'Nuff said (:
1st VIOLINS: Jennifer Wang, Asey Koh, Lavender Chia, Deng Huahua, Go Li Jia, Mathea Lim, Yang Liu Yi, Grace Ng
2nd VIOLINS: Cecilia Chen, Wu Pei Ling, Michelle Wan, Ren Yi Ping, Charmaine Lim, Ashley Teo, Weng Rong-Yin, Lim Pei Yee, Vivian Lai, Shauna Low, Hui Shu En, Shermaine Chew, Yan Yi Cheng, Teo Chia Wei, Chen Xiao Fan
VIOLAS: Prisca Ho, Lieu Yixuan, Khoo Ying Yee, Hu Wenjia, Wong Xin Ye, Tan Rong Xuan, Zou Zhou, Ong Xin Suen, Yang Sisi, Rachel Chay, Li Chen
CELLOS: Stella Tay, Lim Weiyu, Aileen Yan, Gan Zi Qing, Zhang Tianjiao, Pamela Koh, Lesley Evita Lin, Kok Wen Yin, Zhang Chu Qiao
BASSES: Hilary Tan, Leong Yuanmei, Goh Dai Mei, Hong Jingmin, Michelle Racho
TE: Clarie Ong, Wong Jing Wen, Koh Hui Xin, Symphony Ho, Ke Shi Yao
Seniors '10: Eugenia Kwong, Tan Ting Wei, Wu Jingting, Elissa Wong, Xu Yue, Foong Kai Lin, An Jiaqi, Zhang Fangyu, Tan Zhermin, Tay Kai Yun, Rachael Wang, Yang Jie, Pan Peining, Zhang Zhiyuan, Lois Tan
Seniors '09: Kimberlyn Wu, Marie Lim, Goh Ying Xiang, Koh Huilin, Chen Yunqi, Ysabel Chan, Cao Yun, Joan Fun, Regina Han, Ke Yuhe, Karo Pay, Shirlynn Tan
3 years ago I was a lost Sec 1, maybe as lost as you are now or even more lost.
After playing country dance in TE, I entered ME to play some crazily fast-speed piece (Berkeley) that uses spiccato throughout. I mean, Sec 1, a crazy beat of like 132 and spiccato throughout, you must be kidding man, so yes, I struggled, and I struggled like mad. In fact I wonder how Mars managed to tolerate me (I kept screwing up the piece and faking the spiccato parts for one month), but after checking out web videos, asking seniors and batchmates, asking my teacher, and even asking my dad what he thinks of spiccato, I managed to do it, yeah but it was then that Mr Sze decided to change the piece because we were unable to play out the character of the piece.
Rewind a bit, anyway, when I first sat in ME, it was totally awesome. In TE I used to look up to ME a lot, wondering how ME works, wondering when I’ll ever get in and wondering where I’ll be sitting, how Mr Sze will be like, etc, so when I first came up, it was a really big transition. Plus it was SYF, even bigger transition >< Thankfully Pinyan was nice and didn’t stop conducting because of my gross playing. Everything changed so fast after that.
In December, we were already spamming rehearsals and our standards were still far off the mark. Truthfully speaking, towards the beginning of 2007, I was beginning to wonder what’s the meaning of GWH, like why are we practising so hard? Sectionals were hot and stifling and often boring because we kept spamming over and over again, concentrating on 3 notes for hours, and my eyes just kept wanting to shut (we didn’t manage to get air-con rooms like LT2, etc then). I recall how Mr Sze used to scold Yuhe till she cried after rehearsal, how I myself used to cry, how so many have cried in the process. I used to complain about how I wanted to give up and stop practising, how I was demoralized, etc., but the seniors kept me going, they kept us going, and within a blink of an eye, it was SYF.
On the morning of SYF, the atmosphere was really tense. I didn’t give out the cookies that I baked (in case of food poisoning –.- so I only gave them out after SYF). That morning, we played the best Dvorak and Walton ever. We were really nervous on the bus, and when we reached SCH we queued awhile, then tuned, and suddenly we were onstage. I wasn’t even prepared. 8 minutes and everything was over. Many people cried and complained about how they’ve screwed up, like for example bar 16 (violin 1 running notes), Section C (violas intonation nightmare), Section B (balance part), Section C5 (violas had some trill), etcetc. Gowns were wet with tears, and it was a really messy scene.
We watched a couple of schools before our results were announced. I still remember all of us holding hands. Then the words came, and when the guy paused slightly at “Gold”… “with honours”. There were more tears, literally tears spilling everywhere, and I was really lost in the moment, but one thing I know is, it felt really great.
Anyway, you must be wondering why I recounted all that. All I want to say is that we all share the same sense of insecurities. Most of us have probably never experienced SYF before, don’t know what SYF is, don’t know what the big deal about SYF was. It’s something that I cannot put into words, you really need to experience it to know it, to feel it, but it’s something that will stay with you for life. I won’t say it’s so much of the competition; it’s more of the struggle, together as an ensemble, you know. And truthfully speaking the previous SYF bonded us loads, and without it, I don’t know where we’ll be, here and now.
I was only Sec 2 then, and now I’m Sec 4, going for SYF for my second time. It’s my second and last SYF with NYSE, while for most of us I believe it’s our first. It is at this age that I no longer feel that sectionals are hot, boring and stifling (though Joan can be boring at times too). It is at this age that I’m beginning to understand how the seniors once felt, and why they did the things they did as well; and it is at this age that I understand why Mr Sze did what he did and why Mr Sze does what he does now (trust me, it’s really, really very toned down already).
If Mr Sze hasn’t been harsh, I really don’t know how we would have fared, and honestly, I sometimes wish he’d be fiercer to us, and I think some of the seniors feel the same way, because it seems like we’ve been taking his niceties for granted. I don’t know if we’re being fair to him. As a human, as a sensing human, I think any of us can see that Mr Sze is stressed. Honestly speaking, 1 vs 63 just for making announcements is scary enough, but 1 vs 63 for all rehearsals and having to scold us, having to accept our irresponsiveness, it’ll take a lot of strength for me to do what he has done so far, and I don’t want to be in his shoes. I think it’s time we show him some support, no? He’s a human too. We’re all humans, are we not?
14 more days.
I didn’t want to let Mars down; I didn’t want to let Mr Sze down; I didn’t want to let myself down, and now, I don’t want us to let ourselves down.
SYF is coming up in just a few days, are we ready?