On their way to making a big impact

Singapore

AS the time draws near for Sing50, the concert celebrating local music organised by The Business Times and The Straits Times, the biggest challenge at rehearsals has been to get more than 1,200 singers and instrumentalists performing in perfect harmony for its grand finale.

On Aug 7 at the National Stadium, acclaimed conductor Chan Tze Law will lead a 100-strong Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, a 10-member rhythm band and a contingent of 51 pianists that includes international star Lang Lang.

Meanwhile, the mass choir comprising 1,064 members will sing several of Singapore's favourite melodies and lend back-up vocals to the country's biggest stars such as Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Dick Lee, Rahimah Rahim and Jacintha.

Rehearsing the musicians at Tanglin Trust School over the weekend, Prof Chan said: "The challenge is to be able to keep everyone together on the very large specially built concert stage. To achieve this, we have been conducting sectional rehearsals, led by professional pianists, and conductor Dr Leonard Tan, to help all the pianists get used to playing with one another."

Music for the finale has been composed by Indra Ismail, brother of the late Iskandar Ismail, while Sing50's overall music director is Kenn C.

The final effect will no doubt be jaw-dropping, particularly when reigning pop princess Sun takes to the stage to trill her biggest hits with the orchestra - a first for the singer. She said: "I've never sung with a full orchestra, so I'm really, really excited. It's also special because my segment has been arranged by Ricky Ho."

Ho is an award-winning music composer who's worked with legendary crooners such as Teresa Teng, Alan Tam, A-Mei and Tracy Huang who, incidentally, is also singing in the concert.

Francis Liew, the mass choir conductor, has decades of experience conducting choirs. But he has never worked with a choir as large as this. He said: "The largest I've ever had was 700. But for Sing50, we have 1,064 members - which breaks my record by 384. We have singers as young as seven and as old as 75, from amateurs to accomplished singers. So we've been practising hard to get everyone singing as one."

Putting scale and ambition aside, however, Sing50's celebration of local music has more importantly been a transformative experience for hundreds of young singers and pianists, who said they are being exposed to the country's rich musical heritage for the first time.

Brandon Chai, an 11-year-old Woodlands Primary School singer, said: "I find the music very different from what I usually listen to. But I feel very honoured that I get to sing these songs written by Singapore's greatest musicians. I think my favourite number among all of them is Singai Naadu, a Tamil song by Shabir. I don't understand Tamil, but the words sound beautiful and the melody is so uplifting."

His schoolmate Amisha Mahalik agreed, saying: "Even my parents aren't familiar with some of these songs. So we listen to them together while I learn to sing them."

As part of the Sing50-Mapletree Charity Online Drive, Sing50 tickets are available for a donation of S$20 each. Net proceeds will go to The Business Times Budding Artists Fund and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund. Purchase these tickets online at sportshubtix.sg