Ressonnant is #1 in Malaysia !
At long last.
Ms Joaan, the Ressonnantes and I know how badly we suffered in the past decade. We survived eight straight years of defeat and abject humiliation. People would snigger and think they know what would come up next. Whenever they saw the purple uniforms, they would walk the other way. That was how bad we were in the past.
In 2003, we were trained by who is now the sole Chevalier d'Arts et des Lettres in Malaysia - Ms Flavia de Souza. Being a former CBN girl, we reeled Ms Flavia in. We had fun, yes. Even the Académie Française could not give us that much fun. Memories of "cabbages" and "Finding Nemo" still cross my mind. But then, the choirgirls' voices could never change. When my mom came to see us in the competition, she was like, "no doubt, they are out" - and so we were. Yes, these girls were hopeless, or at least, everyone thought so. I wept bitterly; mom told me it was not my fault. But I took the blame - it may not have been the girls' voices which led to their downfall. It could have been me. My timing and lack of simplicity, perhaps ?
2004, when Ms Joaan came to train us, we were not known as Ressonnant yet. We were just another ordinary choir from SMK Convent Bukit Nanas. The girls croaked like frogs (I'd say !) and there seemed to be little hope. But unlike most other trainers, Ms Joaan kept on telling us to do our best (even if sometimes it led to frustration and tension) - ah, plus the hours of skipping class just to train. For the first time ever, we had a taste of the KL State Finals (because there were no preliminaries or semi-finals for that year). There were class acts, there were average teams, and there were... us. 2005 was no better, and there was increased tension for me because I was doing my PMR examination back then.
Then came 2006. I'd say that this is the year the dark cloud of defeat passed us by. The melodious batch of voices came in. Properly auditioned, we trained with proper parts in Dirgahayu and Think of Me/Somewhere over the Rainbow (arranged by yours truly), and dressed like KLCC toilet cleaners, we came in for the 2006 semifinals. The entire hall was shocked to note that we had made it to the KL Finals. Then came our stint in Taman Budaya. We aced that too - and brought abject humiliation to the then reigning team, Victoria Institution. We went to the National Finals for the first time in Tiara Beach Resort, Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan - but we were denied an award ; we were only ranked sixth.
Speaking of KLCC toilet cleaners, I guess we only needed a little more zing to that outfit - we would have complimented them with brooms, pails, mops, rags and bottles of detergent ! *laughs* Lokeetha and Lyana called it the good luck shirt, and many of the alumni got it autographed with permanent markers. Mine's clean; and I wonder what to do with it. Make it a vest, perhaps ? I have the entire outfit - skirt, top and all ! And it still fits me. Only the purple ribbons for my hair are missing.
2007 was my final year in school and I was hoping it wouldn't be my last. I arranged parts for Putra Putri and I Will Follow You/Can't Take My Eyes off You, and we did several projects that year including Bukit Idol, the Grease Musical, the breathtaking Jalur Gemilang in the Independence Day Congress and such. The KL Finals were to be held on the 21st of June - four special days - the summer solstice, World Music Day (Fete de la Musique), St Aloysius Gonzaga's feast day, and our finals. The Lord gave us a well-deserving Fete that day : we were champions again. I enjoyed this Fete not only because I heard good voices and piano arrangements for the first half of the day; I also brought home a crystal trophy - my first trophy where music is concerned. I had several certificates, yes, but not trophies, and getting this meant a lot to me. (You may be wondering what happened to the trophy from Bukit Idol, which Naili and I won - Naili took it home.) And we went all the way to the National Finals in Terengganu, only to be denied an award again - we were fifth. I cried profusely. I knew, from then on I would never be there physically to taste Ressonnant's victory (unless of course, the finals were to be in KL).
Towards my SPM (and after that), I did my last piece of arrangement - Jalur Gemilang (as sung in the Independence Day Congress, yes, the one which made people cry) and Stand By Me/Ain't No Mountain High Enough. The score was incomplete when I handed it over, and Celyn Ng (now in Form 4) completed it for me. Ms Joaan was rockin' ! She gave Ressonnant the best, and again, they marched off to the Nationals. The National Finals were held rather early this time - June 26th. They were to be held in Ipoh. Now, I know that place by heart, but I could not be there because I had classes in college. When Nurin (now in Form 4) sent me an SMS, I promised to be with Ressonnant spiritually.
Lyana, Sabrina and I flushed when we said our bedtime prayers. On the day of the competition, I had no class, and I had to go to Putrajaya Hospital to visit mom. While waiting outside the ICU for Narin and Dad (only two people can enter there at any time), I got an SMS from Celyn. And at that point in time, the first thing I shouted was "Hallelujah, Amen, thank You !" Nurin then sent me a message, then the principal, then Lyana, then Shima and Nur Sabrina. I was overjoyed !!! Now I know that Ressonnantes are rulebreakers : within just one year, they topped the charts. Sweet !
I praise the Lord for today.
Special thanks to Ms Joaan, for believing in us till this year, to the teacher-advisors (Cik Faridah and the other one, I'm not sure who) for being with the students and encouraging them, to Celyn Ng for finishing my incomplete score, to Rebecca Ong for inheriting the legacy of TroisNyx*, to the conductress Celyn for coordinating with the choirgirls, and to all choirgirls - for your training, sacrifice and hours of sweat - I may have gone but you have made my spirit live on. All I did was copyright the score while Celyn finished it for me. I talked to another one of the Ressonnant alumni, Wan Nazhatul Shima - I wondered if I ever did enough. Truly, your win is reward enough for me. Thanks a lot Jesus, and thank you Ressonnant !
Seriously, I wonder if the KL Tower was decked in purple again, just as it was last year when we returned. I will never know for sure. But the girls do. Truly, it took divine intervention, a gutsy drummer girl who loves purple *smiles*, a 16-year-old conductress, a 13-year-old pianist and thirty-odd chorists to bring the house down. Praise the Lord.
P.S. Can all of you add the Ressonnnant MSN and send me the pix and vids of the State and National Finals, please ? And someone gotta take over the site from me ! I am getting redundant !
Allez Ressonnant !!!!!
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