Arts, Commentary

An Intimate Night with the Chamber Ensemble
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Alex Tan (16S03B) and Qiu Kexin (16A13A)
Photos by Way Ng (15S03A) and Cheng Zimin (16S03B) of Raffles Photographic Society

As the lights dimmed, the performers of Raffles Chamber Ensemble, decked out in their chic tuxedos and dresses, made a dazzling entrance for their annual concert, Intime. Meanwhile, the eager audience prepared themselves for a night with much to enjoy in the way of sophistication.

The first emcees, Farah Wu (16A03A) and Bryan Tay (16S03B), made a quick introduction to the concert theme, through playful dialogue:

“Are we going to start in time?”
“Don’t you mean on time?”
“Intime, it’s French! It means … ‘intimate’.”

Playing Andante Cantabile as one ensemble.

The concert promptly commenced with II Andante Cantabile, by renowned Russian composer Tchaikovsky – a solemn piece characterised by underlying melancholic tunes. As dismal as that sounds, on the contrary the bittersweet wistfulness brought out by the orchestra’s passionate playing had made for an engaging listening experience.

The chamber piece, Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A Major.

Following that, the ensemble progressed with several other classical pieces from the Romantic period, notably four movements from Carl Reinecke’s massive Serenade for Strings in G Minor, Op. 242. One might criticize the inaccessibility and esoteric nature of these songs to the average JC student, but these sufficiently encompassed a spectrum of moods, from introspective to intense, displaying the musicians’ versatility as well as mastery. Among other pieces, Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A Major was enjoyable for its sprightliness; the high-pitched violin soaring above the other string instruments, echoing and engaging in pleasant harmony with the piano.

The stage layout during Hansel and Gretel.

The best moments of the night, surely, came after the intermission, which marked a transformation in atmosphere. Garbed casually in bright, striking colours that contrasted with the earlier minimalist attire, the orchestra first embarked on Hansel and Gretel, a musical arranged by their very own musician Yee Yang En (16S06B).

Hansel stands between Gretel (right) and the Prince (left).

A narratorial voiceover and backgrounds on the projector supported the storyline based on the well-known fairytale of the same name (the musical was a sequel, picking up from after Hansel and Gretel found their way out of the witch’s house). Hansel and Gretel, charmingly portrayed by Wong Jia Yi (16S03A) and Yee Yang En, skipped out in tartan outfits, while cellist Heidi Ngo (15S06K), was convincingly decked out as a witch.

A medley narrated the brother-and-sister pair’s growth into wiser adolescents, which consisted of recognisable songs from pop culture and musicals. These included the likes of All I Ask Of You (from The Phantom of the Opera), For Good (from Wicked), Bruno Mars’s Marry You and Maroon 5’s Maps. Though relying on a clichéd trope of romance, it was nonetheless refreshingly light-hearted, a welcome counterpoint to the hitherto sombre mood of the concert.

To the audience’s surprise, the musicians had more tricks up their sleeves afterwards; the full orchestra reemerged in formal wear to conclude the evening with Vivaldi’s Spring. One last surprise was unfurled there and then: Wu Chin Ying (15S03R) “paused” the whole orchestra with a point of a remote control as she walked in from the side – and then revealed that the ensemble was entirely under the influence of her remote control. The audience was thereafter taken through a supremely entertaining and surreal showcase of the remote control’s various functions (Play, Pause, Mute, and Volume Control, among others).

Chin Ying fit into her part as Remote Controller remarkably, delivering her lines with the right amount of panache and hilarious verve. “Just enjoy that clarity of sound!” she exhorted as she clicked on Play. “Now you know why we can’t live life backwards – it sounds terrible,” she said while pressing on Rewind. “Come guys, wallow in self pity!” she urged as the orchestra broke into the main theme of Schindler’s List. This delightful mélange of theatre and chamber music was ended with their very sporting conductor, Ms Marietta Ku, wobbling off stage in a mechanical fashion.

Initially, some of the humour and fun in the production had seemed incongruous with the general tone of the concert. A behind-the-scenes video of bloopers and amusing captions like “very intense swordfighting” (rendered lovingly in Comic Sans) cracked the audience up – but as the concert progressed one realised that the comedy had been part of the plan all along. In fact, the Ensemble had successfully produced a refined yet relatable performance because of it, by marrying contemporary tunes with stereotypically ‘high-brow’ chamber music. Safe to say, it was a school production at heart, and a great one at that.

Bryan Tay

Bryan Tay, the newly-elected Chairperson, said about the preparation: “It was a really tough journey because we had to frequently meet up on non-CCA days for extra practice. I’m really really thankful for Ms Judy Tay and Ms Marietta Ku’s dedication – coming on these extra days and coaching us till 8 or 9.”

Beyond the final production seen by the public, Farah Wu, incoming Vice-Chairperson, also shared that Intime had been meaningful for the Ensemble: “Intime had brought everyone together as one family – especially through the fun and laughter we shared when we played as one remote-controlled orchestra! The late night rehearsals are memories we’ll cherish forever.” No wonder then, seeing the effort they had put in, that the orchestra had thoroughly impressed us with their fresh performance and shown us another side to classical music! Raffles Press would like to thank Raffles Chamber Ensemble for holding this delightful and well-executed concert.

Concert Setlist

  • String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Opus 11 (Andante Cantabile) composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
  • Serenade for Strings in G Minor, Opus 242, composed by Carl Reinecke
  • Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 (Allegro Vivace), composed by Franz Schubert
  • String Sextet No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Opus 18 (Allegro non Troppo), composed by Johannes Brahms
  • Hansel and Gretel, arranged by Yee Yang En (16S06B)
  • Concerto No.1 in E Major, “La Primavera”, Opus 8 (Allegro), composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Arts

On Fifty
Reading Time: 3 minutes

by Adelyn Tan (16A01E)

“With this special season of The Studios, we honour and celebrate all practitioners, past and present, for making what is Singapore English Theatre today. We would also like to thank all the directors, actors and designers involved in fifty, for lending their fresh interpretations and insights to these 50 plays. We hope the plays will continue to inspire a new generation of audiences and practitioners alike, and contribute to our collective memories.” – Co-curator Chong Tze Chien and The Studios team

Esplanade: Studios Fifty was held in conjunction with SG50. Over five weeks, plays and dramatized readings were written, read, and performed by Singaporeans at the Esplanade. Speaking as someone who attended a grand total of one full-length performance, one dramatized reading and one open rehearsal, to say that Fifty was good would be a grievous understatement.

Fifty would be better described as a melting pot of overwhelming emotion and breathtaking artistry, showcased by an entire range of actors – from household names like Adrian Pang and Ebi Shankara, to lesser-known but equally talented ensemble members, vis-a-vis Ellison Tan and Amanda Tee, to name a few. A highlight of Fifty was the chilling, and profoundly moving performance of Haresh Sharma’s ‘Off Centre’. It shone a chilling spotlight on the struggles of the mentally ill, right here in Singapore. Also noteworthy was Singapore english theatre’s breakthrough production ‘Emily of Emerald Hill’, helmed by Karen Tan as the morally ambiguous Peranakan matriarch struggling with the trials and traumas of life. Of the numerous dramatized readings presented during Fifty, one standout read was Tan Tarn How’s ‘Fear of Writing’ and ‘Machine’, which gave the audience excerpts of two same-same-yet-different plays, skillfully blended together to create an eerie depiction of romance and relationships in our consumerist, manipulative modern society.

Cast of ‘Fear of Writing’ and ‘Machine’: Andrew Lua, Zee Wong, Amanda Tee, Terence Tay.
Cast of ‘Fear of Writing’ and ‘Machine’: Andrew Lua, Zee Wong, Amanda Tee, Terence Tay.
Cast of ‘Off Centre’: Siti Khalijah, Ebi Shankara, Neo Swee Lin, Myra Loke, Ellison Tan, Joshua Lim, Neo Hai Bin, Erwin Shah Ismail.
Cast of ‘Off Centre’: Siti Khalijah, Ebi Shankara, Neo Swee Lin, Myra Loke, Ellison Tan, Joshua Lim, Neo Hai Bin, Erwin Shah Ismail.

Some performances depicted a time now immortalized in sepia recollections, giving us an avenue to better understand the evolution of our country’s political consciousness and national identity. Some gave us a glimpse behind the curtain, into what we might see in the future we are building. Some showed us a terrifyingly unsentimental painting of our present. And all of them, together, weave the tapestry that is a history of Singapore theatre (and in extension, of Singapore). Fifty plays were not and will never be enough to truly represent the growth and development of our nation and its theatre scene. But these fifty did reflect wonderfully on the richness of the literary works that have been produced over this half of a century that we have called Singapore home, and more importantly they gave new directors and actors a chance to breathe new life and interpretations into these works- and at heart, isn’t that what we, as a country, are trying to do with our nation at this point in time?

In essence, Studios Fifty is and was meta-theatre- a series of plays within the elaborate drama that is our Singapore Story; a microcosm of the country we live, work and play in. Theatre can hardly be seen as the most uniquely Singaporean icon we have, and yet these fifty performances have shown how theatre is a perfect avenue to illustrate the journey our country has undertaken so far, and where we can go next, how we can continue the series of successes that have given us the concrete-jungle-garden-city that we have today.

There is much to celebrate about SG50. And while we as the next generation of Singaporeans sit in the audience, reflect on and give thanks for what has been, what is most important is that we learn, we build, we adapt. We are youths. We are the future of this country we call home. And it would do us well to remember that we have much work to do, on stage, and off it.


The writer would like to thank Aberdeen Seet, Steph Dogfoot and Andrew Lua for the help they provided in the writing of this article.

School Life, Staff Features

Guardians of the RI Boarders: Appreciation Week 2015
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Melissa Choi (16S06B) , Tasharani Palani (16S03P), Kristal Ng (16S07C)

Photos by Hoang Thai Nhat Thu (15S07B), and RI Boarding

RI Boarding's Courtyard– a pleasant place for boarders to chat, relax, or even study.
RI Boarding’s Courtyard– a pleasant place for boarders to chat, relax, or even study.

You might have heard of friends or classmates who board and even seen these five cream-coloured blocks as you flock between the JC and Secondary campus, but have you ever wondered about the inner workings of RI Boarding? Housing a range of students: from scholars, private boarders, to a handful of national athletes, boarders have been shown to stay for a whole host of reasons – be it greater independence, to cut down on travelling time (it takes 5 minutes to walk to morning assembly), or because their families are overseas. Regardless, RI Boarding aims to make their experience one of  “a home away from home that readies (them) for the challenges of school and life beyond school.”

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Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, Please Mind the Platform Gap, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: You’re Just My Type!
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Check out Raffles Press’ new column, Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, and our resident Aunties and Uncles will be glad to help you with your Rafflesian troubles! Submit your confessions to tinyurl.com/rafflesadvicecolumn and we’ll give them our best shot.

Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: You’re Just My Type!” →