is the eve of the BIG DAY!
The Keat Hwa students from Kedah, Malaysia came down to TMS for a combined practice. It was the first time I witnessed students from both sides of the causeway play together as one big team!
It was good. I had expected the music to be very untidy because of the huge space in the hall and because they're playing together for the first time, but it turned out to be magnificient. All the starts and stops were synchronised, the pp and ff were highlighted and the endings wholesome and strong and powerful.
Pics from the day's practice!
That night, we had a formal dinner in the school hall. The caterers from ISS set up the tables and chairs and cutlery and utensils while the students changed into their smart school uniforms with ties and all. At about 7.30pm the guests and VIPs arrived. The VIPs include school principals, the sponsorship man, and a DATUK!!! So formal and grand ocassion! When they marched in, machiam like wedding dinner lidat, we all stood up and clapped while the spot light followed them in. LOL.
There were about 18 tables, each seated with 10. Comprising of about 2 alumni, 4 tms students and 4 keat hwa students. It was supposed to be an interaction session as well. Up served the food! Don't pray pray, 8-course dinner!!!!!! Comprising of:
- Cold Dish
- Fish Maw Soup
- Fresh Farm Whole Chicken in Tom Yam Soup
- Fried Fish Pieces in Thai Sauce
- Broccoli and Mushroom Medley
- Yam Ring
- Lotus Leaf Rice
- Mango Pudding
and free flow of orange juice! Good enough to be a wedding dinner in the CC! HAHAHA! All of us were already full after the 3rd and 4th dish. Including me! (which is a miracle)
(haiyah, now i regret not taking pics of the food. grr.)
Here's our table of people. Toeji, the keat hwa uniforms remind me of you!
Their school rules are very interesting and strict. Reminds me of last time's AHS. The girls are not allowed to have long hair! And I noticed their boys' are also cropped cut! They commented that Singapore is more advanced than Kedah and is cooler.
Anyways after the dinner was a mini interaction cum photo taking cum autograph session. Then we went home! Was so tired.
(Then later that night stupid Arsenal still can draw with lou ya Mee Rebus. Sickeningly irritating. ATROCIOUS!!!!)
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16th March Sunday
is the big day itself!! Musical Epoch III, 7.30pm at Singapore Conference Hall (SCH).
I had nice yun ton mee for late breakfast. Heh heh. Cos I zai zai lunch will be horrible. Anyways, I reached school at about 10 plus to help out with the preparation. We shifted the dumb big bulky instruments to the foyer and up a lorry.
Upon reaching SCH, it was more shifting, this time from lorry into the building, and up onto stage.
The afternoon was busy with the rehearsing and practising of walk-ins. Lunch was a pathetic curry puff and muffin!!! Not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth! :( You know I get depressed whenever my stomach doesn't get filled. But seeing that everything is going on smoothly was consolating enough. :)
Pictures from the rehearsal practice.
And the Keat Hwa rehearsing...
The girls kept drooling at the keat hwa conductor and teacher. Hmm... See the grins on their faces! Very shuai and cute meh... hmpf hmpf.
Then the big thing was nearing nearing!!! It was about 6.10pm that everyone went to get dinner. It was packed vege rice! Chicken wing and fried beans and japanese toufu. Couple of my juniors were jealous I could eat chicken wing with only my chopsticks. HAHA! After that we changed, dressed up and gathered back at the backstage... Time Check: 7pm.
Finally the concert was about to start officially at 7.40pm.
Had to maintain silence at the backstage where the students were excited and nervous. As the audience clapped to welcome the performers, I pushed the door for them to march out proud. As I watched them walk past me, I urged them to do their best. Even though I wasn't a part of the performance, I could feel their anticipation and excitement as they held their instruments, standing tall and proud to the applause. After many months of intense training and practices, this is the night, this is THE MOMENT. I've been through it. :)
They played great. Am proud of them.
In between the songs, my duty was to go out and arrange chairs and stands. I had 2 very cute Sec 1 students to help me!! They are soooo super adorable!!!!
The one on the left is Shan Ying from China, 15 years old. Her eyes are HUGE. The other is her good friend! Shawn (hmm...) is 13 and is very lady-like. When they talk to each other, they get very excited and happy like small children at the playground! I'm almost another mouse of the zodiac away from Shawn. O_O!!!
The performance was behind schedule by more than 30 mins... scheduled to end at 9.30pm, it was already about 10 when there were 2 songs left to play, excluding 2 encore pieces!!! In the end the encore had to be sacrificed AWWWWW!!! :(
At about 10.15pm the concert finally ended. The audience slowly left while the stage was cleared for a photo taking session!!! Almost 250 people!!!
SUCCESS. :)
The Keat Hwa students boarded their bus back to Kedah immediately after the concert. We all bade a good farewell to them. :)
After which came the most dreaded part of all.
SHIFTING BACK OF INSTRUMENTS TO SCHOOL!!!!!!!!
That means from stage to downstairs to up lorry.
Then from lorry to 2nd floor CO room in school.
Lucky there were many helpful students who sweated out to help. :) We finally left school at GUESS WHAT midnight! Pity the students who still had school at 7.30am tml morning HAHA! Mine is at 2pm the next day! Anyways the alumni went Bedok 85 for supper before heading home at 1, dead beat and tired physically. But a feeling of achievement and nostalgia as we celebrate another successful Musical Epoch.
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I've been through Musical Epoch 1, 2 and now, 3. Over the years, I've seen all the enthusiastic students going for practices, and trying hard and putting in their very best. I also see then students from epoch 1 and 2 taking part as alumni in Epoch 3. I've personally witnessed the growth and maturing of tmsco... Been a part of it! After 7 years, it's always heartening to know that tmsco is strong and stable. Especially good to know that the current students are enthusiastic and their love for co will forever be there.
I hope to see them in the future Musical Epoch. :)
*P/S: My muscles ached the next day after so much of working out LOL!!!
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