Band of Brothers

I came home from school one day and immediately picked up and played the toy drum of my younger brothers. I was trying to simulate the drum rhythm of the school marching band, which I had just watched practising in the school assembly yard. It was a moment of sheer inspiration.

The following year, when I entered secondary two, I immediately signed in to join the military band of St Joseph’s Institution (SJI). I was assigned to be a clarinetist. Soon came a surprise.

The Surprise

The training in the band would include some basic firearms training. When I told her, my mother was quite concerned. But I was thrilled. In my 4 years with the band, I had the chance to fire the 0.22 calibre rifle and the larger calibre 0.303 Lee-Enfield rifle.  

The weapon training was largely a military legacy of SJI. In the 1950s, teachers who were officers even carry side arms (revolvers) during school cadet corps activities. SJI military band had been part of the school cadet corps, hence the “military” in its name. I remember way back in the late 1950s when I was in a St Joseph’s Afternoon School (at Thomson Road), that one day the school headmaster and the chief clerk, both locals, came to work in British military uniform. The headmaster must have been more senior in rank as he had a leather shoulder strap worn across the chest.

Pride in the Uniform

In the band, we had three types of uniforms. The kaki parade uniform, the green field training uniform (with jungle boots and caps), and the immaculate white ceremonial uniform. The ceremonial uniforms were made in a tailor shop at Depot Road, which served the British forces in Singapore.

The training in music was most memorable. We learned to playing as a band and when marching in changing formation.

As most of us in the band were “music illiterate”, we mostly used the numbered musical notation system. We had no professional instructors; we relied on mutual learning with senior band members teaching the junior ones.

We had quite a wide repertoire of marches, and a few popular songs as well. Most distinctive was our school march, the Josephian March. It was composed by Francis Allendro Undasan, father of band Drum-major, Vincent Undasan.

We performed at school events (e.g. Sports Day), at special events (e.g. the opening of a new wing at Mount Alvernia Hospital by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1965), and at National Day parades.

“Playing” in the rain

In 1968, at the national day parade, it rained cats and dogs while we were marching through the streets. We were drenched, but continued to march and played our instruments even as they become increasingly muffled. Subsequently, the school spent hundreds of dollars to replace the damaged skins of drums and the key paddings of all our woodwind instruments.

The then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had decided that the parade would go on despite the rain; he even waved off the offer of an umbrella. He was a firm believer that Singapore should be a “rugged society”.

Decades later, we learned that our Prime Minister today, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, was also marching in the same parade in the downpour.  He was then a clarinet player in the Catholic High school band.

That was my last national parade as an SJI bandsman. In later years, I still marched at ND parades, first as a Police NS officer; I was enlisted and assigned police patrol duties while still in school. And later, after I graduated from university, as a Singapore Armed Forces NS officer cadet. But none of those parades is as memorable as the ND parade of 1968.

Camaraderie

The camaraderie and friendship that developed in the band is enduring. It was founded on a common passion in music and a journey of hard teamwork to achieve success as a school military band. We were much appreciated and admired by the whole school community.

Upon leaving the school, we went separate ways in diverse professions. We are also globally dispersed …. e.g. in Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. But we are still together in a chat group. We are still our old selves, sharing the same old jokes and teasing one another. In 2019, we had a great Chinese New Year reunion makan.

The glue is our common passion for music and recollection of shared experience in our formative years in school.

Joy of music and friendship

Many of us continue to play a musical instrument or are involved in teaching or guiding music groups, while looking after our grandchildren. Some had picked up musical instruments not associated with a marching band, e.g. double-bass and mandolin.  I have moved on to classical guitar.

Keeping in touch with old friends and playing a musical instrument, or just enjoying music, keeps our mind young and engaged. These are some of the joys of living.

(The photographs in this article are from the 2010 book, “Being Bandsmen – Humble Beginnings of the St. Joseph’s Institution Military Band” by Colin Lai, published by St Joseph’s Institution, and from my personal collection.)

PHOTO GALLERY

Lim Soo Ping

Contributor