GOOD LUCK: Members of the school board (centre, behind banner) together with Ting (twelfth right) in a group photo with CH Band.
MIRI: Malaysia’s very own world-class brass band — SMK Chung Hua Miri Brass Band (CH Band) is confident of competing against 20 other foreign bands from around the world in the World Marching Band Competition 2012, in Hong Kong from June 30 to July 2.
It’s manager, Susan Soh, while thanking everyone for helping to make their trip a reality, assured that the band shall do their very best to bring fame, glory to the school and country.
“The band thanked everyone involved in advance for the persistent commitment contributed,” she told The Borneo Post recently.
The brass band had just emerged champion yesterday at the state-level inter-school brass band competition, and on June 3 in Kuala Lumpur, they again did Sarawak proud when they emerged overall champion in the 2012 SOX All Stars Dance. Drum. Hoops Competition.
Among their past international achievement were winning an award in the Music Festival Championship in Guilianova, Italy in 2007 and the overall ‘Hercules Award’ and the ‘Most Popular Band Group Prize’ in Murcia, Spain in 2009.
Susan Soh said a section of the 85 musicians (42 boys and 43 girls) accompanied by six teachers and 110 parents and siblings left today for Brunei before proceeding to Hong Kong on June 28.
The brass band has been invited by Hong Kong (in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to mainland china) to represent Malaysia in the World Marching Band Competition 2012.
Susan added that the contest would start off with an international street parade on the evening of June 30 in celebration of the anniversary and it will be telecast live.
The Drum Battle Contest will be on July 1 with the finals on July 2 together with the International Show Band Competition. SMK Chung Hua Miri will participate in all three events.
Meanwhile, Datuk Sebastian Ting — the political secretary to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water on behalf of his minister handed over a government grant of RM6,000 to the school band to help finance their trip to Hong Kong yesterday.
“Indeed we are very proud because Chung Hua, Miri was the first school in Malaysia to be invited by the Hong Kong government to participate in the marching competition.
“It is an honour for this school, and I congratulate the school — the teachers, board members, the students especially and their parents who always support their children to practise and participate in the band training, though they will only perform for 12 minutes but actually, the whole process of training I understand took six months so there is a lot of sacrifice,” he said when asked to comment by The Borneo Post.
Ting hoped that parents will continue to encourage their children to be active in such co-curricular activities adding that it was a very healthy exercise. More importantly, he said the students and teachers were representing Malaysia as ambassadors for the country.