Singapore Youth Festival/Compeition

Firstly, SYF'S over. Never did it occur to me the time on stage would pass that fast. When we left the stage walking down the stairs, chatting intermittenly about our playing, i felt i was still left hanging in the atmosphere of Overture 2 and Pictures. omg everything's over. But not really on a very satisfactory note. Before i launch into details, i seriously truly strongly agree that Vjcsb put up an incerdible performance, transcendental one. We have left a legacy for attempting such an avante garde piece of band music that no singapore school bands have ever tried. And it was an amazing feat that we played it so well on stage today, when we once thought it was totally impossible when we first got hold of our music score. Our hard work we put in the past 4 months have no gone to waste despite the unsatisfactory result. (can you believe it? we only started practising it in end of january). I think the audience are swept off their feet by our cool (weird, unique) music :D Its pretty fun. Hmm although i think we've played better on some rehearsals, but nevertheless i think we still did very well. Those rehearsals were 120% and today was 110% (: Anyway, if there is any one out there who thinks that we lost our GWH due to change of conductor, i must say YOU ARE TERRIBLY HORRIBLY VEGETABLY WRONG. Cause Dr Goh is a fantastic conductor (although he's different from mr tan) with ultimate great taste in music . He is daring and adventurous, attempting songs that seldom or never appear in Singapore's band history. I think our band have grown and matured in our sense of musicality and appreciation of band music, not just the normal lyrical and rhythmic bandmusic. And this, i guess, is truly what being a musician is all about (: Well, thats my take on today's performance.

When i came home, i immediately went to sg band fusion forum to check for any band gossips on today's results.. but sadly, not much excitng things going on.. sad. BUT i saw this comment by some guy named tarouy28 and im really appreciative and grateful for accepting our avante garde music.

"MY choice was VJC and only one band.
Overture was well controlled with natural and reasonable interpretation.
choice piece was most avangard music of the whole SYF i guess and they managed to play really well.

and rest are not really MY favour..........

band standard in Singapore has been improved very much compared to our time.
but sadly to say, more bands are just concern of the tone, and intonation for the sake of competition,
and it was true that such bands awarded better, especialy in secondary schools' SYF.
I hope to see more daring conductor for next SYF."

(: (: (: Happy to hear the compliments for our playing.

As many should know, the top 3 GWH bands of 2007 have all dropped to gold. Those 3 bands include us, Vjcsb. But im assured that this year's judging is simply wayward. And i believe a few bands deserved more than what they are being awarded. And perhaps some didnt deserve that much. While standing at the back stage in our 4 lines, i was listening and totally immersed into Saint Andrew's El camino Real. Partly because it brought back fond memories of my first SYF in 2005 which stnicks clinched their first gold after 13 years of silver. And majorly, the band really played professionally. Started hearing from the slow part of oboe solo. I must say they played every note with care and grace. And every entrance of instruments was clear and crisp with no inbetween sounds/notes. It was gentle and soothing and played with much emotions (thats what i felt standing in back stage hearing them, can hear very clearly okay!) The horns played the few horn parts really nicely. From where i stood, they sounded really really good. I was actually fingering the notes with elton and singing different parts along with the band (: Kinda help soothe the tense feeling gushing down my body.

When it was our turn to get up, i think we really played and sounded like one band, one entity. IT's a great feeling knowing and feeling everyone's determination to put up a good performance that would wow the audience( yes i think we did) and judges( i think they suck) =P. And i think we did REALLY REALLY WELL (: i enjoyed windscapes the most most most. :D love it. And the song has totally grown on me.

Results were really shocking. When they announced Saint Andrew's results, everyone was practically stunned. There was a pause of 2 -3 seconds. And i think sa band didnt clap. When it was our results, we were stunned too.
Totally flabbergasted. What was much more unpredictable was "Band no.16 Anderson Symphonice Band, GolD with honours". Seriously, most of the students from other schools just stood rooted and stared at them.We were badly shcoked. well, some of us cried upon hearing the results (im one of them =X). I think Sajc felt worse than us cause they were kinda inofficially known as the top band in Singapore. And they have gotten GWH since it was ever established. Im not saying that just becauuse of their past records, they should got GWH, but they really do derserve it. I believe many of the audience would agree much with me too. And i believe very very strongly that vjcsb and sajc did a very fantastic job today. OH and this year, there are only 2 Gwh bands who are both under the same conductor, Elvin.

Well, i was pretty much agitated and indignant over the results, not over the gold, but over the results. In any case, Vjcsb and Sajc are still the best bands in singapore in my opinion and that Vjcsb has always been a gold with honours band like what Dr Goh and Gabriel told us. Then again, this Festival/competition is not accurate in determining our musical ability as it is ever so subjective and dependent on judges weird criteria and the oh-so-yucky acoustics of the venue. Lets re-judge again on presentation night. On a lighter note, im wondering who will be the 3 bands to perform at presentation night.

Aside from all the music aspects, Today's gathering was enjoyable (: Met many Stnicks band people from my batch! Uly, Jiaying, Peiting, Andrea, Cheryl, Sarah plus the old time seniors >< like GLORIA! phy xiaojia :D It was really heartwarming to see your seniors back again. And nice to talk to gloria once again! She's still so small and mama-ish. Great having her around to calm my nerves and chat and her wonderful advices! Esp her hugs (: Love phy too! oh and my cousin kokie was with sa Band. much thanks to his well wishes and consoles and compliments.










oh my before i end, guess what? I thought our skirts were short enough for a formal competition, but i saw a flautist from aj whose skirt was practically hidden under her blazer =O! and sgband fusion has a funny topic about girls wearing skirts or shorts? AHAH