All the Best for Sec 4 Choir Members//Friday, June 25, 2010//9:28 PM

Would just like to wish all Sec 4 Members all the best in the Prelims. I know that you have been studying hard. Hope that you would also be able to reap the rewards of your hard work.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Practices leading up to PHiesta 1////6:23 PM

Hi Everyone, please take note of the dates. It seems like its a lot, but it basically our normal practice dates for three weeks and two extra sessions. Please take this last lap seriously. We are all running it together.

Good news that Mr Lim managed to get a friend of him to stand in for the concert. His friend is also an experienced conductor. I've also managed to get a pianist to play the accompaniment. I hope that all of you see how fortunate you are with all the resources provided for you;

A very good concert hall (not just any auditorium)
A good instructor / conductor (Mr Lim)
A good violinist (Mr Daniel Beng)
A good stand in conductor (Mr Adyll Hardy)
A qualified pianist

So don't waste this opportunity to present your best. So remember to practice hard (Both during practices, rehearsals and at home). This is your show! This is your first chance to raise people's eyebrows.

Take every opportunity you have to sing when others are looking at you. (It is actually a good thing that people would stop and listen to you)

Remember, have no regrets in life...

Date

Time

Activity

29^th June 2010 (Tuesday)

4.00pm to 6.30pm

Choir Practice with Mr Adyll Hardy, Mr Darius Lim.

1^st July 2010 (Thurday)

3.00pm to 6.00pm

3^rd Rehearsal cum Practice with Pianist, Mr Joseph.

2^nd July 2010

(Friday)

1.00pm to 3.00pm

Choir Practice with Mr Darius Lim

5^th July 2010 (Monday)*

12.30pm to 3.00pm

Choir Practice with Mr Adyll Hardy, Mr Darius Lim and Pianist, Mr Joseph.

* Youth Day Holiday

6^th July 2010 (Tuesday)

3.00pm to 6.30pm

4^th Rehearsal cum Practice with Mr Darius Lim and Pianist, Mr Joseph.

9^th July 2010 (Friday)

1.00pm to 3.00pm

Choir Practice with Mr Adyll Hardy, Mr Darius Lim and Pianist, Mr Joseph.

13^th July 2010 (Tuesday)

3.00pm to 6.00pm

5^th Rehearsal cum Practice with Mr Adyll Hardy, Mr Darius Lim and Pianist, Mr Joseph @ YST (Concert Venue)

16^th July 2010 (Friday)

1.00pm to 5.00pm

7.30pm to 10.00pm

6^th Rehearsal cum Practice with Mr Adyll Hardy, and Pianist, Mr Joseph @ YST (Concert Venue)

PHiesta 1!

Performers are estimated to reach school by 11pm.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Kimi O No Sete 君をのせて (Translation)//Tuesday, June 22, 2010//10:18 PM

Hi Hi... its me again...

Here's the English Translation. Not sure how accurate it is, but this seems to be the more frequently occurring version. Good to know what you are singing. Kimi is the theme song for the Anime, 天空の城ラピュタ Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta (Castle in the Sky). Do refer to the link at the "choir related links" column to read the background on the movie. Next up, trying to look for the background behind the song, and the circumstances in which the characters sang the song.

ano chiheisen kagayaku no wa

doko ka ni kimi o kakushite iru kara

taku-san no hi ga natsukashii no wa

ano dore ka hitotsu ni kimi ga iru kara

The reason the horizon shines
is that somewhere it's hiding you.
The reason I long for the many lights
is that you are there in one of them.

saa dekake you hitokire no PAN,

NAIFU, RUMPU, kaban ni tsume konde

do-san ga nokoshita atsui omoi

ka-san ga kureta ano manazashi

So, I set out, with a slice of bread,
a knife, a lamp, stuffed in a bag.
Father left me his burning desire.
Mother gave me her eyes.

chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o kakushite

kagayaku hitomi kirameku tomoshibi

chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o nosete

itsuka kitto deau bokura o nosete

The earth turns, hiding you.
Shining eyes, twinkling lights.
The earth turns, carrying you,
carrying us both who'll surely meet.

do-san ga nokoshita atsui omoi

ka-san ga kureta ano manazashi

chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o kakushite

kagayaku hitomi kirameku tomoshibi

chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o nosete

itsuka kitto deau bokura o nosete

Father left me his burning desire.
Mother gave me her eyes.
The earth turns, hiding you.
Shining eyes, twinkling lights.
The earth turns, carrying you,
carrying us both who'll surely meet.

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Kimi O No Sete 君をのせて////9:44 PM

Hi Hi...

Was looking up the background behind this song and accidentally stumbled upon this piano version of it. Useful for you to sing along and practice at home. Try it out.

watch?v=Skd8KklcjuU

Here's also a youtube link for a choir (i think local) who sang this song. Very beautiful voices. Have a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eROmcFgQRM&NR=1

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Good but not your best//Monday, June 21, 2010//7:00 PM

Today's singing was good... but it was not your best. In fact, I think that you sang better on Saturday. I would still like to reiterate the point that no one should blame an external situation for not putting up a good performance.

It is ok not to be heard very well if the AV doesn't work too well, but it is not a good excuse for not singing well. Likewise, it is not a good excuse to say that the Principal was there (and for that matter any one else) and therefore you did not sing well. Lets all work towards being a professional performer.

One more thing... please work on your pitching for the Pei Hwa Public School Song.

Finally...

Practice in Sem 2...

Tuesday: 4pm - 6.30pm

Friday: 1pm - 3pm

Please ensure that you are available. If you do not think that you have sufficient time to eat lunch on Friday, please have a heavier meal during recess.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Choir Exchange @ Temasek Poly//Sunday, June 20, 2010//11:52 AM

Dear Choir,

You put up a good performance yesterday at TP although I know that its still not your best. I'm impressed with some of you who stayed back after I dismissed you on Friday to practice on your own. Choir Leaders and Section Leaders, I need more of such initiative from you. With this, I'm sure that we will improve to become a very strong choir in spite of our small numbers.

The following are the video of your performance. You actually sound much better live, but thats all that my phone video can give. Have a listen and see if you can do some reflection on which area you can improve further.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Live a Life without Regrets.//Saturday, June 19, 2010//6:38 AM

Dear Choir,

The biggest regret in life sometimes is not putting in our best. How often do we come across people who tell us that, "actually, I could do this and that", "if I did this, then I would be...". We do not feel a sense of regret over situations we cannot control. Instead, regret comes when we know that WE could have done something about the situation, but did not.

I just want everyone of you to do your best and present your best for every rehearsal and practice that you have. If you are able to put up a good show for every practice and rehearsal, then your actual performance can only get better. Like what Mr Lim said, "there no point sounding really good behind the doors". Please remember to do your best.

I'll look forward to having a really good performance at the choir exchange today.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Great Job for the preview today//Friday, June 11, 2010//4:48 PM

Dear Choir,

Thank you for a job well done today for the preview. I was tell your Sec 4 seniors sometime ago that if you sang really well for the concert, I would be moved to tears. I never expected you'll to be able to move me so soon. Sorry hor... a bit malu just now... but you know that those were genuine tears of joy from me. Don't tell my D&T students ok? Need to maintain that no nonsense image. Let me finish what I wanted to say to you all.

Mr Beng and I have been around when the choir was first formed and we both knew how the choir struggled in the earlier years all the way to SYF last year. And I could see that Mr Beng too was holding back tears of joy because he too was so proud of what you have achieved within 6 months. Every time I listen to how well you are singing and how much confidence all of you demonstrated, I start to get very emotional about it.

For years to come, the regret of not paving the way for a good SYF showing in 2009 will linger within me. I have always felt personally responsible for the disappointing results (for reasons which I will not state here). I have also always felt that I let your Sec 4 seniors down. I have also felt grateful for everyone who stayed with us and believing in me after the SYF last year. And so every time I hear you sing well, my sense of regret and guilt grows even more. Of course, I am also very proud of you all. Mr Lim is a very demanding instructor and I am glad that he is. Even more so, I am glad that most of you were able to take it in good light and responded to his demands.

I hope that with this, everyone will not become complacent and think that we have arrived at the destination. There's still a lot more room for improvement and I hope that all will be able to bite the bullet and carry on with your pace of learning. I want to see a performance on 16th July that will not only move me to tears, (i think that your seniors who are my invited guests to the concert will tear together with me too) but also move all other audiences.

Great Job!

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

A Tribute to Our Sec 4/5 Members//Thursday, June 10, 2010//4:02 PM

I know that I have given a short speech on this when we broke camp... but I still thought that I want to write it out on this blog. There was so much I wanted to say that I missed out a few important points. Furthermore, if I did mention those points... I'll probably tear. (Must preserve the image)

Firstly, let me thank all senior for sticking with us during the 4 years that you were with us. Over the years, there were some who decided not to come and there were others that left for greener pasture. Thank you once again.

Non-Exco Members

Ying Tian, thanks for giving choir and yourself a chance. I hope that you took some of my harsh words in good light and saw my good intentions. You're a good singer and I just hope that I could have developed you further.

Lim Min, also thanks for giving choir and yourself a chance. My deepest impression of you was your sleepy look. But you never fail to impress me when you can sometimes sing with your eyes closed. I confirmed that your can stay awake when you look like you are asleep during last year's camp. Anyway, thanks for helping out in last year's camp.

Joy, you're always a joy to have... and I mean it. Always so positive. Haven't heard you complain about thing before.

Shu Xian, my most committed member. Although you have your difficulty in singing. Your commitment to come for practices is appreciated.

Exco Members

Poh Im, thank you for serving in the Exco as the Vice President to fill in the gap that Lynette left when she was preparing for the N Levels. I will always remember you calling me "Cher" in your own unique way. I hope that you have found the time you spent in the Exco a meaningful one. I also hope that my influence on you goes beyond choir and Pei Hwa Secondary School.

Lynette, thank you for serving in the Exco in 2009 as the Vice President. And thank you for doing well in the N Levels so that we can have you back again this year. I appreciate your commitment to choir and your enthusiasm. I also appreciate your continuous help in the exco this year in spite of the fact that your were not officially reappointed (because you'll only be with us for 4 months). I hope that your willingness to serve without reward will inspire more members to be like you. I also hope that I was able to influence your life positively.

Teresa and Grace, I don't know who to write about first. So I'll follow the protocol and write about Grace first.

Grace, do you remember when I said to you on 9th June (1.30am) at 3NE Classroom that I thought that I would have "4 Grace". I hope that this gives you an idea of how impressed I am with you. Commitment and willingness to serve (not only in Choir) is something that I hope that every member would learn from. You genuinely care for others and I just hope that sometimes you would stop and care more for yourself first. But as I've mentioned to some teachers before... "then that would not be Grace". And it is also your credit that I am able to write on this blog. Thank you for serving as the Vice President for 2 years.

Teresa, your high expectations of yourself and the choir has made a positive impact on all of us. I am impressed with your resilience. I also know how emotionally strong you are. I know that the learning curve was steep for you when you were suddenly "thrown" the position of Choir President when you were in Sec 2. But I didn't see a little Sec 2 girl on our first meeting. I saw a mature young lady with the potential to lead. And it makes me proud to see how much you have grown in terms of confidence and leadership. Others may say that choir has no achievement (because people tend to judge how good a president is with the CCA's achievement), but to me, you are the best President we have in school.

The Exco and I have spent many hours together not only on choir matters, but to talk about life in general. I have learnt a lot from you (Teresa, Grace, Lynette and Poh Im), more than you could image. You were also my pillar of strength. I wonder at times whether I did more for you or if you did more for me, if I depended more on you than you depended on me. It is because of you that I am able to get the strength and determination to do the things that I do for choir. You have also set the standard for all other Choir Exco that comes after you. You have set the foundation right for choir and whatever achievement we may get for SYF next year would also be yours. It is time for you to concentrate on doing your best in your studies. Whatever grade you get, I would be proud of you as I know that you would have done your best. I will also miss spending time with you all at choir. Do drop by to see us when you are free ok?

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever

Choir Camp (June 2010)////3:56 PM

Thank you to those who joined us at choir camp. I hope that everyone had a great time and got to know one another better. Through this camp, I also got to know you and your leaders a lot better. I also hope that you got to see the less serious side of me... (especially when I demonstrated the catwalk LOL!!! But I still seriously think that I did the catwalk better than your Seniors, HAHA!!!)

We will post the pictures up once we consolidate it. Grace, I assume that you'll be doing that??? Thanks.

Your camp leaders and I will give you a post camp review probably by next week. We will also be seeking your opinion on what you would like to have for the next camp (likely to be in Dec this year). Like I mentioned, this camp should be a training camp and thus will not have so many team building activities.

See you all tomorrow.

Mr Chong

*singing's great.

;their passion forever