8th edition of SSO’s annual concert presents a symphony of resilience, memory, and dreams to mark nation’s 60th birthday.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s National Day Concert, supported by Temasek Foundation, is always a celebratory affair. But on the occasion of Singapore’s 60th anniversary, it strives to become a portrait of our country, establishing us as a nation of many languages, many rhythms, many stories. From the delicate layering of Malay pantuns to the soaring sweep of orchestral dawn, from playground games to cosmic voyages, the evening captured what it means to live in a place where past and future, East and West, seriousness and play all sit together in harmony.

But before the celebrations began, there was a moment of silence, in the form of a minute, held for the late Choo Hoey, the SSO’s founding music director who had passed just the day before. In the quiet of the Esplanade Concert Hall, that was a resounding pause nation’s musical heartbeat pausing in grief, before resuming with renewed determination. Host Priscilla Fong, in a radiant red suit, steered us warmly into the festivities, her presence amplified by Singapore Sign Language interpretation. Inclusivity, for the SSO, goes beyond obligation, and is easily woven into even the performance itself, with Lily Goh, a deaf artist-performer, clad in a red dress as she signs the music itself, helping the deaf interpret the sounds, as well as providing emotional, expressive visuals for the entire concert hall, ensuring that the language of music now truly belongs to everyone.

The concert began with the world premiere of Kiau Nam by Izharul Haq, rooted in the history of Qiaonan Primary School, which he attended. Its tale of teachers lowering their own salaries to keep the school alive mirrored Singapore’s own narrative of resilience: ordinary people carrying each other through extraordinary times, and the sense of community, pulling through all obstacles. But from hardship we moved to play, as Tan Yuting’s Chapteh: Take Flight! sparkled like the feathered toy it was inspired by, with the music bouncing, uplifting, and daring us to keep it aloft. It was both whimsical and profound: the act of persistence disguised as play.

Eudenice Palaruan’s Peribahasa then wove Malay pantuns into music. Supported by the Singapore Symphony Choir, reading the lyrics, they initially feel deceptively childlike, whether about kopi susu or about fish. With the orchestra elevating these verses, it reveals moral truths about patience, fidelity, and community. The choral textures shimmered with layered meaning, much like Singapore itself, where everyday phrases carry centuries of wisdom, and if we look a little closer, we might find more profundity in the most ordinary of experiences.

The first half closed with Tan Chan Boon’s Dawn for Violin and Orchestra, accompanied by violinist Jonathan Ong, who was given a chance to speak about his time playing for the Verona Quartet, and certainly, a beacon of pride for Singapore’s music scene. And shine he did in the performance, as the work rose from solemnity to luminosity. Accompanied by a slideshow of archival images of the SSO’s journey over the years, it felt like both a personal testament and a national one, Singapore’s dawn as a promise renewed.

Following the intermission, the second half opened with Kam Kee Yong’s Fantasia of Insects, a playful menagerie where the music allowed us to imagine these creatures crawling, marching, and taking flight, zooming us into a microscopic world of buzzing life. And from earth to sky, the night then launched into Chok Kerong’s Through the Nebula, a dazzling world premiere for saxophone, featuring Lin Chien-Kwan. Its brass fanfares and cosmic swells were pure cinema, where we imagine a rocket-blast into outer space, shimmering with discovery and danger as we go on a tour of the planets, reminding us that Singapore too has always been about venturing beyond comfort zones.

Then came the emotional centerpiece and highlight of the concert: Between Two Worlds, also a world premiere, as arranged by Chok Kerong. Here, local indie darling Charlie Lim’s introspective Into Dreams and Room at the Table folded seamlessly into Dick Lee’s iconic Home, with all three interpolated well. Lim’s fragile, aching vocals against the combined power of both orchestra and choir felt almost like one person speaking out loud in the middle of a crowd, a sense of vulnerability and pure emotion, utterly human. When the music swelled into Home, the hall seemed to breathe together, united in anticipation of the same song.

At this point, vocalist Syakirah Noble entered to open Home, showcasing technical brilliance and vocal acrobatics. Often however, these were overwhelming, and focused more on spectacle than the true power of Dick Lee’s classic – in its raw emotion and sense of pride, contrasted even more when both Syakirah and Charlie sang the chorus in unison. As the night drew to a close, Syakirah also took on the task of singing Majulah Singapura, with the entire hall rising to show our respect for our national anthem.

As we gathered to restate our shared conviction, we felt the gravity of one people standing together, with the anthem’s essential power in a call to unity. And so with this edition of the SSO National Day Concert, it was fascinating how conductor Joshua Tan has curated the sheer variety of pieces, showcasing Singapore in its smallest and grandest of moments, all these facets making up a beautiful whole. Joshua also spoke of how he has strong links with so many SSO members over the years, of the violin teachers that have taught many a musician, and who continue to share that knowledge with new generations of students, and highlights how tightly interconnected we all are.

With Singapore at 60, we are not a single melody, but a layering of many. Sometimes those voices blend, sometimes they clash, but together they form something recognisably ours, and perhaps will indeed one day not just be an economic power, but also, a cultural hub for the world to revel in and respect.

Photo Credit: Singapore Symphony Orchestra

National Day Concert 2025 played at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 16th August 2025. More information available here