Page 101 - 2023 eMag Final Draft

While most schools have an orchestra and/or music club, Kuen Cheng High School
Symphony of has been blessed with three, that being the Philharmonic Orchestra, the Wind Orchestra,

PERSPECTIVES and the Chinese Orchestra. Though having faced many difficulties, they still stand strong,
continuing to perform and partake in many competitions and performances throughout
the years.

Despite them all being orchestras, there are many fundamental differences, ranging
from the style of music they play, to the ways they are being taught. The Philharmonic
Orchestra and the Wind Orchestra are closest in terms of instruments, both having

brass, woodwinds and percussion instruments. However, the Philharmonic Orchestra
holds a wider range of instruments, and on top of the instruments mentioned, they also
have violins, cellos and double basses. The Chinese Orchestra leans towards traditional
Chinese instruments, and are split into different sections - winds, plucked strings, bowed

strings, and percussion.

One of the biggest key aspects of an orchestra is, of course, the members themselves.
They are the lifeblood of an orchestra as they help bring music to life. Therefore, it is

important to take care of the well-being of every member to ensure that harmony (in
the musical and interpersonal sense) can be achieved. Members of the Philharmonic

Chinese and Wind Orchestra Presidents Orchestra often hang out outside of usual club activities, resulting in tight-knit bonds
between them. In the case of the Chinese Orchestra, members help each other out a

lot, forging a passionate and enthusiastic orchestra. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19’s
abrupt appearance 3 years ago, members of all orchestras grew more and more distant
from one another. They were also unable to play as a complete orchestra as all activities
were conducted online. Hopefully, with a bit of extra time, each orchestra will be able to

overcome this difficulty and return to its pre-COVID-19 state.

Even though COVID-19 has significantly affected many clubs, this did not affect
the Wind Orchestra, which returned to usual activities immediately after. Their routine

every Saturday usually starts with a sectional practice, then they all play together inside
the bandroom. The sectional practice does not differ much between the orchestras, and
it typically includes warm-up activities like holding long notes, maintaining a tempo,
and practising individually before combining it all together. Sometimes orchestras even

arrange teachers with specialised experience in playing an instrument to coach and guide
Philharmonic Orchestra President each player. Regarding concerts, we interviewed the president of the Wind Orchestra
about their organising process. For their March 2023 concert, they specially selected
band members who weren’t participating in the concert to be part of the preparatory

Jointly reported by committee. This ensures that the concert progresses smoothly and members participating
Hwang Victoria Jr3S(3), Wong Cheng Hui Jr3S(3), Lau Kai Ren Sr1ScF in the concert will have enough time to practise.

100 101