On January 27, Member of Parliament of Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency Dr Lily Neo, officially launched Voices of Spring 2008 at the Kreta Ayer Square. Jointly organized by Choral Association (Singapore), the Singapore River Hong Bao Committee and the Singapore Soka Association, the “Voices of Spring – A Chinese New Year Song Singing Festival” is into her fourth year running this year.
Through the melodious singing of the Chinese New Year songs, this festival is an effort to preserve the rich Chinese culture, promote understanding, cultivate friendship and foster strong bonds between local choral groups, so as to spread the message of peace and harmony within the community. This event is supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee, Chinese Language and Culture Fund and Hong Leong Foundation.
In addition to the performance of the Chinese New Year songs, the People’s Association Indian Orchestra and the popular Malay dance troupe Sri Warisan danced to the Chinese New Year tunes at the Launch. As part of the continuing efforts to promote understanding of Chinese heritage amongst the local community, a talk on “An Anecdote of Lunar New Year’s Customs and Traditions” was also held on February 1. This talk was shared by Mr Han Tan Juan, former local senior journalist and local literary researcher.
