Fairfield schools' musical reflects
God's faithfulness
A scene from the musical: Fulfilling the Methodist educational mission among the girls in Telok Ayer Street:
The year was 1888.
By ELSA QUAH and HIA WAN CHING
FAIRFIELD METHODIST
SECONDARY SCHOOL PICTURES
IT
WAS a musical with a difference boasting an original
script and music, and an exciting collaboration between Fairfield
Methodist Secondary School and Fairfield Methodist Primary School.
More importantly, it traced the rich history of Fairfield's 118
years, spanning traumatic global and local instabilities while
reflecting God's unchanging goodness and faithfulness towards
His school.
A Bright New World was first launched as a commemorative book
by Fairfield alumni last year. Having transformed this labour
of love for the theatre, the Fairfield Family - staff, students,
parents, members of the alumni, and well-wishers - gathered at
Victoria Theatre on Aug 17 and 18 to celebrate the milestone event
of "A Bright New World", the musical.
Staff and students were involved in every aspect of the production,
right from publicity to the production of props. Other noteworthy
collaborators included script-writer Raymond Fong, a member of
Wesley Methodist Church, and music composer Hansel Tan, from Trinity
Methodist Church.
Months of intensive rehearsals and preparations paid off as all
three performances enjoyed a resounding success. It was no mean
feat for the young cast, between the ages of 12 and 15, to portray
staff, students, clergy and other famous well-wishers of the school
through the ages.
Especially poignant was their rendition of the scene in the aftermath
of World War II when the school faced the sheer devastation of
the school premises. Neither was it an easy task for the teenagers
to depict the determination of the school leadership trying to
raise funds for the rebuilding with scarce help from the local
government of the 1940s.
Why the fascination with Fairfield's history? The answer is clear:
Fairfield has a compelling story to tell - from1888 when missionary
founder Miss Sophia Blackmore obeyed God's call to start a school
for Chinese girls at Telok Ayer, to 1983, when Fairfield became
the first Methodist school to become co-educational.
Understanding the past was also the key to reaffirming the school's
compass for the future - the Fairfield Story continues to unfold
as one of an established institution that strives to remain steadfast
to its mission of opening bright new worlds to all its students,
in spite of prevailing challenges, and by providing an education
grounded in Christian truths and a loving God.
The students' great efforts were rewarded in the most engaging
and appreciative audiences. A former student, Eugenia Yip, from
the class of 2004, was moved to tears as she was amazed by how
the school managed to pick itself up time after time. She also
began to realise how precious the school was to her.
So many who had come left celebrating the rich heritage of the
school with new understanding and a renewed faith. The memories
of this unique production of "A Bright New World" have
certainly left an indelible impression in the hearts of all who
saw the production, or were involved in it.
Postlude: A month after the musical, the autonomous secondary
school gave thanks to God again for receiving the School Distinction
Award from the Ministry of Education (MOE). This is the second
highest award in the Masterplan of Awards by MOE, and recognises
that the school has put in place well-defined processes that lead
to sustained achievements in student outcomes.
Fairfield Methodist Secondary School is the only secondary school
with the complete range of Special to Normal Technical streams
to receive this prestigious award in 2006.
Elsa Quah is a senior teacher at Fairfield Methodist Secondary
School and Hia Wan Ching is a teacher at the same school.
Editor: Copies of the book, A Bright New World,
are available at $35 each from the General Office, Fairfield Methodist
Secondary School, 102 Dover Road, tel: 6778-8702.