The VOS Fundraiser Programme Booklet

VFUNDRAISER OS

SPECIAL GUEST: MR XIE YAO QUAN

ABOUT

voices of

Voices of Singapore (VOS) is the nation’s largest singing organisation that is transforming lives through the power of music and choral singing. With over 20 singing groups of different styles and genres, VOS is Singapore’s largest singing organisation, touching the lives of over 500,000 people annually through live and virtual projects and festivals.

As an arts charity, VOS programmes are guided by a commitment to artistic excellence and accessibility in the arts. The VOS State Choirs aim to reach the highest levels of choral singing, while the community outreach choirs by VOS extend beyond surface-level engagement to have a meaningful impact on society, reaching various communities such as special needs, elderly, and children-at-risk. Through choral music, individuals are touched, empowered, and find a sense of belonging in a singing community.

VFUNDRAISER OS

Singaporean Composer-Conductor Dr Darius Lim is the Founder and Artistic Director of Voices of Singapore Choral Society & Festival. An internationally published composer (Edition Peters, Walton Music, Muziksea, Pana Musica) and established conductor, he is most known for his unique infusion of lyrical, dramatic, instrumental, and theatrical elements in both the choirs he directs as well as his choral music. His choral works and arrangements have been sung by choirs from all corners of the globe.

His numerous hats in the music industry include Council Member in the Asia Pacific Choral Council, Board Chairman of the World Alliance of Children’s Choirs, and Deputy General-Secretary of the National Instructors & Coaches Association.

Dr Lim is most known for founding the Voices of Singapore Choral Society - one of the country’s leading choral societies with 20 choral singing groups that range from children’s choirs to adult choruses, a professional choir, a special needs choir, and various other ensembles. He also runs the annual Voices of Singapore Festival that brings together more than 10,000 people from all walks of life to sing at the iconic Chijmes Hall.

He was the first Asian choral conductor to graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with a Masters in Choral Conducting (with Distinction) and attained his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

Dr Lim’s interests lie in serving the community through the pursuit of building communities through musical excellence and artistic experiences that would inspire and uplift.

artistic director ABOUT THE

NOTE FROM THE

artistic director

Dearest guests, cherished friends, and esteemed supporters,

As we gather here tonight for the Voices of Singapore’s fundraising concert, my heart is filled with gratitude and joy. Your presence here is a testament to the power of music and its ability to bring people together, to inspire and uplift.

Through these series of concerts, we aim to share with you our passion for singing and our commitment to building a better, more harmonious world. Our mission is more than creating beautiful music. We hope to nurture talent, promote inclusivity and empower communities.

Tonight, we celebrate the achievements of our singers and the impact they have made on the world. We are especially proud of our children’s choir programme, of whom the Concert Group have earned the honour of performing at Carnegie Hall. This is a milestone that speaks to the programme’s efficacy, showcasing the children’s talent and dedication to their craft.

But beyond the stage, our work is driven by a deeper purpose – to use music as a tool for healing, for bridging divides and for creating hope. Through our community outreach programmes, we have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of song, and it is our aim hope to bring this experience to more people and communities.

I am humbled by the generous support we have received from each and every one of you here tonight. Your unwavering belief in our mission inspires us to dream bigger, to aim higher and to strive for excellence in all that we do.

Together, we can create a world where every voice is heard, where every heart is lifted, and where every dream can be realised. Join us in changing lives through song, and let us inspire a singing Singapore that shines brighter than ever before.

Please continue to support us, for without you, we will not be able to do what we do.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Dr Darius Lim Artistic Director

programme

VOSCC CONCERT GROUP

Conductor: Dr Darius Lim, Pianist: Sharon Ham

Our Story by Dr Darius Lim

Youth Medley

细 水长流 by 梁文福 (Liang Wen Fu); 小人物的心声 by 陈伟 联 (Chen Wei Lian), arr. by Dr Darius Lim

Singapura by Van Moring, arr. by Dr Darius Lim

Echoes of the Lost World by Dr Darius Lim withadditionaldoublebassandpercussionbyDamienKee,RichardTer& EugeneToh

STARLIGHT VOICES

Conductor: Tham Pei Wen, Pianist: Serene See Bunga Sayang by Dick Lee, arr. by Dr Darius Lim

VOSCC CONCERT GROUP

Conductor: Dr Darius Lim

Lux Aeterna by Ēriks Ešenvalds

VOS LADIES CHOIR

Conductor: Dr Darius Lim, Pianist: Roe Curie

Impossible Dream

Lyrics by Joe Darion, music by Mitch Leigh, arr. by Jonathan Wikeley

VOS MEN

Conductor: Justin Goh

Somewhere Out There by Barry Mann, James Horner, Cynthia Weil, arr. by Justin Goh

VFUNDRAISER OS

SILVER VOICES (ENGLISH)

Conductor: Josephine Sim, Pianist: Serene See

Enjoy Yourself

Music by Carl Sigman, lyrics by Herb Magidson

VOS COMMUNITY CHORUS, VOS LADIES CHOIR, VOS MEN

Conductor: Chong Wai Lun, Pianist: Rebecca Reavley

State Courts Medley

Power of the Dream by David Foster, Linda Thompson and Babyface; We will Get There by Dick Lee; arr. by Dr Darius Lim

FINALE: ALL CHOIRS

Conductor: Dr Darius Lim

Our Story by Dr Darius Lim

withsoloistsSue-AnnHo,ChooYongHan,MelissaHecker,SebastiniFaith

Celebrate our colours each and every face You are a part of me we embrace

LIM a journey

HELP US INSPIRE A SINGING

Scan or click to donate to Voices of Singapore

VFUNDRAISER OS

SUPPORT OUR WORK.

We believe that music and choral singing should be accessible to all, and your support will help us achieve this. Every dollar makes a difference in our work towards Inspiring a Singing Singapore!

Donate to our various Community Impact Programmes, in partnership with the Orchestra of the Music Makers.

Voices of Singapore is a registered charity (Venture Music Asia Ltd). All cash donations will be eligible to be supported by the Cultural Matching Fund, which doubles the amount of your donation*.

STARLIGHT PROGRAMME

A two-pronged music programme that reaches out to children with special needs. Starlight Voices aims to nurture talented children with special needs chorally, while the Starlight Music-Making programme is an inclusive programme that extends the joy of music to all children.

LET’S SING! PROGRAMME

A choral and music exploratory programme for Beneficiaries from organisations like the Children’s Society who are vulnerable, at-risk or from underprivileged backgrounds. It hopes to build up the confidence of participants and create a community through the shared experience of music-making.

SILVER VOICES

A choral intervention programme for seniors with and without dementia. It seeks to improve seniors’ cognitive functions, emotional and mental health through music participation, and create a community of likeminded music lovers to feel a sense of belonging in their silver years.

our donors

We would like to express our deep gratitude to the following supporters:

CORPORATE PATRON

SUPPORTING CORPORATE DONOR

INCLUSION PARTNER

VOS PATRON

($50,000 and above)

Catherine Tan

Maurine Tsakok

The Oswald-Lim Family

VOS ANGELS

($20,000 and above)

Anonymous

Arshna & Rohet Tolani

PRINCIPAL DONOR

($10,000 and above)

Anonymous

Celeste Lee

Chan Kok Hua

Dr & Mrs Choy Khai Meng

Elaine Teo

Elisabeth De Rothschild

Jennie Tan Whye Chin

Kok Jeok Eng

Michelle Liem

SUPPORTING DONOR

($2,000 and above)

Alyce Chyi Yiing Chong

Anonymous

Benjamin Loh

Bina Rampuria

Bridget Yeo Hecker

Carol Goh

Caroline Goh

Cheah Sui Ling

Chiang Zhan Xiang

Darius Lim

Dominic Khoo Kong Weng

Elisa Carlos

Emily Choo

Han Jiak Siew

Han Soon Lang

Jared Lim

Josephine Sim

Julia Raiskin

Kenneth Chan

Low Sin Leng

Maika Uyen Minh

Mr & Mrs Koh Tien Gui

Rachel Teo

Shiv Puri

Sophie Ana binti Mohamed

Harith Kassim

Sri Prihadi

Tan Shook Wah

Thuraisingam Sellathurai

Tina Cheong (Christina Cheong)

Titus Yeo & KC Lim

Vincent Ong

Yeo Wei Ping Patricia

FRIEND OF VOS ($500 and above)

Anonymous

Brenda Kang

Cynthia Teo

Danny Leung

David Lee

Elizabeth Ng

Emily Ng

Gilbert Lew

Goh Entinne

Hong Hai

Irene Choo

Jason Lee

Jennifer Lewis

Jeremy Tan Yu Jie

Joanne Low

Joyce Chong

Kuik Sing Beng

Leena Christi

Melanie Wong

Melisa Leung

Mr and Mrs Stefan Ho

Mr and Mrs Daniel Tan

Peter Yap

Sudarut Assavanives

Tania Pemberton

Tracy Anne Forster

Tracy Immanuel Yang

Wern Tsai

Wong Teck Jung

Yuri Robinson

performers

VOICES OF SINGAPORE CHILDREN’S CHOIR (VOSCC)

The Voices of Singapore Children’s Choir was formed in 2019 by acclaimed Singaporean Conductor-Composer Darius Lim. Today, the 440-strong children’s choir boasts one of the most comprehensive music choral training programmes on the island with a progressive system of both training and performing choirs. The choir has established connections with renowned children’s choirs, providing exclusive opportunities for singers to be exposed to some of the world’s best masterclasses, exchanges and performances.

STARLIGHT VOICES

Starlight Voices is a choir comprising talents with special needs. It aims to use choral music to inspire these children, and create awareness that choral excellence is not exclusive to neurotypical children. The choir is helmed by Ms Tham Pei Wen, who is passionate about bringing the joy of music to children with special needs. She holds a Masters of Education, as well as a Masters of Arts from the Kodály Institute in Hungary. The choir made its debut at the Presidents’ Star Charity in 2022 and have since been invited to sing at other national-level projects.

VOS LADIES CHOIR

Formally founded in 2014 as VOCO Singapore Ladies Choir by Artistic Director Darius Lim, they are the first independent allfemale choir in Singapore. Consisting of semi-professional singers, musicians, educators and passionate amateurs, the choir joined VOS Choral Society at its inception in 2019 and was since renamed VOS Ladies Choir. In June 2016, the choir embarked on their first international European tour, where they travelled to give concerts in Amsterdam, Krakow, London (England), Great Rissington and Cardiff (Wales). During the tour, the choir was awarded the 2nd Prize in the Chamber Choir category of the 2016 Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition in Krakow, Poland. The choir most recently received the Gold award at the 2021 World Choir Festival.

VOS SILVER VOICES

Silver Voices is an inclusive singing programme for seniors over 50 in our community. It is extended to both seniors living with and without dementia. The programme not only aims to improve cognitive functions through music-making, but also seeks to provide a safe social space for seniors to interact.

The participants from the English session form tonight’s featured choir.

VOS MEN

Led by conductor Justin Goh, VOS Men is an adult all-male choir comprising experienced singers, musicians, educators, and passionate amateurs who seek to discover the wonders of the male voice. Established in 2022, the ensemble aims to create an inclusive and enjoyable community for male singers to enjoy singing and experience a high level of music-making. VOS Men is one of the state choirs under the Voices of Singapore Choral Society.

VOS COMMUNITY CHORUS

The Voices of Singapore Community Chorus is a non-auditioned adult choir, and consists of members from all walks of life and differing levels of music knowledge with the aim to create a noncompetitive and fun environment for choral singing. Embodying the community spirit of Singapore, the choir is known as the Chorus of the People, and its repertoire consists of a wide range of songs from contemporary to pop, sacred, jazz, musicals and classical choral works. Anyone aged 18 and up who can hold a tune is welcome.

Led by Artistic Director Darius Lim, Associate Artistic Director Chong Wai Lun, Artistic Coordinator Rebecca Reavley and a dedicated committee, the choir holds 4 seasons lasting 8-10 weeks throughout the year.

acknowledgements

VOS BOARD

Catherine Tan (Chairperson)

Christopher Cheong

Darius Lim

Foo Fatt Kah

Kit Ho

Tan Shook Wah

PRODUCTION TEAM

Darius Lim

Chong Wai Lun

Dione Au

Eve Tan

Gabriel Ching

Gerald Wong

Leanne Lim

Lim Jing Xiuan

Luke Teo

Mervyn Ye

Rebecca Reavley

Roe Curie

Serene See

Our deepest gratitude to:

• Special Guest Mr Xie Yao Quan

• Our Front of House volunteers

VIDEO PRODUCTION & SOUND ENGINEERING

Createurs Productions

PHOTOGRAPHY

Oneclickwonders

LIGHT DESIGN & OPERATION

Alberta Wileo

FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER

Corliss Tay

• Jalen, Ashlie, Fitri and the team from IMC Group Asia

• Parents, supporters, and friends of the VOS family