Band Exchange With James Hargest College (New Zealand)

 

On 12 April 2006, Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) band played host to 50 members of the James Hargest College (JHC) band, for a band exchange. The event was opened to the college, and a sizable amount of people turned up to watch the performances put up by both bands in Lecture Theatre (LT) 4.

The JHC band, which arrived in Singapore from the night before, is a highly reputable band from Invercarrgill, New Zealand . They are staying in Singapore for 8 days, with visits to various schools (including NYJC) and a day trip to Malaysia as part of their itinerary. The main purpose of this trip by the JHC band to Singapore is, of course, to participate in the MUSE (Music for Everyone) Festival which will take place from 13 – 19 April 2006.

The JHC band played a few popular tunes, like The Mask of Zorro and Lord of the Dance, which were part of the repertoire for their performance during the MUSE Festival. It was followed by NYJC band's performance of the two songs, Pirates of the Caribbean and 1 st Suite in E b . Selected members of the two bands then combined to play a short piece together. All the performances were met with loud applause from the audience.

Following the splendid performances in LT4, members of the two bands got together to interact with each other and to find out more about the culture of the other country over some light refreshments. The JHC band members were also given a tour around NYJC, to view the facilities available within the college, before they left the college.

It is a truly enjoyable and eye-opening experience to have an exchange with an overseas band, especially one as reputable as the JHC band. Even though the time spent together was short, but the lessons we learn are definitely for a lifetime. Such events should be encouraged as it exposes the students to a whole new learning experience outside of the classroom. We would like to thank our teachers-in-charge and our instructors for giving us the opportunity to be part of this experience, and of course the JHC band for coming down to NYJC.

Soh Hui Shan 05S7C