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LUMEN | FEATURE : SJI ’ S 170TH ANNIVERSARY
Sing in His Name
The second artistic highlight at the 170th-anniversary celebration this year was the launch of a new song for the SJI community , which was presented by the SJI Vocal Ensemble ( VE ) at the Founder ’ s Day celebration on 8 April . Ms Wong Wah Lee , the teacher-in-charge of VE , speaks to Brandon Cheah ( IB Class of 2021 ) – the Josephian who composed the new song titled simply after the school ’ s colours , “ Green and White ”.
The Inspiration The song was originally written in view of the tercentenary Lasallian celebrations in 2019 but it was chosen as part of the SJI 170th celebrations in 2022 . The song came at a moment of exploration when it dawned on Brandon the need to celebrate our common heritage as a school and one which reflected the Josephian identity and community . The moment that struck him the most was during a farewell ceremony to teachers who were leaving SJI a few years ago . Mr Kelvin Seet , an Economics teacher who was once taught by the retiring Mr Jeremy Liew ( Humanities teacher and SJI alumnus ), thanked and wished him a happy retirement .
“ It was a particularly heart-warming moment as it was the passing of a generational flame from teacher to student , who has now become a teacher in his own right . It was this spirit of camaraderie and community that influenced me to write the song .”
The SJI education has also imbued Brandon with the values of service .
“ I find myself being more proactive to give so that someone else could be better . The sense of communal belonging is one of
SJI ’ s greatest gifts that was given to me and others who have walked through her gates .”
The Process Once the seed of inspiration was planted , Brandon started with a sketch work on the piano to create the structure of the song , including some rough drafts of the lyrics along the way . After conceptualizing all the sections of the song , he headed straight to expand the harmonic intricacies and rhythmic patterns on the electone , as well as the 70s electric piano which was a deliberate decision to connect the past to the present . As the song was intended to be versatile enough to be played by the band and small ensembles , he planned for the possibilities of re-arrangement of the song as well . The song was then ported to the computer for digitization .
The Challenge “ How could I create a song that could be close to our identifiable Josephian songs ?” Brandon would ask himself time and again . “ Through celebrating the past , one would come to understand that we are standing upon the shoulders of giants ,” he explains . “ In this case , it was challenging to live up to the well-established songs that the SJI community has loved and sung throughout generations .”
It took a lot of deconstructing , learning , failing and learning again , with the hope that the school community would find the new song pleasing and meaningful , and embrace it along with the existing repertoire of school songs that has united Josephians in the community .
The Musician Brandon considers jazz , soul and classical , the types of music that influence his writing and composition . However , he also creates pop and contemporary compositions as well as orchestral / theatrical music , with his first orchestral music composition starting at the age of 7 .
What accomplishments does he see himself achieving in the next 5 to 10 years ?
“ I hope to share my music to the wider community through performance and composition . Music is the universal language that transcends barriers , and I hope to use this language to bring joy to people around the world . It may be a stretch to say I can achieve performance status within the near future , but perhaps someday I can reach there . Besides music , I am an advocate for the pursuit of scientific knowledge . I hope to be able to embark on a research career in the Pharmaceutical Sciences .”
The Advice When asked for advice for aspiring Josephians who would like to compose a song , Brandon encouraged them to “ follow your heart and follow the heart of the people ”.
“ I would say compose and start somewhere , no matter how ‘ bad ’ you think your music is . Music too at the end of the day is by people and for people , so compose with the motive of sharing your music with the world to make the world just a little brighter . Just keep writing , listening and enjoying the process of discovery !”