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Stellar singing at the Singapore International Choral Festival
The Straits Times
|July 28, 2025
The Singapore International Choral Festival (SICF), now in its ninth edition, opened with an hour-long concert presented by the 40 singers of ONE Chamber Choir led by director Lim Ai Hooi and five-member yIN Harmony, an ensemble of Asian traditional instruments helmed by bansuri virtuoso and Cultural Medallion recipient Ghanavenothan Retnam.
CONCERT
9TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL Opening Concert Victoria Concert Hall July 23
4TH Asia Choral Grand Prix Victoria Concert Hall July 24
Hundreds of foreign singers and delegates in attendance were treated to an all-Singapore musical experience. Popular National Day Parade staples such as Singapura were aired, as were songs in the four official national languages — Malay (Dayung Sampan), Tamil (Munnaeru Vaalibaa), Chinese (Rose, Rose, I Love You) and English.
In addition, there were solos and dances by singers dressed in sari, cheongsam and kopitiam attire. The strong and abiding message was diversity and cultural appreciation being encouraged in Singapore.
The Asia Choral Grand Prix the following evening pitted five choirs — winners of five international choral competitions held in the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore in 2024 in search for the creme de la creme.
This story is from the July 28, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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