here’s a quick shot I snapped on my way to Yishun earlier on after alumni choir rehearsal.

so, An Evening With Friends 2014 (ACJC College and Alumni Choir’s annual concert) begins tomorrow and I have been nothing short of excited for the whole five months in which I’ve been rehearsing with the alumni choir.

two years ago, I’d never imagined myself having the honour of singing amongst those we so greatly revered— the alumni choir; who were to us what the extremely sturdy roots were of a grand old tree. everything begun at the root and twenty-four years of choral excellence had certainly lots to show for itself.

today, I’m still extremely overwhelmed by the fact that I got to join the ranks of the alumni choir, and could be to the year ones what the alumni were to me two years ago.

2014 also marks my seventh year of singing (technically, the eleventh, if you count the fact that I’ve actually been singing in a choir since primary two [but never took it really seriously]). I keep telling myself that I’m letting go of choral singing after every performance to focus on other things like developing and finding my voice, but somehow I’m always drawn back into the whole flow of things and I’m glad for each time it happens.

I’ve definitely grown in my time in choir (more so in the past two years than the previous four, really, but I guess it’s really tough love) and I’m glad for the development I’ve had— I’m pretty sure that I’ve never had anyone care as much for me and my well-being as a person as I’ve had in the people I’ve met in various choirs, be it the teachers I’ve met (who seemed more like surrogate parents with the amount of dedication, effort and love they put in) or the wonderful friends I’ve made in various choirs who become like the siblings I never had. I’ve learnt to love, to trust, and to inspire and it makes me feel extremely fulfilled every time I think about the journey I’ve undertaken. I’m even glad to say that my best friends are the ones I’ve made through choir itself.

the journey has definitely been long and arduous, and every day I still find it hard to believe that I’ve made it this far: from being the obnoxious, annoying, disbelieving and self-loathing thirteen-year-old child who was shaking at the idea of competing in a foreign country, to becoming a seasoned performer with the privilege of having performed in the largest concert hall in Singapore a little over fifteen times, having performed in a variety of shows/works/productions, and having competed and performed in various countries, I’m truly glad to say that this journey has been worth it.

I only hope that it’ll continue to be this fruitful and exciting as the years go by. I have the faith that it will.

in other news, please do come for An Evening With Friends 2014! it’s (really) not too late to get your tickets:

“An Evening With Friends 2014” by the Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir
1st June 2014, 1730
Esplanade Concert Hall
You can still get your tickets here!: x

after tomorrow, I still have a bunch of performances lined up and I’m really excited to be this busy doing the things I love:

1. 1st June: An Evening With Friends 2014 with the ACJC Choir
2. 6th & 7th June: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra
3. 27th July: The All-Pamintuan Choral Festival: SingaFOUR
4. 13th August (probable): The Planets with the Orchestra of the Music Makers

…along with a few more performances sandwiched in between those I actually listed.

I’m really pumped for this season of performances and I can only sincerely hope that I don’t burn out in the process of it all. other than that, I really, really, really couldn’t ask for more.

could you? 🙂

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”
― 孔夫子 / Confucius