Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Feeling rather bored, i decided to post up abit of Kranji Choir's History ( as far as i remember and from my point of view ) here to maybe interest some of the sec 1s and sec 2s our History.
This is a personal recount of mine, i decided to make this blog NOT SO FORMAL anymore.
In year 2004, joined the Choir ( sec 1 ) after a while inside, i pulled and persuaded two rather wellknown people in the choir right now into the choir. Cheehow and Chongren . xD
In June-July 2004, Kranji choir had a voice recording at Singapore Poly, bad experince. Choir did very badly.
So we were left pretty stagnant doing nothing productive until in November when Mrs Lim Yau left the choir suddenly and without a word.This has caused a few kranji choir members to habour resentment against her because she just left us on our own with SYF comming up in a short time without any preparation done.
Mr Francis Liew joined the Kranji Choir accepting a challenge that most conductors will not take, that is to teach kranji choir the SYF songs within 4 months.
So as mentioned in early post, this songs are Sunset, Exultate Justi and Muyang Guniang. To help you all understand why this task is no mean feat, most of other choir should have already finished their two songs and polished them and have already completed the SET piece and is already starting to polish them.
So under very tight scheldue, Kranji choir worked together as a team achieving full attendance almost every practice. Honestly, the seniors and us really worked our S off. Also pity the sec1s then ( Yee Gin, Huisian, Germain, Jia Xuan, Calvin, Tricia , Gabrielle), just came into the choir and was sucked into our insane training scheldue.
We came back for official practice twice a week including saturdays and conducted Sectionals almost every morning before morning assembly. The Sections will come down at 6.45am and sing until 7.15am when morning assembly starts.
Our SYF was on the 1st of April, 4 pm ( i still remember ). The Choir was to leave class at 9 oclock ( very early considering the fact that we only need to sing at 4.00 pm ) and we sang and did last minute work from 9 to 11 pm. Then, the choir took an hour nap in the Music room ( i still remember how freezing cold it was, and most people did sleep ) till 12 oclock and started making up from 12 to 1 after having our lunch inbetween.
During this two hours, Mr Liew went over to Unity sec to prepare them for their SYF since their syf was a few days after ours.
Somewhere during 1 oclock, while we were taking pictures and just slacking around after finishing the make up and waiting for Mr Liew to return, Mdm Maureen Lee came in and gave us our final encouragement.
We did our final warm up from 2 onwards and left for Singapore Conference Hall. There were two buses to ferry us there and one of the bus was slightly late, about 20 minutes.
I remember in the bus trip, no one was supposed to talk at all or be removed from the SYF immediately so the bus trip was really silent ( after warming up , talking in the cold air con air of the bus will simply waste all the warming up you had. )
After alighting the bus, we were rushed into the warm up room ( everything was in a rush because we were late ) The choir was alittle shaken then and in the warm up room, we just sang through some of the starting and ending. And up we went to the backstage to prepare.
Anyway, we sang and came down. When the result was announced, kranji choir was pretty much dissapointed and there were no cheers coming from us. A stark contrast to some other choirs who cheered and screamed and shouted upon receiving the silver award.
Then again, kranji choir was left pretty much stagnant until July 2005. With one month to prepare for the Kranji 10th Anniversary which is on the 13th of August 2005, we rushed again.
It was during this time kranji choir really bonded because there were alot of waiting time involved over at NTU Auditorium since it wasnt only the choir singing. We were there from 8 oclock till about 6 pm in the night, and only 10 percent of the time were we needed up stage.
Still, we put up a rather splendid performance singing Just a Single Voice and Love Changes Everything. The applauds came in at the ending of the song where we held a chord for almost 6 to 7 bars. It was a FFF volume then, so it was a rather dramatic ending and all.
Kranji choir has proved herself again.
During this time, the choir had a rather good reputation among the school at this period of time and thus the choir had alot of pride in ourself, something seen by other CCAs as being proud or cocky.
Also, the next thing was which made many other CCAs dislike us was our recruitment scheme. Mr Francis Liew requested that the pupils whom he has short listed are to be made complusory to join the choir ( as many of our sec ones now are familiar with :P )
Because of this very fact, kranji choir did very little campaigning as compared to other CCAs.
Many sec1s came in unwillingly at first, i don't blame them. If it was me, i would be ultra super duper pissed. And so were other CCAs. Because some of the CCAs had sec 1s inside already but these sec1s were forced to come out and join the Choir.
This not so nice move by the the choir was due to the fact that only 4 sec 2s remained and in order to ensure the survival of choir, we had to start forcing people in.
Anyway, currently, i do hope that the Sec1s who are still in the choir enjoy their time inside and learn that choir is alot more then just opening your mouth. As much as i hate to implement all the push ups and fall in thing, i hope you all endure with it as it is a system to ensure order in the CCA.
I wonder what next year's recruitment scheme is like again.. xD
Kranji Choir
10:36:00 AMY
I realised that the SEC 1s might not know how the SYF is structured exactly, so thus this post.
In the SYF, every choir is required to sing 3 Music Pieces. A set piece decided by the CCAB where all the secondary school choir's country wide have to learn the same song.One European song and one Asian Song.
In 2005, kranji choir sang Sunset ( set piece ), Exultate Justi ( European Piece ) and Muyang Guniang ( Asian Piece ) and clinched only a sliver. Not too far from our target gold, but nevertheless judging from the time we had to prepare , it was a rather remarkable achievement.
Next year's SYF (2007) set piece will be a song entitled "Everyone Sang", composed by rather well-established japanese composer.
For the European and Asian Pieces, kranji choir has yet to decide which two songs we are to sing.
Labels: Information
Kranji Choir
10:26:00 AMY
There should be no practice from now till the 27th of December. However, please do continue checking this blog from time to time as there might be last minute changes forcing us to call for practice during this one month break.
On the 22nd Of December, Kranji Choir committee and a few selected people per section will be liasing with Haising Secondary Committee to learn the SYF SET PIECE together before hand.
Labels: Practice
Kranji Choir
10:22:00 AMY
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Practice Next week. Another 3 insane 7 half hour long practices.
Do come because if you miss any of the practice, u are going to miss alot and have trouble catching up later.
Mon 27, Tues 28, Wed 29. 9 - 4.30
Good news is, after these 3 practice, i believe there wont be anymore practices until the end of december :)
Tianjun
Kranji Choir
8:42:00 PMY
Friday, November 17, 2006
Important AnnoucementKranji Choir's Concert " When You Believe " will be postponed till January 2007. The exact date is not yet confirmed
Ms Conductor Ong needs to go for an operation and will not be available until the concert date itself, thus unable to prepare us for the concert.
Practice dates are still as per normal until furthur notice.
Ms Ong will want to see us be able to sing all the songs when she comes back on the 29th Nov, so we still have to work just as hard.
Please inform the people who have ordered the concert tickets from you that the concert has been postponed and the new date has not been confirmed.
Tianjun
Labels: Announcement
Kranji Choir
5:18:00 PMY
Kranji Choir
12:40:00 PMY
A very very very nice version of O Magnum Mysterium . Please listen to it. Notice how they cresendo slightly when they hold long note and the effect it creates.
Notice when they go soft also, and how the sections overlap each other nicely, doing a very nice canon.
Note the beautiful intro too, the part where the bass come in, the effect it gives, a very grand effect.
( Credits to Eekie who found this version of the song )
http://www.yourfilehost.com/media.php?cat=audio&file=O_Magnum_Mysterium___All.mp3
Kranji Choir
12:08:00 PMY
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Date : 21st Nov 06 ( Tues )
Time : 9 o'clock.
Concert is only 13 days away as of 16 November.
Labels: Practice
Kranji Choir
8:51:00 PMY
Kranji Choir
8:41:00 PMY
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Sorry, made a mistake regarding the Rehearsal date. IT is on the 24nov, not 26.
Tianjun
Kranji Choir
7:33:00 PMY
Monday, November 13, 2006
Rehersal if changed from Thursday 16 Nov to 24 Nov
Kranji Choir
8:11:00 PMY
Information update on the choraleexchange
Falling in time : 12.00 pm
Attire : Proper School Uniform with White Socks and White Shoes
Notes : Please have your lunch before you come as lunch is not provided.
Teacher IC : Ms Low Chui Ling, Mdm Olivia Goh
Songs Singing : 1. Resonet in Laudibus
2. Exultate Justi
3. Singapura Medley
Standing Position : ( From Conductor's Left) Soprano 2, Soprano 1,Alto 2, Alto 1, Tenor 1, Tenor 2, (Baritone), Bass 1, Bass 2.
Important Note : Miss Conductor Ong might not be able to make it due to very valid reason which will be released if she really does not comes. If that happens, I am suppose to conduct the Choir for the Exchange.
Add Info : Please do not be surprised by the difference acoustic there at Victoria Concert Hall. Though i believe it will be better then Sentosa since Sentosa is a open area whereas Victoria is a high class performance hall. If possible, either Ms Ong or Me should be bringing the choir around the school to sing to get used to different accoustic so you wont be so suprised. But it depends if there is O Level Examination or not.
Tianjun
Kranji Choir
7:30:00 PMY
Friday, November 10, 2006
Here to share what ms low found on the net
www.vjc.moe.edu.sg/campus_life/music_gallery/index.htmThis is the website that ms low told me about.It's the victoria jc choir, they recorded songs that they have sung, like singapura medley and mu yang gu niang.
Please take some time to go to the website and listen to how they sing.It's quite nice.
huisian signing off
Labels: Information
Kranji Choir
10:30:00 PMY
To Sopranos,
Please memorise and practice both "Resonet in Laudibus" and "Singapura Medley" by Monday, 13/11. Remember the dynamics and if you are not sure, you can approach me anytime. (Phone sectionals perhaps?)
To memorise the latin song, just keep singing the song- first time with the score, second time look at the lyrics, and memorise part by part. Then fix the whole song together, please be sure about the lyrics.
Kimberley
Labels: Information, Practice, Sectionals
Kranji Choir
8:15:00 PMY
For our choir concert,
ALL choir members, please be reminded to sell the tickets and inform your sectional leaders on the following:
- Your name
- Ticket for which concert time slot (6/8pm)
- N.o of tickets
- The money according to the number of tickets
- For who
by
NEXT MONDAY (13 Nov 2006)
Each ticket is $10
Please try to promote and sell as many as possible. Each choir member is expected to sell 2 tickets each.
Kimberley
Labels: Information
Kranji Choir
8:00:00 PMY
Thursday, November 09, 2006
The repertiore for the choir concert
- Exultate Justi
- Resonet in Laudibus
- omnes de Saba venient
- The Mermaid
- Dashing away with the smoothing iron
- Mu Yang Gu Niang
- Diu Diu Dang A
- Singapura medley
- Wade in the Water
- Down by the riverside
- When you believe
Each ticket cost $10 so please try to sell as many tickets as possible.
Huisian signing off
Labels: Information
Kranji Choir
7:02:00 PMY
