Prometheum XII

Almost 2 years after a highly successful Prometheum XI, it was time for the next of the series, Prometheum XII at VCH again. With about 80% of the hall sold the day before the concert started, it was looking to be a good show. Furthermore, the band had been practicing relentlessly, so I expected that they would not disappoint.

After school ended I went down to the Atrium to watch the fun. Turns out the truck hadn't arrived yet, so people were mostly stoning. I was amazed by the efficiency of the band though, managing to load up and leave less than 20 minutes after the truck arrived. Pity the sec 4s weren't allowed to ride the truck though.

After a long time in the afternoon, my batch, or half of it anyway, set off for VCH, traditionally ending up late after a rush to eat and buy stuff in Raffles City before. As a result, I missed most of Wind Harmony March, so I can't really say anything about that piece.

St Florian's Chorale was quite ok, but I found the piece relatively boring, being a chorale. Well played though.

After that, we moved in front to get a better view and sound, and I remember the next few pieces being relatively alright, although clarinet squeaks were prominent. Merry Widow brought back a few choice memories, definitely.

Intermission was even more chaotic than usual, owing to the new practice of VCH closing off the backstage area. I saw quite a few people there, ranging from my former chemistry teacher to Han Sheng to a certain person affectionately known as the 156 guy.

The ensembles were really good this time, especially Samuel's. While I'm still upset that we didn't get to play for A Tempo, hearing Samuel pull off Monsters Inc. was quite fun. I'm amazed by his, and the rest of the ensemble's standards.

I can't remember that much about the first two songs of the second half, unfortunately, except for Comedian's Gallop, which featured Ben on the marimba. That was quite good, I think.

A Day at the Circus was probably the highlight of the concert, with Ms Jacq Sim as the "ringmistress", and all in all, a nice performance by both the band and the Sec 1s, bringing back memories of The Hustle in Prometheum X.

I wanted to should "Good Stuff!" after Bandwagon, echoing Prometheum XI, but in the end, I forgot. Still, the song brought back memories of that concert, and I still remember the music then.

The encore was a new thing, but it was nicely played. Interestingly we wanted to throw a flower on stage, but Jeremy missed. In the end, after the concert, Chester went to give Mr Oura the flower, which I noticed him giving to Ms Jacq Sim afterward.

On the way down I had a chat with a rather strange group involving myself, Quan Hui, Mr Oura and the VCH stage manager. Following that, I went to talk with the band guys until their truck and bus came.

Musically, Prometheum XII was at least on par with Prometheum XI. Nothing spectacular, but quite entertaining and definitely worth the money. But I think more than that, this concert has been a success because RIMB has maintained the spirit we left it in Prometheum XI, across all the batches. From what Jerald tells me, there weren't really many attitude problems, and despite daily practices even on public holidays, the morale was high. This was also evident in the fast moving of instruments before and after the concert, although to be fair, all the alumni pitched in after the concert as well, from Quanhui to David's batch.

I realise that despite my best efforts to move on with my life in RJ, in my heart, I haven't left RIMB. As my life in RSB becomes progressively screwed up and less satisfying, I yearn more and more for RIMB. Sure, RIMB may not be of a high standard, not getting gold with honours or putting on a musically perfect concert. But what does this matter? I've never held with results, only the effort put in and the satisfaction of the members knowing they've done their best. All this is evident in RIMB, but not in the band I'm currently in. The band I'm in now is too results oriented and too cliquey. The message it sends its members is that the effort put in is second to the results, something I've never held with. The result is that we are a divided band, and that arrogance and a winner-takes-all superiority complex is bred. When a person practices a solo daily for 4 months only to have it taken by someone who doesn't even come for practices half the time, it's evident that the place is not a conducive one.

The main reasons I loved band in RIMB are simply not present in RSB. RIMB had, and still has, teachers-in-charge who are committed to the welfare of the band and its members, instead of threatening the band members and acting against the interests of the band. RIMB had, and still has, the best band major and deputy band major combination I have ever seen. Jerald and Samuel together have done a lot more than any top 2 I've seen so far, and I believe that Prometheum XII would not have been the success it was without them. RIMB had, and still has, a good executive committee who are passionate about serving the band. RIMB has, and still has, a close-knit batch of sec 4s, more so than we were, who are musical powerhouses and strong batch potential. Most importantly, RIMB will always have that sense of belonging and of appreciation, the sense that no matter how good you are, the band appreciates you and values you for your effort and your love for it.

The thing that I will remember the most about Thursday night was after the concert. Just before leaving, Jerald came up to me and hugged me, thanking me for coming and for all the help. Bryan, the good sax-lww SL, also expressed much appreciation and welcome, more than I deserve. Not just in VCH on Thursday, but all the time. Whenever I walk into the band room after RI prac or during extra practices, I'm always welcomed with a smile and open arms by people like Jerald, Bryan, Samuel, Lucas, David and so on. My section too, always greets me warmly. Even having graduated from RIMB for two years, I'm still made to feel at home, by great people such as them. In RSB, I'm made to feel alienated, in an environment that makes a prison feel warm and cozy, where everyone is as united as an asteroid belt on the senior side, and a planet, united, but with several moons of isolated people on the junior side. My own section's dynamics are screwed up, with a fragmented upper and a lower side with obvious alienation of someone. When I talked about this with Jeremy and Paul, I had two reactions. Jeremy asked why we (the band) should care about all this, while Paul told me that I shouldn't say bad stuff about RSB so close to the end. If Jeremy, and the band, feel that way, then isn't that the problem. No one cares about anything except results and testimonials. Paul may be right, but if that's the way I feel, what else can I say? I'm not going to cover it up and say that RSB is the best band in the world, because it's not. That honour goes to my true home, RIMB.

I miss Prometheum XI.
I miss my batch.
I miss the Sec 2s, Sec 4s now and looking to trump my batch in everything from music to spirit.
I miss moving percs and loading them RI style.
I miss the gold buttoned uniform and the green/black/white tie of the uniform.
I miss the warmth and the feeling of family.
I miss the band cheer.

I miss RIMB. Thank you for teaching me how a band should really be like.