On 5 August 2017, St. George's School proudly celebrated 80 years of history in spectacular fashion at the Indera Sumudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei.
The night began with great anticipation. As students, parents and alumni made their way into the reception area, they were greeted with displays of timeworn black-and-white snaps gradually leading up to vibrant splashes of coloured photographs. It was a fitting tribute to the theme of the night: celebrating the past and shaping the future.
Once all the dinner guests had been led to their respective tables, their attention was turned to the screen on stage as the lights dimmed. Though he could not be present on the night itself, the president of the school, His Excellency The Right Reverend Bishop Cornelius Sim, shared a few words about the early years of the school in a video presentation, highlighting the humble beginnings and earnest aspirations of the school's founding father. This was followed by speeches from the chairman, Mr. Anthony Liew, and school principal, Mr. Janidi Jingan, respectively who both took the opportunity to congratulate everyone involved in ensuring the success of the night and to extend thanks to the sponsors for their generosity. Special mention of thanks were also extended to those taking part in the celebration. The event was then officiated by a cake cutting ceremony led by the chairman, principal, heads of sections and other staff.
It was then time for the performers to take the stage. First in line was a stunning duet performance by school teachers, Melanie Grace and Lilibeth G Dado, who belted out strong renditions of well-loved numbers. This was followed by a parade of traditional dances performed by students of the school. The dances were a grand demonstration of the multicultural wealth that have defined the school since its beginnings, paying tribute to Chinese, Malays, Indians, Filipinos, Nepalese and Indigenous Ethnic races that make up the student population. Once the dance concluded, dinner was served and the audience settled in for a unique dining experience with exciting interludes of lucky draws and performances by guest artists Chris Carvalho, Annabelle Pei Pei and Kala Karwanamurthi.
When the students took the stage again, it began with a medley of dancers that boogied their way from the rocking sixties to the break-dancing hiphop of the noughties; further homage to the evolution of the school through the various decades. Following this was a display of vocal prowess from both choral and individual student performances. The event drew to a close with the grand draw that saw one very lucky audience member walking away with the grand prize of a Samsung UHD 50" TV.
With the celebration coming to the end, all performers came swinging back on stage in a magnificent show of solidarity for one final song. Those who could not fit on stage spilled out onto the dining area where they swayed side by side without missing a beat, successfully ending the night on a high note.
Months of hard work and preparations had been awarded with a memorable evening that no doubt solidified a strong future and continued support for St. George's School.
*Check out this media gallery: Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2 | Documentary Video | Programme Booklet