Malay College Kuala Kangsar is renowned for producing leaders for the country. But does anyone know that these potential leaders were not only academically produced in classrooms and labs but went through one crucible that never fails to bring out the best in them? That crucible is the CONCERT.

                     The MCKK Concert was easily the most important event of the year for any budak kolej; he did not regard his final exams as the most important, a necessary evil perhaps. But college concerts were where he got to participate on stage either as musician, singer, MC, actor or if all else was beyond his talent, as a prop or sanctuary holding the spears to guard the palace.

                     The idea was to be on stage in a live performance and to be seen by his fellow brothers, teachers, Headmaster and most critically, his parents and the outside audience. For the concert was the moment to showcase one’s talent, and missing out meant a part of college existence was not in place. Many a singer were spawned from the KK Open Talentime and Concerts, names such as Shagul Hamid, JAGS 5 and Fauzi Samad.

                     College concerts were for the brave and the daring: how else could one describe the temerity of our batchmates performing the uptempo Jewish number, Hava Nagila, while wearing sejadah as sashes? Perkasa would have puked and heads would have rolled had that number been performed in the here and now, and not in the placid 70s.

                     Concerts bring out the humorous even in staid collegians: try to envision Zamani Kassim with his ‘More Salt’ interlude which involved his face appearing, tongue out, from behind the curtain each time the magic wand was waved the other way? ‘More salt’ related to a skit where someone was being boiled by cannibals and the chief of the savages was demanding for more salt to be added for taste.

                     In sum, concerts allowed us all to let our hair down after struggling to understand the physics, maths and literature that we had had to regurgitate in the exam hall after a frenetic last minute study.

THE most useful lesson I learnt in Kolet was participating and organising the concerts. It had everthing. Dealing with bureaucracy, handling prima donnas with inflated egos, budgets, time management, delivering something people will pay to see, confidence in facing an audience, coordination, sense of "timing" (crucial in life), the art of presenting and the importance of practice.

                     We learnt to instil the confidence of all concerned that we would deliver the goods. There was never a thought about failing. All those lessons has put me in good stead throughout my life's journey. Now that I can afford to look back, I am convinced that those "lessons"were so important to me.

ON stage, he was the king. Crooner par excellence, Vic was our mainstay as far as kolej concerts were concerned. Seen here in bandana and Arabian-themed costume fully absorbed in his vocal delivery.

                     In regard to concerts, when gaps appeared in between the plays or musical performances, interludes were inserted. These fillers were short stints meant to humor, and one such interlude was as follows: Shuk and Awang Basir strolled onto the Hargreaves Hall stage during a Form V concert, each armed with a box guitar. After taking positions, they started ‘playing’ and ‘singing’, except that it was a soundless performance. The crowd waited in anticipation and got restless when nothing was heard. A shout came: ‘Oi budak Form V, bisu ka!’

                     Then Idrus came on stage with a microphone. He looked out far into the now agitated crowd and announced: ‘That ladies and gentlemen, was a true rendition of the Sound of Silence’.

                     Julius Scissors was a parody on Shakespeare’s play. Co directed by Ben and Idrus, it starred TK, Rashidi, Idrus, Ben, Zin and a host of others including the sentry seen here holding the spear. This was the melodramatic moment when TK saved the day: somewhere in the middle of this play, someone accidentally knocked on a Roman pillar which tottered dangerously. Exercising prescient presence of mind, TK in toga grabbed the pillar with both arms and kept it on an even keel. This sent the crowd howling with laughter and relief, little knowing that it was never part of the script!

                     Our batch dominated the singing competition which started off in 1967 with Vic winning number ‘More’, then Form II with Omar Ahmad’s ‘Am I that easy to forget’, followed by a joint-winner Mahar tying with Fauzi Samad, with the latter subsequently awarded the trophy. Mahar won it the following year with "Wonderland by Night", and TK rounded it up in Form V with "Spanish Eyes".

                     Anyone remember Yeop the KK barber (whose father Pak Arshad ran the canteen with the diluted kicap)? He took part in one talentime competition and was out of key in the opening line of ‘Cincin Emas’. Suddenly he stopped, telling the band ‘hoppp, stop encik stop’, and instructed it to start again. That cost him points but it was entertaining nonetheless.

                     Our vocal prowess was not confined to singing only. Suhaili Idrus aka Imam Bonjol was juara tilawah al Quran for three years.