adam Lambert/Arr. Teo Qi Xuan
Finale performed by students from Grace Orchard School & all other performers.
By Lim Shaomin (14S03K) and Kylie Wong (14A01B) Photos by Matthew Yeo (14SO3G) and Lim Shaomin (14SO3K)
It could have been a sign of bad things to come.
Even before the performance had begun, tensions were running high amongst the crowd at Scape. The ground floor of Scape was packed with an eager audience, revved up for the rock event of the year. Yet, as the time trickled past the designated starting time of 7pm and the doors to the warehouse remained firmly shut, murmurs of irritation and annoyance were rampant amongst the crowd, amplified only by the stifling heat from the huge crowd. Pleas by the ushers for the crowd to move away from the entrance went unheeded, and when news leaked that a technical error had caused a delay, more complaints went up. Rock could have managed the crowd better, with retractable barriers as queue lines instead of allowing the audience to converge into an unrestrained mass. The absence of queue lines also meant that many latecomers were able to simply push their way to the front, displacing those who had made the effort to arrive early in order to secure good spots in the free-standing arena. The delay brought out the uglier side in some Rafflesians, as many displayed poor queuing etiquette, and brief scuffles and angry shouts even ensued when the doors were finally opened.
However, as many in the audience would later attest to, Rockout 2013 was well worth the wait.
Multi coloured strobe lights and theatrical smoke added to the atmosphere; each performance was accompanied by a mini laser-light show synchronised to the beat of the music. Combined with the theatrical fog, the effects were stunning. Before the start of each performance, a short video clip introducing the band performing was screened with screen time allotted to every band member – a commendable idea, considering the fact that onstage, most of the attention is given to the lead singer instead of the band members.
Lighting and technical did a ‘sound’ job!
Year 5 band Army of None was first to take the stage and they were welcomed enthusiastically by the hyped-up audience. Their performance was off to a muted start, however, as their first song, Charlie Brown by Coldplay, was unfamiliar amongst audience members. Nonetheless, the band eventually got the crowd going with their last song, Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. The excellent coordination among the members proved Army of None to be a promising band and amazing first act that left the audience craving for more.
Army of None’s lead singer, Jonathan Boey, delivering a spirited performance to the crowd.Army of None opens the show with a bang!
Possum Parade, another Year 5 band, was next in the line-up, and the audience was treated to the crisp and well-controlled vocals of Rachel Lim as she and her band rocked out to popular tunes such as Little Talks by Monsters and Men and Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons. The energy in the audience was further amped up by the brilliant showing from Possum Parade, and at this point, several audience members had started crowd-surfing, adding another significant rock concert element to the night.
Possum Parade’s Rachel Lim looked stunning in her simple yet striking outfit.The talented members of Possum Parade bringing the house down.
The next band to take the stage was the very first Year 6 band of the night, The Fifth Degree. Despite some technical difficulties with the microphones, the band was spontaneous and engaging, thoroughly entertaining the audience with their set, which included heavy-bass songs such as Light Up The Sky by Yellowcard and Damned If I Do Ya by All Time Low. Lead singer Hansel Tantohari impressed not only with his clear, edgy vocals but also with his charismatic stage presence. Eventually, the band ended off their energetic performance with a slower piece, playing In My Place by Coldplay. The chemistry among the members was evident, showing all the signs of a well-seasoned band at ease on stage and in front of a large audience.
The band’s guitarist, Jonathan Kit, shows off some impressive guitar chops.The Fifth Degree earning well-deserved applause that night for their airtight performance!
After the intermission, there was a palpable change in atmosphere, as a more intimate stage setting was used for the later segment of the concert. William BJ and Stephanie Yeap, accompanied by fellow band members providing instrumental back-up, delivered a heartfelt and convincing acoustic performance of Therapy by All Time Low. Hansel, accompanied by Nicholas Neo on the keyboard, serenaded the moshers with a sincere rendition of John Mayer’s hit song Daughters and warmed the hearts of many. Jonathan Lee, supported by his band members, belted out his cover of Radiohead’s High and Dry. His husky powerhouse vocals raised goosebumps and left the audience blown away by his prowess. Rounding up the acoustic segment was Jonathan Kit as lead vocalist and Ernest Tan on the cajon with an earnest rendition of Live High by Jason Mraz.
Hansel croons to the soulful tune of a classic John Mayer melody.Jonathan Lee and his band deliver an emotional rendition of High and Dry, leaving the audience spell-bound.
With the conclusion of the acoustic segment, After Indigo took command of the stage with a shift back to the high-octane performances that preceded the acoustic segment. A band familiar with performing in front of large audiences, After Indigo had performed at this year’s Like A R!ot as well as various other concerts. With technical precision down to a pat, the band was noteworthy for their combination of powerhouse vocals and electrifying instrumental sound. One of the most memorable moments was when the audience was left dazzled by Stephanie Yeap’s versatile vocal range as she belted out the chorus of All I Wanted by Paramore.
Jonathan Lee reaches out to an ecstatic audience.After Indigo proved their mettle in a truly dynamic performance.
The last band to make their appearance was Eclectic Theatrics. Even after two hours of screaming themselves hoarse, the indefatigable audience still managed to give the band members a boisterous welcome. The band opened their set with Fall Out Boy’s old school hit, Dance, Dance, which proved to be insanely popular with the many Fall Out Boy fans among the audience. A spirited delivery of Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars followed – it was definitely satisfying to shout ‘No! No! No! No!’ while pumping our fists up in the air during the song. All inhibitions were left behind as the audience let loose in the mosh pit; jumping, fist pumping and even some air guitar action was spotted!
Eclectic Theatrics held nothing back in a thrilling performance marking the end of their Rock experience as a band.Chia Yaim Chong engages the audience with his charming guitar medleys.
Clearly, the audience was not about to leave the concert without an encore performance. The Year 6 bands came on stage one last time to perform for the insatiable crowd of screaming fans in an unforgettable final farewell. The Year 6s seemed determined to go out not with a fizzle, but with a bang. In an emotional conclusion to the encore performances, the chairs of Raffles Rock, Chia Yaim Chong and Stephanie Yeap, thanked the audience for their passionate responses and the Year 6 batch of Rock for taking the journey together.
Darren Tan’s supportive fans and friends holding up creative and highly amusing banners!William BJ leads his band in a rousing encore performance of ‘I’m Not Okay by My Chemical RomanceA candid shot of William getting crowd-surfed by the moshers!
The outgoing President of Raffles Rock, Chia Yaim Chong said,
“It’s something else – performing, the feeling of playing music you love and feeling a connection to the crowd. It’s the best feeling in the world. One of the best things about rock concerts is that it’s one of the only times the crowd goes crazy and jumps, chants and screams for you. ROCKOUT13 was an amazing experience for all of us from Raffles Rock and it’s the best feeling when you play to a crowd that appreciates what you do. For me, the best part of the concert was seeing everyone jump and sing together. It’s when the crowd really comes together that you sort of know you did a good job. Thanks to everyone who could be there and we hope you all had a great time!”
Performing to a sold out crowd at the Scape warehouse on the last day of the school term, Rockout 2013 was a resounding success that drew lusty roars of approval from the audience after every performance and had them calling for encore after encore. With a seductive mix of pop, rock and funk, the hefty three hour set of classic hits and current chart toppers was a definite win with the tireless audience who cheered their friends on with all the fist pumping and cat calling appropriate to a rock concert. Well done, Raffles Rock, and with this final word of congratulations – ROCK ON!
