Be part of a virtual choir at this year’s NDP

SINGAPORE: You can be part of a virtual choir at this year’s National Day Parade, with the "LovingSG: One Heart, One Voice" project.

You don’t need a beautiful voice to express yourself on National Day.

For the children from the Singapore School for the Deaf, using sign language to sing the National Anthem is something they do everyday.

And now they’re making a video to be part of a virtual choir that will be played at this year’s National Day Parade.

Sharriffah Faaiqah, 11, student at the Singapore School for the Deaf, said: "I feel very proud and happy to be part of this choir, and my message to Singaporeans is to keep Singapore clean and green."

Ryan Cheaw, 11, another student at the school, said: "National Day is Singapore’s birthday and I am happy to celebrate it with other Singaporeans."

However, getting them ready for their big moment was hard work.

Barbara D’cotta, teacher at the Singapore School for the Deaf, said: "Trying to sing the national anthem in English rather than in Malay (was a challenge). In my mind it was going on in Malay but I had to mouth in English because the children would be mouthing what I’m mouthing — in voicing out, so that was a challenge because I was torn between the two languages."

Lt Col Ng Sin Ain, chairman, Branding & Publicity, Engagement Committee, NDP 2012, said: "Musical expression is one very powerful way to unite everybody. (The) virtual choir as a form of our ’LovingSG: One Heart, One Voice’, allows us to do this musical expression and all Singaporeans can participate."

The "LovingSG: One Heart, One Voice" project encourages all Singaporeans at home and overseas to come together and express their love for Singapore as one nation, one voice.

Singaporeans can participate by submitting video recordings of themselves singing the national anthem. These clips will be spliced together to form Singapore’s first virtual choir, which will premiere during the National Day Parade on August 9.

From May 30 to July 8, Singaporeans are invited to upload their clips on the official

NDP website

.

The clips will be put together by music conductor Darrell Ang and film—maker Royston Tan.

All participants in the project will receive e—tokens, which can be accumulated and exchanged for souvenirs at

www.imobble.com/ndp2012

.

— CNA/cc