1 June 2025, Sun
Victoria Concert Hall
Look At The World
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHORUSES
Delivering choral excellence since 1980
A premier body for classical choral singing, the Singapore Symphony Choruses comprise the Singapore Symphony Chorus, Singapore Symphony Youth Choir and Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir.
Drawing membership from diverse ages, nationalities and walks of life, our Choruses embody a comprehensive singing ecosystem that nurtures the brilliance of our brightest young talents, inspires youthful passion for the art and celebrates the best of choral excellence!
Scan the QR code and visit our website for more details on audition and training opportunities.
@singaporesymphony
@sgsymphonychorus
@sgsymphonyyouthchoir
@sgsymphonychildrenschoir
1 June 2025, Sun
Victoria Concert Hall
Look At The World
Singapore Symphony Youth & Children’s Choirs
Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster
Ellissa Sayampanathan Assistant Choral Conductor
Low Jinhong piano
Evelyn Handrisanto piano
Claudia Toh Wen Fei clarinet
Killian Lee Muliady tambourine
JOHN RUTTER Look At The World 5 mins
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Herbstlied 3 mins
OLA GJEILO Tundra 4 mins
BÉLA BARTÓK Tavasz (Spring) 3 mins
GEORGE GERSHWIN Summertime 4 mins
arr. Mark Hayes
CHARLES STANFORD The Blue Bird 4 mins
PAUL HINDEMITH La Biche (The Doe) from Six Chansons 2 mins
KELLY TANG The Daffodils 3 mins
GYÖRGY LIGETI Reggel 2 mins Intermission 20 mins
TRADITIONAL Niška Banja 3 mins
arr. Nick Page
TRADITIONAL Sakura Sakura 6 mins
arr. Dwight Okamura
VICTOR PARANJOTI Dravidian Dithyramb 2 mins
ZECHARIAH GOH Four Tones 5 mins
PIAZZOLLA Libertango 3 mins
arr. Oscar Escalada
EUDENICE PALARUAN Peribahasa 6 mins
Nurturing Choral Brilliance
Established in 2006, the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) is an exciting and unique opportunity for young singers to work alongside the national orchestra and world-class conductors.
Based at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore’s leading children’s choir is dedicated to a holistic training approach that nurtures well-rounded artistic growth, cultivates discipline and confidence, and inspires a lifelong love for music and the arts. More than a choir, the SSCC is a life journey of learning, growth, lasting friendships, and music-making at its best.
SSCC has performed great choral masterpieces under the baton of distinguished conductors such as Lim Yau, Sofi Jeannin and FrançoisXavier Roth, and even shared the stage with critically acclaimed vocal group, The King’s Singers. Most recently, the choir, together with the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir, premiered a treble arrangement of Faure’s Requiem under the direction of world-renowned choral conductor Stephen Layton.
The SSCC’s commitment to musical excellence has enriched generations of singers and audiences, laying the foundation for choral patronage in the local music scene. Along with their fellow choruses, the SSCC is a key player in inspiring young musicians as well as shaping the future of choral music in Singapore and beyond.
Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster
Ellissa Sayampanathan Assistant Choral Conductor
Low Jinhong rehearsal pianist
© Jack Yam
Inspiring Choral Passion
Energetic and full of dynamism, the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC)’s choristers embody a zeal for artistic growth that inspires and pushes boundaries.
Comprised of a myriad of vibrant personalities aged between 17 and 28, the cool collective welcomes like-minded singers to share their journey of youthful passion for symphonic choral music-making, alongside the national orchestra! Performing regularly at the Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade, the SSYC is a group of dedicated singers who enjoy coming together to explore some of the most challenging and beloved choral works across styles and genres.
Since 2016, SSYC has had the privilege of performing under the baton of renowned conductors such as Lan Shui, Hans Graf, and Stephen Layton. Their repertoire boasts of musical highlights including Scriabin’s Prometheus, Puccini’s La Bohème, Tallis’s Why Fumeth in Fight, Faure’s Requiem and recordings of Kozłowski’s Requiem, Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
With the unique opportunity to learn from world renowned musicians and be part of a community that inspires passion, all while creating a professional sound, SSYC is a social journey to reimagine classical music and choral excellence.
Wong Lai Foon Choirmaster
Ellissa Sayampanathan Assistant Choral Conductor
Evelyn Handrisanto rehearsal pianist
© Jack Yam
PERFORMERS
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Lisa Chang
Samuel Chen
Elizabeth Chern
Christian Chew
Chin Yi Hao
Choo Yu En
Chua Jia Le
Deng Handing
Emma Foo
Fu Yuqi
Graciella Gunawan
Nadia Hajadi
Callie Heng
Cloris Ho
Clarita Hutabarat
Joshika Kandasamy
Ropheka Khoo
Giselle Koh
Liew Ying En
Stephanie Lim
Eyzen Lim
Lu Yiche
Lei Nakayasu
Joseph Nyan
Riann Ong
Ong Sze Ying
Ong Wing Hei
Pan Yueling
Kaeshav Rajasekaran
Genevieve Seow
Allysa Tan
Ashley Tan
Brandon Tan
Ashlynn Tan
Caitlin Tan
Emily Tan
Michael Tan
Yuna Tano
Natalie Tay
Shania Tay
Anya Teo
Germaine Teo
Wang Xiangning
Caresse Wisantoso
Joelle Wong
Sophie Wong
Joyce Wu
Gracie Xie
Jessica Xu
Evelyn Xue
Yan Xinni
Yan Yichen
Cammi Yeo
Yu Rahee
Felix Zhang
PERFORMERS
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY YOUTH CHOIR
Soprano
Cham Li Teng
Goh Chen Xi
Jocelyne Harefa
Emily Hia
Rachael Jong
Emma Lee-Goh
Melina Leong
Giselle Lim
Ng Yi Poh
Teryn Rim
Desiree Seng
Tan Caewyn
Carine Tan
Christabelle Tan
Jasmine Towndrow
Raeanne Wong
Shuwen
Chloe Zhou
Alto
Megan Fung
Elizabeth Goh
Trinetra Kumarasan
Zachary Lim
Suri Rao
Elizabeth Yeo
* Guest Singer
Tenor
Hann Lyang
Alfonso Yuji Cortez
Jon Loh*
Low Jinhong*
Stanley Yuan Chenye
Bass
Leonard Buescher
Chai Chang Kai
Chia Chee Ann*
Matthew Chiang
Liu Felix
Loy Sheng Rui
Dominic Tang
Joshua Tan
WONG LAI FOON
Choirmaster
Wong Lai Foon has been a driving force behind the development and growth of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) since its inception in 2006. Appointed Choirmaster in 2015 and armed with a mission to nurture young voices and inspire choral excellence, she led in the expansion of the SSCC’s training programme to include six preparatory ensembles, as well as the formation of the Singapore Symphony Youth Choir (SSYC) in 2016.
With repertoire ranging from Baroque to opera to contemporary and popular music, she has directed the SSCC and SSYC in a wide array of concerts, often receiving praise for the choirs’ beautiful tone and sensitivity. She has prepared the choirs in collaborations with renowned conductors and performers such as Stephen Layton, The King’s Singers, and Sofi Jeanin and la Maîtrise de Radio France. The SSCC has also had the distinction of being invited to perform at state functions.
Wong has commissioned and premiered treble choir works by local composers and has also arranged for the SSCC and SSYC. Her efforts to educate and inspire singers extend into the community through workshops, talks, as well as adjudicator, chorus-master and guestconductor roles. Some ensembles that she has worked with include The Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Singapore Symphony Chorus, Singapore Lyric Opera, Hallelujah Singers, and Methodist Festival Choir. She holds a master’s degree in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College, USA.
ELLISSA
SAYAMPANATHAN
Assistant Choral Conductor
Ellissa Sayampanathan is a Singaporean conductor and music educator who believes in the building of community and music literacy through choral singing. Ellissa assumed the role of Assistant Choral Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in 2024, after serving as the Choral Fellow (Conducting) since 2021. Over these years, Ellissa has been active as an instructor and singer with the SSO’s Choral Programmes, developed the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir’s current musicianship curriculum, and been involved in a variety of other community outreach programmes within the SSO.
Ellissa graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master of Music (Choral Conducting), and studied Music Pedagogy at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét (Hungary). She was a choral scholar with The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, has had the pleasure of traveling extensively with a variety of ensembles as either conductor, workshop clinician, singer, or soloist, and is ever-inspired by the lens of culture and history in music-making. She is grateful to have received mentorship in choral conducting from Stephen Layton, Pad Zoltán, Graham Ross, Geoffrey Webber, and Éva Rozgonyi.
Besides her work at the SSO, Ellissa currently serves as the Vice-President of the Choral Directors’ Association (Singapore), is a Founder and Director of Chroma, a choral collective based in Singapore, and conducts a number of school choirs, including choirs at the Methodist Girls’ School and St. Margaret’s School (Primary). She remains active as a singer in various ensembles, and relishes every opportunity to use her voice in music making. She spends part of her life teaching music in Special Education classrooms, developing and teaching curriculum for a number of preschools, and advocates for the arts to be accessible to all.
PROGRAMME NOTES
The name John Rutter will be recognised by anyone who is slightly familiar with contemporary choral music. Composed in 1996, Look at the World sets words by the composer himself and is intended as an anthem (a standalone piece to be sung at services) for Harvestide, an autumn festival celebrating the beauty of nature and thanking the Creator for the gifts of the earth.
The subject of Nature has always inspired and fascinated composers. Mendelssohn’s Herbstlied (“Autumn Song”) continues the autumnal theme, reflecting on how the fleeting joys of spring and summer give way to the barrenness of winter. Written for high voices and piano, Mendelssohn infuses the music both with a sense of lament for the beauty disappearing and hope for its eventual return. Winter arrives definitively with Ola Gjeilo’s Tundra, evoking the bleak icy Scandinavian winterscapes of the composer’s native Norway. Long held notes depict the broad horizons and melting dissonances conjure up the sharp bite of freezing winds, but always maintaining a sense of grandeur. As the land warms up, Hungarian composer Bartók’s Tavasz (“Spring”) presents a charming view of spring in the Magyar lands, its modal melody reflecting Bartók’s interest in ethnomusicology and documenting the folk music of his region. The text speaks of birds and flowering plants, two important reminders that winter is over and spring is here. The classic Summertime by American jazz composer Gershwin gives us a view of the idyllic life in the American South. Taken from
his 1935 opera Porgy and Bess, it features a black spiritual-like melody that swings above a steady walking bass line, and has become a classic jazz standard.
Anglo-Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford is best known for his church music for the Anglican Church, as well as being the teacher of Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Nevertheless, he also penned seven symphonies still occasionally performed, nine operas that have been largely forgotten, and a wealth of concerti, songs, chamber, and organ works. The Blue Bird, from Eight Part Songs, Op. 115 (1910), strikingly paints the picture of a bird (the treble solo) soaring above the clouds (the choir), the transparent textures of the writing conjuring up the blueness of both the bird and the sky. Bringing us back to earth is Paul Hindemith’s La Biche (“The Doe”) from his Six Chansons. Instead of his native German, he chose to set a French poem by German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and gives us some very modern harmonic progressions—a part of his style that earned him the label of ‘degenerate’ by the Nazi party in the 1930s, leading to his emigration to Switzerland and eventually America, before WW2.
Commissioned by the Singapore Youth Festival in 2006, The Daffodils by Singaporean composer Kelly Tang sets a text by English poet William Wordsworth. Tonal and tuneful, with only occasional chromatic moments, we can almost see the sunshine and bright yellow of the flowers, and the piece
maintains a sense of excitement and childlike wonder, appropriate for treble voices. Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti in 1955 set a pair of texts by Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres, but these were not performed until 1968 in Stockholm, and have become known as Éjszaka és Reggel (Night and Morning). Reggel (and Éjszaka) marked the turning point for Ligeti, as he announced that he was no longer using his earlier compositional style of utilising tone clusters. Perhaps the most striking part of Reggel is the section in which ‘kikeriki ’ is exclaimed repeatedly, symbolising the crowing of the cock at daybreak.
Niška Banja (“The Bath of Niš”) is named for a spa resort in the city of Niš, in Serbia. Niš, though hardly a household name today, was once Roman Naissus, and was the birthplace or residence of several Roman emperors: Constantine the Great was born there. Through the centuries it has been under Roman, Bulgarian, Hungaria, Serbian, and Ottoman rule, leading to a most cosmopolitan and diverse population. The hot springs have been famous since Roman times, and each successive generation has expanded the baths, making the resort a centre for pleasure seekers. Here, Boston-based composer Nick Page sets a Serbian Romani (Gypsy) dance popular through the region, for treble voices and piano. Perhaps as a tribute to his heritage, Japanese-American composer Dwight Okamura arranged the traditional Japanese song Sakura Sakura for a cappella treble voices. Layering the traditional melody with spoken elements and unpitched elements, Okamura manages to blend traditional aesthetics with decidedly modern effects, with the canonic elements and falling
melody evoking the falling cherry blossoms.
Taking us to the Indian subcontinent is Dravidian Dithyramb by Victor Paranjoti. Paranjoti was instrumental in promoting choral music in India in the middle of the 20th century, and an eminent pioneer in synthesizing Eastern and Western musical forms. A dithyramb was an Ancient Greek form, a wild choral hymn dedicated to Dionysus, god of wine, drama, and general merriment, while the Dravidian is a reference to an ethnolinguistic grouping from South India, which includes Tamil (Paranjoti’s native language), Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Nonsense syllables (popular in Persian and Persianinfluenced genres) build into a frenzy, while the melodies, clearly influenced by Indian ragas (modes) weave around each other, leading to a climax. Continuing in Asia, 阴阳 上去 (Four Tones) by Singaporean composer Zechariah Goh creatively illustrates the four tones of Mandarin Chinese, using various Chinese idioms which follow the order of the tones. The work is in two sections, the first describing the beauty and wonder of nature, layering idioms referencing the natural world with animal sounds, while the second is about the strange and wonderful, using idioms about odd behaviours and phenomena. Argentine composer Astor Piazolla takes us to South America with his Libertango Better known as an instrumental piece, this arrangement by Oscar Escalada lets the choir present the sultry smokiness and sensual intimacy of the Argentine tango. While the piece is wordless, the difficult rhythms present quite a technical challenge for the choir.
Notes by Edward C. Yong
PERIBAHASA (PROVERBS)
Text-based on three Malay folk songs
Music and Notes by Eudenice V. Palaruan
This Peribahasa (Proverbs) arrangement incorporates stylistic features such as Asian polyphony and multi-melodic layering in a distinctive gamelan mode. Many passages imitate the gong, and singers are encouraged to utilize a brighter tonal colour than traditional Western vocal production.
The text is based on pantuns, or Malay quatrains. The subtext of the lyrics is figures of speech and symbolism that espouses traditional values and morals. Enjit Enjit Semut
Enjit Enjit Semut
Enjit enjit semut
Siapa sakit naik atas
Marilah kita nyanyi bersama
Berpadusuara nyanyi irama
Enjit enjit semut
nama lagunya
Hidup harmoni kita semua
Kopi Susu
Kopi, susu kurang manis ditambah gula
Badan lesu kerana hati tergoda
Wahai cik adik mengapa bermasam muka
Mari bersama bersama bersukaria
Hilangkan segala duka dan nestapa
Mari kita bergembira
Ikan Kekek
Ikan kekek mak iloi-iloi
Ikan gelamak mak ilia-ilai
Biar lambat asalkan selamat
Tidak lari gunung dihambat
Apa guna kita mencelah
Jaga diri biar sempurna
Janganlah ikut orang yang gila
Kelak kita jadi merana
suggests that when we experience pain and hardship, we transcend beyond our situation and move on. Kopi Susu, the young people are advised not to be anxious when they find their partners. At the same time, they are also warned of lust and excessive desire. Ikan Kekek ’s moral message is to prioritize being steady and calm in adversity. The song encourages maturity and avoiding interfering in other people’s affairs. It also tells us not to follow others, lest we regret the consequences mindlessly.
Pinch the Hand (Contextual translation)
Let’s pinch our hands one on top of the other
Who feels the pain, move your hand to the top
Let us sing together in a rhythmic choir
Pinching the hand is the name of the song Let us live in harmony
Coffee with Milk
Milk coffee is less sweet with added sugar
The body is dull, because the heart is tempted
Oh sister, why are you frowning?
Let’s be happy together
Get rid of sorrow and sadness
Let’s have fun
Fish
Ikan Kekek
Ikan Gelamak
Better to be late so that you are safe
Like how the mountain is not hasty, be as steadfast as a hill
What’s the point of interfering
Guard yourself to be safe
Do not follow foolish people
For you might later regret the outcome
COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER
THE SSCC EXPERIENCE A One Day Choral Workshop
Nurture your child’s vocal brilliance with workshops conducted by the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) conductors! Discover a day in the life of an SSCC chorister through our full-day programme of music-making, learning the basics of rhythm, solfeggio and choral techniques. Workshop participants will get to conclude their experience with an early evening concert at the iconic Victoria Concert Hall, featuring material learnt, and choristers of the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir.
Suitable for children aged 8 (born 2017) to 12
We welcome all including music beginners!
Date: Mon & Tue, 8 & 9 Sep 2025
Time: 9am–6pm
Venue: Victoria Concert Hall
Registration opens on 2 June, and closes on 30 August 2025.
SSCC AUDITIONS
The Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir (SSCC) offers training and performance opportunities to children by developing their vocal technique, music literacy and musicianship, with an aim to help fledgling singers achieve their fullest musical potential. Singing with the SSCC requires discipline and teamwork, which in turn fosters confidence, self-esteem, and helps develop important life skills. Besides our own concerts, the SSCC offers the extraordinary experience of performing monumental choral classics with the combined forces of the Singapore Symphony choruses and orchestra.
Recommended for children aged 8 (born 2017) to 14
We welcome all with and without music background though auditionees aged 11* and above are required to have at least an ABRSM Music Theory Grade 3 and/or Performance Grade 3 or equivalent.
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2025
Time: Timeslots will be allocated by/ upon registration Venue: SNYO Studios
Registration opens on 2 June, and closes on 20 September 2025.
For details, please visit www.sso.org.sg/childrens-choir
SINGAPORE SYMPHONY GROUP ADMINISTRATION
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Kenneth Kwok
DEPUTY CEO, PROGRAMMES & PRODUCTION
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COMMUNITY IMPACT
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Kua Li Leng (Head)
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Choral Programmes
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Free SSO concerts in July
9 Jul 2025 | Wed, 12.30pm
Victoria Concert Hall*
11 Jul 2025 | Fri, 7.30pm
Woodlands Health Campus
SSO Brass Quintet
12 Jul 2025 | Sat, 6pm
Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage
Singapore Botanic Gardens*
Rodolfo Barráez Associate Conductor *
Golden Age of the Organ
27 Jul 2025
Sun, 4pm
Victoria Concert Hall
Boey Jir Shin organ
Singapore Symphony Chorus
Anglican Chamber Ensemble
Musicians of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra
Eudenice Palaruan Choral Director
Elliot Titcombe bass
Han-Na Chang & Leila Josefowicz
1 Aug 2025
Fri, 7.30pm
Esplanade Concert Hall
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Han-Na Chang conductor
Leila Josefowicz violin
PATRON SPONSOR