By Liu Kaizhong (20S03C), Quartermaster and Fiona Xiao (20A01A), Quartermistress

What does it mean to be in Raffles Players? The first thing which comes to your mind is probably just acting and putting on a show on stage. Indeed, the word “Players” suggests that we simply adopt different personas to entertain our audience. On the contrary, while you may not always have the chance to act, you get to be involved in the process of transforming mere words on the script to something grand. Dry descriptions of a scene on a script manifests in the form of majestic sets, coupled with the surreal atmosphere created by lights and sounds. Actors make their appearances and characters in the script are brought to life as the dialogues in the script evolve into passionate exchanges of emotions complemented by their glamorous costumes. During each transformation you thought that nothing could get more ambitious than this, and again you were surprised until you ceased thinking and just resigned to the interminable wonders washing over you as you marvel at your final production.

By Tasha Ting (20S06F), Vice-captain and Max Koh (20S06U), Vice-captain

You stand at the plate. 3 balls, 2 strikes, 2 down, bases loaded. The winning run at third base. “Play ball.” Your grip on the bat firms, and you eye the ball with a renewed sense of hunger. Here’s the wind-up, and the pitch. 

Closer.

Closer.

1, 2, now.

By Jerome Tay (20S06Q) and Wang Xuyang, Chairperson (20S06K) 

Choral singing isn’t easy. Hours of hard work are to be invested in every piece that Raffles Chorale performs. Magical moments, beautiful harmonies, and literal chills only happen after members of the 19-strong CCA come together and brave the rigour of practice. 

By Alvan Png (20A03A), Chairperson, Lam Weng Chung (20S03Q), Vice-Chairperson, Kong Pek Yan (20S06A), Secretary, and Teo Gi Sing (20S06T), Quartermaster

“Do not fear mistakes—there are none.”

Miles Davis

Honestly, Jazz is kind of weird. 

From rampant dissonances and blistering solos, to straight-up spicy harmonies—it’s easy to call all these things “mistakes”. But as jazz musicians, the contemporary palette of tools we have for expression and context-giving is so large that, in the words of Vincent Persichetti, “Any tone can proceed any tone […] and any group of tones can proceed any group of other tones”. 

People joke about it. A lot. But with such a wide array of tools at our disposal, there really are no wrong notes and no mistakes, as long as the performer has what Mr. Persichetti calls “skill and soul”. Thus, in Raffles Jazz, we seek to bring out that skill and soul, to showcase that freedom of self-expression—the ability to not fear mistakes, because there are none. And because of that, joining Raffles Jazz—while kind of weird—is never a mistake.