Gamelan

BPGHS is one of the very few secondary schools in Singapore that offers Gamelan Ensemble as a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA).

CCA day and time:
Wednesdays, 4.00pm to 6.00pm. Additional days (when necessary): Mondays/Fridays/ Saturdays.

Our history:
The ensemble was first set up in 2003 as a niche activity for students offering the Elective Malay for Secondary Schools (EMAS) Programme. Later, the ensemble opened to all students as one of the school’s CCA groups. In 2005, the ensemble participated in its first Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentation as a CCA group.

Gamelan instruments:
Gamelan instruments may be tuned to the scale of slendro (in which the octave is divided into five tones roughly equidistant) or to pelog (a scale consisting of seven notes of varying intervals of which five are given principal stress). At present, BPGHS Gamelan ensemble uses the set of instruments tuned to the slendro scale.

The notes of the slendro scale can be designated in different ways; one common way is the use of numbers often called by their names in Javanese, especially in a shortened form. There is no 4 in the slendro scale.

Our instructor:
Mr Amran Ahmad has been the person responsible teaching and guiding the members since the ensemble was first set up in 2003. Mr Amran is a qualified engineer who fell in love with Gamelan music while working in Indonesia many years back. His deep passion for Gamelan music motivated him to attend numerous courses and workshops conducted by established artistic organisations in Indonesia. At present, Mr Amran is active in conducting Gamelan music programmes in educational institutions. He is also an active member of a Gamelan performing group that performs in local events and outside Singapore.

Our activities:
The ensemble participates in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentations, which is organised by the CCA Branch, MOE, biannually. The ensemble also performed in outreach activities organised by the MOE, Community Clubs and other organisations.

Our achievements:
SYF Arts Presentation
2005 : Bronze award
2007 : Bronze award
2009 : Silver award
2011 : Silver award
2013 : Gold award
2015 : Certificate of Accomplishment
2017 : Certificate of Accomplishment
2019 : Certificate of Distinction
2021 : Certificate of Distinction
2023 : Certificate of Accomplishment
2025: Certificate of Accomplishment