It didn't feel like our last concert. They always say, once a RISE member, always a RISE member! Yes.

We played Rossini's William Tell, Borodin's Polovetsian Dances, Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor, and finally Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

Rossini had everyone up and going, and it was a big bang to signal the start of the concert. There were thumbs-up going around after Rossini, and we prepared for Schumann's Piano Concerto.

Jon Lim had the entire piece under his hands as he took up this piece for the second time after Braddel Heights (I think). A great performer with a great piano. Great end to a first-half I'll never forget.

We had the interval, where basically we were going around and wishing all the bests to all the performers.

Polovetsian Dances next, the familiar theme came up about 1/4 into the piece, and everyone started. Bass Drum, Double Bass to give the down beat, and the rising double crotchets to the strings and the rest.

Last but not least, Britten. The strings attaching the Gong to its metal frame snapped before the performance of Britten, and the audience went into an 'aww/hor' sigh. Well, we fixed it, and Sze came on stage to give the audience a majestic experience of the Guide. We started with Purcell's Theme (which never fails to give me goosebumps) and then each section gave its own variation of the theme.

Rounded up the entire thing with the combination of Britten's fugue and Purcell's Theme, to give an open-string D-A ending for cellos, which allowed us to leave the notes to vaporize into the air.

For encores, we played Mozart's overture to the Magic Flute. And then we played Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations .

And lastly we played the Fugue of Britten's Guide again.

After that we went home.

Camp next week.

Yum.