Extraordinary student talents from St Joseph’s family of schools shined during the recently concluded ‘Rhythm and Colour: The Family Celebrates!’ event last weekend.
The event was organized to mark the 5th Anniversary of the International School, and the 10th Anniversary of the Private School.
Held on August 5 and 6 at the Central Atrium of St Joseph’s Private School, the event was sold out in two days.
But what made it even more impressive was the abundance of talent available in the school which showed as synchronised symphony of rhythms and symbiotic splash of colours, blended intricately and smoothly throughout the event.
Extraordinary performances by the students of the primary, secondary and the international schools delighted many who were watching at the venue and at home, with the fund-raising event able to collect close to RM52,000 via generous crowdfunding.
The money is to build a much needed new block of educational facilities.
A concerted effort by extraordinary students and staff
The event involved students, teaching and non-teaching staff, as they all got together with the alumni to put up the event.
On-site crowd clapped and tapped in enjoyment to the performances and those at home were also able to watch the whole event via the hybrid format.
The Chinese Music Ensemble set the tone for the night by performing the rendition, “Joyous” as the opening act.
This was followed by ‘Pulai’, a poem recital in multiple languages by the Primary School students who drove home the schools’ emphasis on family and community values.
This message was further highlighted in the drama ‘Reunion: Family’ by the Chinese Language Club members who did not mince words on the issues faced by most modern families. The honest lines in the drama drew spontaneous exclamations and response from the crowd.
The cusp of the night perhaps was the award-winning performance of the Chamber Choir- a medley of traditional folksongs, “Rasa Sayang” and “Lenggang Kangkong” which clinched a gold medal in the recent 11th Bali International Choir Festival.
The audience was also absolutely awed by the splendid and dramatic colours in the traditional costumes worn by the Sara Dancers of Wonderful Sarawak as they danced to the song graciously provided by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB).
The assortment of performances included the beautifully choreographed fusion of footwork by the ballet dancers of the theme song ‘Another Day of Sun’ from the musical ‘La La Land’, the lively Bollywood dance and K-pop dance.
Joining the fun and fund-raising items was the external renowned band, At Adau, who hyped up the crowd to dance to their songs that would be featured in their upcoming concert, “Chimera Odyssey”.
The grand finale, a combined performance by the St. Joseph’s Community Orchestra, the Concert Band and Chamber Choir, saw the audience joining in the schools’ signature song, “Kamek Orang Sarawak”, written by Fr. Alvin Ng, SJ and arranged by Mr. Benedict Lo.
Remembering family
The event also took time to remember past family members of the school who had departed.
In memory of two teachers and a student who had passed on in recent years, Jesuits Fr Stanley Goh, Fr Alvin Ng, Fr Joseph Ng and Br. Aaron Lee, Marist Br. Robert Teoh, Br. Emil Alada, Franciscan Sr. Celine Wee, Sr. Irmina Peter and Sr. Cecilia Norma presented a hymn ‘It is Well with My Soul’, as they led the audience in prayer.
The tip of the iceberg
The event ended on a high note with those watching giving it praise.
St. Joseph’s Private Secondary School Principal, Fr. Stanley Goh SJ, said the performances were just a tip of the iceberg of the humongous amount of hard work, commitment put in, not in the least the capacities and potential tapped in students.
His colleague, St. Joseph’s International School’s Principal, Br. Robert Teoh FMS, expressed that it was a remarkable opportunity to work as a family of schools and to develop creativity and talents. Shirley Chong, the headmistress of St Joseph’s Private Primary School added that with each year of performance, growth from strength to strength was evident.
Similar sentiments were expressed by St. Joseph’s Family of Schools chief executive officer, Christopher Chua who also thanked all teachers, students, parents and well-wishers who have contributed to the success of the concert and the fund raising.
To learn more about St Joseph’s Family of schools, feel free to check these articles, or feel free to check out Christian related items here.
