The Oldt School Songs and the Oldt School Ties

The Last Assembly at RI Bras Basah Road

We, old Rafflesians, always cherish the school songs we sang at the Thursday assemblies as well as the weekly music lessons we received during the lower secondary classes.

Sec 3B Science had our music lessons every Wednesday before recess at the School Hall together with other Sec 3 classes. The lessons were taught by Mr George Sobreilo the asst Principal and sometimes by Mr David Lim, the Inspector of Schools for Music sent by the Ministry of Education. The School published a yellow coloured notebook which had a list of more than 150 songs and we all had to buy this RI songbook like a textbook. We sang those songs in turn during assembly and at every event.

We had to sit on the floor of the school hall which was quite disconcerting because we wore white shorts and invariably these shorts would be dirty with dust. Many of us were from poor families and cannot afford to have uniforms laundered every day, so we came to school with dirty behinds. Still, we enjoyed these music lessons and remembered the old school songs which, even 40 years later, many would sing and remembered the lyrics.

The weekly School assemblies on Thursdays involved the whole afternoon school from Sec 1-3 and this carried on when we were in the morning sessions too. It remains our firm belief that these assemblies and the music lessons helped fostered a kindred spirit, the Rafflesian Spirit, that lasted even after we left school. It made us proud of Raffles Institution, our Alma Mater, and it built strong old school ties amongst all of us. To this day we kept in touch with each other through IT applications such as ‘Telegram’.

During these assemblies we would hear speeches, announcements, sing school songs and always end with the School Anthem, Auspicium Melioris Aevi. In fact our Sec 3B Science classmates, Chen Wen would be the student pianist for the School Anthem.

Auspicium Melioris Aevi, was composed by Mr Benjamin Khoo, Inspector of Schools (Music) and the lyrics written by our Principal, Mr. E W Jesudason. The music is very stirring; in fact martial and the lyrics uplifting. To this day, we can all sing the School song by heart and do so always at our old boys’ gathering.

When Stamford Raffles held the torch that cast Promethean flame

We face the challenge of the day to give our School a name

The eagle eye and gryphon strength that led us to the fore

To reign supreme in every sphere, the sons of Singapore

Come heed the call Rafflesians all and led our hearts be stirring

We’ll do our best whate’er the test to keep our colours flying

Let comradeship and fervent hope with one voice let us pray,

Auspicium Melioris Aevi with God to guide our way!

We sang the School anthem and RI songs almost like they were propaganda songs. One very heart warming song is the Race is Run (sung to the tune of O Danny Boy) which celebrates sportsmanship. It was sung at the Sports Day and nearly every sports competition. Old tunes were given new lyrics by Mr Jesudason. Another example is "I lave to sing and RI song" sung to the tune of the Happy Wanderer.

We sang old familiar classic like My Grandfather’s Clock, The Ash Grove, Old Folks at Home, Waktu Fajar, Planting Rice and others. We sang songs in Malay, Chinese and Tamil. When we were in Malaysia, 1963-65 we sang Malaysian national songs, Malaysia Berjaya, Tanah Malaysia. We even sang Thai songs of which the most famous was Loy Krathong. Tahale Selamat remembered that we sang a Jewish song Zum Gali Gali. 

Chen Wen even kept his copy of the songbook as noted in the picture after 55 years! In the foreword of this songbook, Principal Jesudason underscored his wishes that the Rafflesian Spirit would be engendered by the singing of these community songs. He wrote "The community spirit which is so important in a school can be inculcated in several ways, but the most enjoyable way of doing it is by singing together." He was so right.

John Yap our cohort who joined RI in 1968 in Pre U Sc F was and still is very keen about singing the school songs. John said that he was roped in by Lee Fong Seng to conduct the School Anthem at every assembly. His favourite songs are Waltzing Matilda and Chan Mali Chan. John produced a PDF version which we use for our ex-classmates gatherings. 

Poh Seng said "We were lucky to have George Sobrielo as our music teacher. He taught us how to read simple music notes. One of our friends, the late Chen Yin Fei in Sec 3 taught me how to link the harmonica to the music score. My first song played on the Harmonica was “Majulah Singapura”. The reason was that somehow, “Majulah Singapura” music score was the only one that I had. Later on I went on to play the harmonica by hearing without any music score."

Many of us remembered that there was an annual Talentime. Lui Nam Chuen said that he took part in the talentime representing Sec 2C. David Lim our music teacher gave him two extra half-hour lessons in singing. Mr Puhaindran chose Cheong Kah Meng because he got Elvis curry puff side hair and sideburns patched with sparkling Tancho hair-gel. Kah Meng asked for a partner and Chek Tong nominated Nam Chuen. They chose the Elvis Presley song, 'No More' with Edward Tan as their guitarist. Unfortunately they got butted out after the first heats.

The National Anthem, Majulah Singapura was sung during the flag raising and lowering ceremonies. This RI tradition of singing school songs was a forerunner of the Singapore National Songs now introduced at the National Day.

Contributed by Lionel, Poh Seng, Nam Chuen, Tahale, John Yap and Chen Wen