Jointly reported by :
Gaby Seow Jing Yi Jr2Z(5)
Rachel Koh Huey Shin Sr1ScC
Ho Chia Chien Sr1ComB
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
In honour of Malay Month, Kuen Cheng Academic Department organised the annual Malay singing competition finals in Lee Shin Cheng Hall on 20th May 2023. The Junior finals were held from 8 am to 10 am, while the Senior finals were from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
About five minutes before the start of the competition, students started to enter the halls in a good flow, with excited, bubbly chatter filling the hall. Once everyone had settled down, the MCs gave a merry welcome speech in both Malay and Chinese, introducing all four judges from the different subjects.
The panel of judges
Junior Singing Finals
Then, the friendly junior contest started. Some contestants donned the school uniform, while others chose to wear a different one. Traditional Malay attire was a popular choice. Some of the contestants that performed in groups even wore matching outfits.
Contestants singing
As contestants sang, the tones produced resonated against the halls, with some airy, light songs and some in a deeper melancholic fashion. Many of the great renditions were accompanied by instruments played on-site, including ukuleles, guitars, and the piano. Although quite unusual, an electric guitar was also among the instruments put to play in a song, ‘Inilah Jalannya’. A few renditions were soon joined with the enthusiastic audience clapping on beat throughout the songs. ‘Sahabat’ appeared to be a favoured choice for contestants, as it was sung thrice by different contestants. It was a heartwarming song consisting of sentiments of friendship encapsulated in its harmonious, melodic lyrics.
Enthusiastic audience clapping throughout the songs
At 9.35 am, the last contestant finished their song. After another short speech from the MCs, a compilation of clips and photographs from last year’s Malay Month (2022) was played and shared. After it ended, the event concluded on a happy note as the students exited the hall.
Senior Singing Finals
The senior singing finals had 18 contestants who managed to advance to the finals. Many showcased their singing skills like professional singers, creating a jaw-dropping scene. Each group of contestants had a unique singing style.
A group of contestants from Sr2ComA brought a song named ‘Arena Cahaya’ with their pianist, drummer and guitarist to assist them with the accompaniment. Contestant 2 from Sr2A sported a black dress while singing her song ‘Raungan Suara’, the Malay version of the well-known Disney soundtrack, Speechless with her rounded voice. The next contestant from Sr1ScE brought a motivating song, lightening up the atmosphere, ‘Hanya di Mercu’. Contestant 4, from Sr1A, presented her song ‘Sisa Rasa’ confidently, with her supportive classmates waving banners for her below the stage. Next up was a lively song about friendship, the contestant from Sr2ComB impressed the crowd by playing guitar and singing altogether.
The contestant from Sr1ScA performed the song ‘Langit yang Sama’. The atmosphere was lively. Next was the seventh contestant, from Sr1B, who presented a challenging song ‘Dialah di Hati’. Despite being a challenging song, the contestant could express it well. The group contestant from Sr1ScA performed the joyful song ‘Jomble Happy’ with a percussion instrument, a cajon. While the contestant from Sr3ScA performed the song ‘Gemilang’ followed by ‘1000 Tahun Lamanya’ from the group contestant Sr3ComB which was a brisk song. The 11th contestant from Sr1ScA performed the romantic love song ‘Cinta Luar Biasa’. Following up was the group contestants from Sr2ScB with ‘Seandainya – Vierra’ with piano as an accompaniment.
We have also interviewed a few contestants. Upon asking why they decided to join this competition, a contestant who enjoys singing saw this as an opportunity to improve himself. After a month of preparation for this competition, he expressed his enjoyment when he was finally competing on stage. He also mentioned that he appreciated and admired every one of his competitors.
During another interview with the participants from the 15th group, they mentioned that their song choice, “Malaikat,” means “angel” in English. Considering it was their first time performing on stage, they were understandably nervous, but overall, it was a fantastic experience for them.
Towards the end of today’s event, Madam Hee Siaw Fuey provided some insightful comments. Apart from praising the contestants for their remarkable singing skills, she also mentioned the importance of integration, especially during group singing. She hopes contestants can express richer emotions in their singing, including facial expression management and sound delivery. At the same time, she urged the audience to be mindful of their volume to avoid distracting the contestants performing on stage.
With that, the Malay singing competition finals for both the junior and senior categories concluded successfully.