It’s been a bit since my last post, mainly because I’m trying to finish writing Book 2 of the Fire on the Clouds series. It’s a lot of fun to write it, but that doesn’t make it any easier or faster.
Anyway, this is going to be a slightly longer post, to make up for the months of radio silence. I’ve just completed my annual NDP journey, and it has moved me enough that I want to put down my thoughts before they fade away.
To summarise, this is far and away the best NDP show I’ve seen that I can remember, surpassing my previous favourite, the fantastic 2009 show helmed by the brilliant Ivan Heng, underpinned by one of the best NDP theme songs ever, Electrico’s What Do You See.
NDP2018 has everything – a fun and engaging pre-parade portion, an impressive aerial display by the RSAF during the P&C portion, and a beautiful and heartwarming show, filled with powerful stories of real Singaporeans.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is probably the best NDP show in a long, long while. I’ve been involved in NDP for some time now, been privileged to see the inside and outside of every show and parade, how they are put together and how much work goes on behind the scenes. In that time, NDP has evolved and grown to be what it is today. And yet, this year’s NDP has taken a big leap forward with the bold decision to appoint Boo Junfeng as the Creative Director. Junfeng, a filmmaker of unprecedented skill and vision, centred the show this year on five stories about real struggles by Singaporeans and how they were overcome. That emotional spine, woven beautifully throughout the live mass performances, connected the audience to the show in a way that has never before been achieved.
Having been directly involved in NDP for the past 15 years, I’ve seen a lot. There have been positives and negatives for every show so far. We’ve had sea creatures, we’ve had the hosts arrive via flying fox, we’ve had all manner of military displays and song items. We’ve had touching tributes to Singaporean athletes and the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. We’ve had drone displays, we’ve had gorgeous flying cities. We’ve had instant hit theme songs like JJ Lin’s Our Singapore and 53A’s Tomorrow’s Here Today, as well as underrated gems like Corrinne May’s Song for Singapore. In terms of storyline, 2016’s bold portrayal of Badang and the Singapore story was acclaimed for bringing to public consciousness a little-known part of our history, but was also considered by some to be hard to understand and connect with. 2017’s show was not well-received by netizens, with the ridiculous “mozzie” segment in particular receiving flak for appearing to be one long Government propaganda bulletin.
Thankfully, this year’s show not only surpassed the rather low bar set last year, but moved the new bar so high that the next few NDP committees will have their work cut out for them. Thankfully, 2019’s team will have the huge advantage of relying on a mobile column display to wow the audience.
Before I go further, I want to give a shout-out to the hundreds, if not thousands, of people, who thronged the entire Marina Bay area, hoping to catch some of the show. One reason the float is the preferred NDP venue is because of people like you, who go to great effort and trouble to try to be part of the celebrations. We salute you, and hope that it won’t be too long before you manage to get hold of an NDP Preview or Actual Day ticket!
Now on to my thoughts about this year’s show.
Breaking down what I felt made this year’s show and parade so memorable, it falls into a few main categories:
Lots of great crowd interaction. Every year, the NDP team tries to get the crowd involved as much as possible. There’s the traditional Kallang/Marina/Padang wave, there’s various games, there’s the cheering for the Red Lions and waving to the President, and so on. Clappers and other noise-making implements will be found in the funpacks. Some years, the audience is even asked to join in a dance (not forgetting the controversial funpack song from 2011). Each new team has the benefit of seeing what was done in previous years and learning from it. So it’s no surprise that the crowd interaction was top-notch this year. A lot of behind the scenes attention was paid to the energy level and responsiveness of the crowd during each rehearsal. Huge balls were thrown into the audience, banners were pulled up by the crowd, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” was played to great hilarity in the pre-parade. The audience was also asked to write down their own story on giant placards provided – the two sided placard representing the story of each individual on one hand (“I am…”) and the story of all of us as a people on the other (“We are…”). A simple but meaningful touch.
A fun pre-parade segment. Before the Parade & Ceremony portion began, with all its solemn processional displays, the crowd were treated to an enjoyable pre-parade portion. There were well-made behind-the-scenes videos about the NDP performers and the hardworking thousands who made the entire event possible, there was a great musical medley of old NDP songs, showcasing the incredible vocals of MICapella, a hilarious video about host Gurmit Singh being late for NDP, and of course, the crowd favourites, the Red Lions, who flew in on wingsuits for the first time ever, before landing with precision on the promenade. This year, they were joined by elite brethren from the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Naval Combat Divers. Previously, divers had performed low-altitude jumps directly into the water. This year, they showcased their ability to jump from higher altitudes and arrive in the water by parachute.
Impressive Aerial Display. This being the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, it was natural that this arm of the military would be given pre-eminence at the parade. A procession of our aerial assets was followed by a pair of F-16s forming the shape of a giant heart in the sky using smoke trails. The climax was a stunning flypast by an F-15SG emblazoned with RSAF50 livery, culminating in an impressive vertical climb on full afterburner. The crowd reaction told volumes about how they felt about this segment.
Stunning Show Visuals. Junfeng and his team had a clear vision of what they wanted to do. From the Act 1 mass dance item inspired by the opening of the London Olympics, to the beautiful balloon garlands and the light balls carried by students in Act 2, to the ever-present SOKA and PA dancers in the later acts, the audience was treated to a spectacle of colour and movement throughout. And what better way to end the opening act than by paying tribute to La La Land.
Ironically, I found the fireworks at the finale not as interesting as the rest of the show, when this is usually a highlight for most years. It’s not really an indictment of this year’s fireworks, more a sign of how much better the show is this year, that even the fireworks don’t count as a favourite moment. I actually preferred the “waterfall” fireworks from the end of Act 2, during the song What Do You See.
Best NDP Soundtrack in Years. The music director this year, Sydney Tan, a veteran of so many NDP shows, outdid himself with 2018’s soundtrack. From the collaboration with Charlie to produce the theme song, to the seamless way the music brought us through all the highs and lows, it was a joy to experience from start to finish. Joanna Dong’s gentle vocals on melodious former NDP tunes was skillfully woven into the energetic “Come Together” segment in Act 1, with Gareth Fernandez performing a contemporary version of the old Beatles hit We Can Work It Out. Masruddin’s video perfomance of Coldplay’s Fix You segued smoothly into the live version by Shak’thiya and Vanessa Fernandez. M1LDL1FE (formerly known as “Take Two”) absolutely rocked with their original composition Always Been Right Here. It even inspired members of the NDP organising team to start their own band, called “Midlife Crisis.”
But the best musical number was undoubtedly Act 2’s The Water Is Wide. The favourite segment of many people I spoke with, this song is both beautiful and melancholic, and captured the mood of the visuals perfectly. An old Celtic folk song, it got some people thinking that a hymn had been reworded for NDP show. In truth, the tune is a very old one and has been used in numerous other songs, including, yes, a hymn. But the words used here in NDP2018 were from the original Celtic song. Once again, Sydney’s amazing skill was displayed, as he managed to fit both Lion City Boy’s touching rap, as well as Julai Tan’s violin number, in the middle of it all, without any of it sounding out of place.
But the choice of Aisyah Aziz to drive the main song was inspired. Besides the fact that she’s beautiful, she has the stunning vocal chops to pull it off. With the students and balloon garlands weaving intricate patterns around her, the entire act was unforgettable.
The best NDP show I've seen in years. Heartwarming and unforgettable stories by Boo Junfeng, hauntingly beautiful…
Posted by Junyan Wan on Saturday, July 28, 2018
Heartwarming True Stories. This is the part which made the most difference in this year’s show. Previously, videos were ancillary to the performances. At best, snippets of news clips or interviews would appear. Sometimes there would something featuring our sports heroes or famous people from our past. But this year, Junfeng gave us quite something else – detailed and touching stories of ordinary people with extraordinary experiences. Three of them were joined by the common theme of kindness and compassion, the other two by resilience and the courage to chase your dreams. There is nothing that connects an audience better to a performance than authenticity. In this day and age of CGI and carefully choreographed performances, people crave true stories more than anything else. That’s why this show resonated so powerfully, even more so when these five individuals were shown to be at the float among us. The cheers and screams of support for Masruddin and Nizar when they performed, for Julai Tan, for the others when the cameras panned to them, were the loudest of the whole evening, far more than for any other part of the show. People appreciate them, people care. Without doubt, this raised NDP2018 from being “as good as anything out there” to “head and shoulders above the rest”. For me, at least.
Which brings us to….
Rousing finale. Every NDP show strives to end on a high. Sometimes, it feels contrived, as the show leading up to that point was weak or unengaging. This year, however, the audience was kept enraptured throughout, with many people later comparing their “teary moments” of the show. By the time Charlie Lim arrived for the finale with his evocative and gorgeous version of We Are Singapore, the mood was sky-high.
A word on the song. Charlie is not just an incredibly talented musician, he’s also someone who can speak for the generation that is often most disconnected with Singapore. And his message comes through powerfully in his contribution to this time-honoured favourite:
If all that we are is what we believe
Then I know I’ve got to be the change I want to see
How easy we forget that everything takes time
No, nothing’s ever perfect, but I still call you mine
Within the theme song at the finale, was the highlight for me. The placard challenge was when the entire seating gallery was turned into a giant message of “We Love Singapore” as the audience raised their placards to the chorus of the theme song. It was a powerful moment, and one which will live long in NDP history.
And there you have it. If you didn’t manage to catch the show, you can watch the Mediacorp broadcast on Toggle, or try out the fun 360 live stream version on YouTube.
Finally some last words of appreciation:
Starting with Exco Chairman, BG Alfred Fox. Thank you for the chance to be part of such an unforgettable journey. The amazing team chemistry reflects your leadership style – warm, humble, humorous, team-oriented. Without you, this show wouldn’t have gone as far.
To Show Chairman, COL Goh Pei Ming. You constantly surprise me with your thoroughness and diligence in overseeing the whole show, your thoughtfulness for your participants (hand-signed cards, Father’s Day cakes etc), and your willingness to listen to ideas and feedback. You deserve every accolade given about this year’s show!
To Creative Director Boo Junfeng. From the first retreat where you shared your ideas, to the day when it all came together, you demonstrated great clarity of vision and an unerring sense of what looks and feels good. Your championing of the common people’s stories and preference for simple yet elegant solutions to technical challenges gave me a clear understanding of why you’re such a highly regarded filmmaker. I look forward to seeing you someday walking up the stage to receive your Oscar!
To Music Director Sydney Tan. We’ve crossed paths before in previous NDPs, but this was the first time we’ve really had a chance to chat. I’ll say it first – I was a little starstruck being able to work with you so closely, and what you’ve done with this year’s soundtrack hasn’t helped at all – I’m in awe of you even more now. You’ve made an indelible mark on Singapore’s music scene with your work, and I count you among our greatest local talents. Let’s continue to serve together!
To Charlie Lim. It was only a couple of fleeting conversations, but I appreciate your candour and warmth. I know you’ll do even greater things someday for the local and global music scene. Thanks for the great NDP song. Every time someone sings it, it’s a reminder of the flawed beauty of this country, and our place in it.
To my old friend Mr.X. Buddy, you’re the glue that holds the show together. Your silky voice is more familiar to the people at NDP than even the Prime Minister’s, I’ll bet. We’re not done yet, not by a long shot. I’ll see you around next year!
To Peter Loh, the Technical Director, you are Mr.Fixit. No problem, big or small, can’t be solved, as long as you’re in the room. So many times, people appreciate the stars and performers, forgetting that without the lights, sound, and other moving parts, nothing is going to happen. Thanks for your hard work and dedication to NDP every year!
To MICappella. You guys rock, seriously. And sorry for stalking you so many times for a photo. My own past life in an acapella group makes me very biased towards you guys among all the performers. But you’ll notice I finally left you all alone after the last one, when we finally managed to get all six of you together for the shot. Keep making people smile with those awesome pipes.
To the cadre of NDP veterans, I can’t even name you all. Dennis, Jessie, Judith, Lay Hong, Raymond, See Leng, Shah, Stan, Jean, Clarence, Zaini, Poh Soon, Sally, Javier, Yongfa, and so many more I’m forgetting right now. Without all your skills and experience, we would have a really, really awful show. Thanks for faithfully coming back every year and doing this!
To all the other performers and participants, especially our TOUCH Motivators, you guys are the reason the parade and show could even go on. All your hours of rehearsals led to something that we can forever be proud of. Singapore watched all of you give us the best birthday party ever!
And finally, to the thousands of SAF soldiers and other unsung heroes behind the scenes, thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best. We’re so grateful for your blood, sweat and tears. You remind me why I’m so proud to be a Singaporean.
Happy National Day, everybody.
