The audience, prepared for another classical music performance, was caught by surprise when Yuxin played a sum total of two notes before standing up and bowing. Yuxin strode in carrying a score, seemingly well-dressed in his tuxedo, except for the fact that his feet were still clad in sneakers. The curtains opened to a grand piano languishing on stage. In contrast to East Meets West, Yuxin’s act was an unexpected wild card. Yuxin pouring his soul into a Chinese ballad. The two told us about their performance and results: “We weren’t really pressured or focused on winning, we just tried our best to enjoy the process and entertain ourselves and the audience”. Despite this superhuman performance, they “only practiced together for about a week before submitting audition video.” It is then perhaps unsurprising that the two of them have been learning their respective instruments since they were 7 years old, with both attaining performance diplomas. It was captivating to see the pair realise the fast and dramatic piece: Han Wei’s impossibly nimble fingers darting up and down the erhu, Xiang Rong deftly and perfectly playing the piano while managing to keep in tempo. They played a duet arrangement of “Gypsy Airs”, a piece originally composed for the violin. “It was an uncommon pairing of a Chinese instrument with a Western instrument, and we thought the audience would find it fresh and interesting,” said Xiang Rong, the piano player. The act was an exotic showcase: a titular fusion of Chinese and Western music through a Chinese erhu and piano duet. “That was a performance I would have paid to watch,” commented an awestruck judge after East Meets West had finished their piece. East Meets West engrossed in their musical masterpiece. Gooi (Music).ġst Place: East Meets West, comprising Lee Han Wei (19S06C) and Dai Xiang Rong (19S06O), MRĪ frighteningly fast and impressive erhu and piano duet.Ģnd Place: Some Chinese Song, comprising Wei Yuxin (19S02A), BWĪ heart-wrenching Chinese pop piano-vocal cover, with a comedic twist.ģrd Place: Daylight, comprising Manish (19S03T), Ma Jun Chong (19S03M), Sang Won, Hong Wei and Dayna Har (19S02A), HHĪ good ol’, honest rock band with a vocalist capable of amazingly high falsettos. Dawn Wu (Knowledge Skills), Su Ying (Batch of 2017 Raffles Rock Chairperson) and Dr. Each act’s 5-minute performance was judged on-the-spot by a panel: Mr. A final total of 15 acts proceeded to Raffles Got Talent’s finals on Friday evening. This was followed by BW with 13, and HH with 8. Overall, BB had the most shortlisted audition videos with a total of 19. Notable acts that did not appear in the finals included a juggler to the tune of the Mario theme song, a surreal dance act that performed an impressive collection of popular dance moves to the Nintendo Mii Channel theme song, and a comedian who listed caricatures of all five Houses. True to form, there was an eclectic range of talents showcased on the voting platform.
This year’s Raffles Got Talent was jointly organised by the Student Council and House, with the aim of providing a platform for Rafflesians to showcase their talents. For those of you who missed the RGT finals night, or are curious to know more about the acts that won, Raffles Press brings you a recap of the winning acts of the night, along with exclusive features on each act.
#MII CHANNEL THEME MUSIC TALENT SHOW FULL#
For the second year running, RGT met with resounding success: more than 60 act signups, and a full house turnout of more than 370 students at its finals. Yet, in spite of the alluring option of going home to sleep, and in spite of the seemingly long 3-hour event duration, hordes of students still showed up at the RI Performing Arts Centre to watch Raffles Got Talent. It was the last day of Term 1: the sweet, impending freedom of the March Holiday break impressed upon the Y5s, while the torture of a CT study week loomed upon the Y6s. Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Societyĩth March, Friday evening.