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THE SJI GUITAR ENSEMBLE

  This year has been a remarkable year for the SJI Guitar Ensemble. With a Silver Award from last year’s Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Central Judging for Guitar Ensembles under our belt, we are no longer rookies. This year, we’ve participated in two collaboration concerts, an exchange programme to Malaysia and a public performance at Far East Plaza. This year alone, senior ensemble has learnt five new pieces and the junior ensemble two.

  Our feat could not have been done with our brilliant  and knowledgeable instructors, Mr Michael Gasper and Mr Jerry Ong. Not only have they developed our talent and interest in music but also instill values into us, enable us to have character. Behind the scenes of our success are our three dedicated and teachers-in-charge. Namely, Mrs Janet Kwok, Ms Wong Wah Lee and Mrs Pennie Ong. They have always been making the arrangements for our transportation for our performances, making sure that we are well fed during collaborations and of course, tolerating our nonsense. They have done their best to make the SJI Guitar Ensemble a second home to us.

  Currently, we have 45 members in total, 27 in the Senior Ensemble and 18 in the Junior Ensemble to be exact. We plan to hit the 50 mark by the year 2010 when new blood comes in next year. Towards the end of last year, after the Secondary 4 members stepped down, Joshua Tan took the role of the president of the SJI Guitar Ensemble for 2008 with Hua Xiang being his vice and Ezra Aik, his secretary.

  At the end of this year, Edwin Wee was elected the president of the SJI Guitar Ensemble for 2009 with Ezra Aik as his vice and Benjamin Sng as his secretary. Section leaders are also elected  the be the head of their sections to ensure that every member knows their part and practice the motto of the ensemble – Responsibility, having the sense of Urgency and having the Initiative . This year, the section leaders are Xin Zhang, Edwin Wee, Joshua Tan and Aaron Chew for Guitars 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Next year, it will be Joel Lim, Edwin Wee, Derek Ang and Justin Han.

  The SJI Guitar Ensemble has had an eventful year performing for charity, concerts and exchange programmes. During the school holidays, we had a collaboration with Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School on the 20^th of June and we performed as invited guest.

 

  

From the 3^rd to the 5^th of July, we took time off their busy schedules to go to Petaling Jaya in Malaysia for an exchange programme with Catholic High. We got to make friends with the students there and learn more about the education system in that school which was very unique and definitely different from the education system in Singapore. After having an interesting tour around their campus, there was a mini concert put up by the members of their school's Guitar and Harmonica Ensemble and our SJI Guitar Ensemble. Apart from the exchange programme, we also visited an orphanage to do community service by performing for them and organising games for them. After all this, we were rewarded for all our hard work with a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur including a buffet dinner with a cultural dance that night.

 

 

  On the 18^th of July, we had a combined performance with Catholic Junior  College called Labor Amoris II in which we played famous hits like You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban. CHIJ Secondary Toa Payoh Guitar Ensemble also performed as guest performers. To add, both our Senior and Junior Ensemble performed in front of a public audience at Far East Plaza on the 6^th of September.

 

  With so much potential in the SJI Guitar Ensemble, greater things are bound to happen.

SYF Song: DOUBLE MANDOLIN

please download the SYF song: Double Mandolin to listen to what it should sound like =)