Song Fest Competition 2016

Reported by ELC

       The Song Fest Competition made a comeback after so many years. It was organised specifically for Junior level classes by the English Language Centre in 2016. This competition was intended to enhance the learning of English through songs,   develop creativity in songwriting and presentation skills, cultivate leadership, cooperation and class spirit, as well as to provide students with a platform to showcase their talents and build up confidence beyond the classroom.

       The song selected could be based on a famous tune of any genre. However, the lyrics had to be self-composed.

     The song could be presented in the form of a cappella with any props rather than musical instruments to produce sound effects. Judging was carried out according to creativity, originality, lyrics (content and expressions), rhythm and tempo, and lastly, the wow factor.

     The English teachers spent nearly two months organising their class students to select their favourite tune, rewrite the lyrics through collaboration, and practise as a whole during the Activity Lesson every week. Pleasing and soothing melodies could be heard here and there at ELC   before the preliminary round that took place between 29 February and 4 March. To ensure the smooth selection of classes for the finals, the level coordinators helped to appoint judges, and arrange the time and venues at ELC. Most of the participating classes went all out to impress the judges, in the hope of being able to get to the    finals. Finally, three best classes from each level were selected for the finals.

     The Song Fest Competition (Finals) 2016 kicked off on 8 March 2016 at YTL Hall. With a short introduction by the emcees, Goh Mei Shien (S2 Chicago) and Choong Chi Jiong (S2 Adelaide), the nine shortlisted classes took turns to creatively show off their musical talent on stage, which attracted the full attention of the audience and amazed the teachers in the hall. After the competition, Choong Chi Jiong (S2 Adelaide) and Tee Chin Xian (S2 Chicago) were called upon to present their self-created standup comedy while the judges had a discussion on the winners. The audience had a good laugh, listening to their witty conversation and watching their amusing performance.

     After the entertaining moment, the chief judge, Ms Regina, was invited to give her comments. She congratulated all the participating classes on their awesome performances, which were the outcome of their hard work and creativity. She claimed that the judges had had a tough time determining the  winners. Soon after that, Madam Boo, the vice-principal and head of the English Language Centre, was called upon to give away the prizes to the    winning classes.

Winner of the Best Conductor award 

Yeoh Chin Tong (J3 Washington)

        First of all, I was pleasantly surprised and proud that our class had won the first prize. It had been a tiring process producing the lyrics, practising in groups and making props. But through everyone's cooperation, we finally succeeded. The leaders of the song fest groups were all very helpful, and all the classmates were also very supportive. Some even gave us comments for improvement. This experience is unforgettable for me and it is an honour to be chosen the best conductor. Lastly, I would like to thank Ms.Sastina and all my classmates for everything they have done.

Second Prizes Team

Lim Jia Sheng, Joshua (J2 Chicago)

       When we first heard about the Song Fest Competition, we were excited,  mostly because it was different and much more interesting than Choral Speaking. We made it our goal to win a prize in the finals this year, because last year we didn’t. 

        We wrote our song lyrics pretty fast and started practising early. We split our class into singing and percussion teams, and I was chosen as the conductor. Our teacher, Ms Priya, generously allowed us to use some of her time for practice.We practiced very hard,working towards our goal.A few days before the    finals, our main solo had a sore throat. Thankfully her voice was restored one day before the actual competition.

       Just before the finals, we were as nervous as cats, but we boldly presented and sang our song before the judges and audience. Later on, it was announced that J2 Chicago had won the second place! My class shouted with joy as I walked on stage to receive our prize.

I was very thankful to my classmates as they all had done their very best in the Song Fest finals. It was indeed a good experience and also a good opportunity for us to build relationships among ourselves as well as with other      classes, too.