I was thrilled to score an audition with the Singapore Symphony Chorus. I'd seen them perform a number of times and I thought it would be terribly prestigious to be able to say I was part of the SSC.
So I went for tryouts. The person-in-charge said I should just go and join them (informal audition maybe?) for a practice session before deciding if it was for me. I didn't understand what she meant by that, but I went anyway.
It was a cool evening as I made my way to the Victoria Concert Hall. It had been closed for some time while renovations were carried out. And the chorus had been practising here and there and everywhere meanwhile. This was to be the 2nd Monday that they'd be back "home".
Full of anticipation, I approached the security desk. Er, my name wasn't there. Great. Called the person-in- charge. No answer. Sheesh. What kind of operation do they run? Texted her - she replied that she was on the way and I was early. True, true. So I said I'd find a place to wait and could she let me know when she got there. Then I hopped to the Arts House across a little lane where there were seats. And shelter.
It turns out that the person I saw loitering there a few minutes after I had gone to sit was the lady I spoke to had been texting. She sent someone over to where I was sitting to ask if I was me. Hi, I say. Are you person A? No, I'm person B, she replied, I help person A. She's over there.
I was a little confused. She had been standing around at the front of the security desk and could have called or texted (since that was her preferred mode of communication) to let me know she had arrived. But instead I watched them la-di-da like school girls for a good 10 minutes before she got her "assistant" to come over to ask if I was me.
Ok. Fine. I got up to the hall. No one was talking to anyone else. It was as if everybody was new to the group. I couldn't be more friendly if I tried. I introduced myself to at least 3 people. Every one of which had no clue how to carry on a conversation. Turned out the newbies were the ones looking around and smiling at the people around us, and the existing members were the ones doing their own thing on their mobile devices.
What the? These people aren't friends with each other. They're all loner types.
That explains the total silence in the elevator getting up there. Tsk. To think that I made the mistake of assuming all the shy, quiet ones were newbies.
The bottom line is that it was an awful affair. The conductor didn't know the choir (are you a bass? tenor? where are my basses?); the choir didn't care about new people in their ranks; the person-in-charge seemed to only handle administrative things so she had nothing to do with choir rehearsals proper; no one talked to anyone else; it was just a cold, dead place.
I'm amazed that the SSC managed to survive for such a long time considering there was no evidence synergy, no sense of camaraderie, no togetherness.
As I was leaving (I was waiting for the lift, where at least 10 others were also waiting in total silence, like a bunch of strangers at a mall) Ms-Person-in-Charge asks : did you have any problems following along? Nope, I said. Oh, so will we be seeing you again next week?
That was telling. They must not get a lot of repeat visitors, huh?
Well, I told her I'd think about it, but by the time I got home that night, I had made up my mind. No, sorry, you won't be seeing me again next week. Or ever.
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| This is NOT what they looked like. |
