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.

By: Alastair Tam (20S06N), Boys’ Captain, and Yasmin Tay (20A01C), Treasurer

Did you know that the fencing sword is the second fastest moving object in sports after the marksman’s bullet? Pretty cool, huh? Due to the likes of pop-culture icons such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Obi-Wan Kenobi, sword fighting is vastly misrepresented. In reality, a lot more than the mere clashing of swords is required for victory. Apart from the extreme physical prowess required to outmanoeuvre opponents on the piste, a lot of mental dexterity is also required to strike at the opportune moment.

By Zachary Chan (20S06B), Boys’ Captain and Ashley Fok (20S07C), Girls’ Captain 

Have you ever felt like you are hitting walls in your life? Squash players would tell you they are doing that every day! Jokes aside, do you ever crave for demanding physical exercise that will make your muscles melt—but with satisfaction? Well, you have clicked on the right article! 

Squash is a high-intensity racket sport played between 2 players in a four-walled court. This sport prides itself on being physically and mentally challenging, where stamina and agility are crucial aspects of the game. Squash does not require a net and is played by hitting a ball against a wall while both players are present on the same side of the court. Even though the black squash ball might be miniscule and not very bouncy, do not underestimate its power as it can reach unbelievable speeds of up to 280km/h. It is a sport where intense focus and concentration to stay in the game are key.