SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL 2026 / Review

 

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL 

CHORAL FESTIVAL 2026

Yong Siew Toh Conservatory (16 June)

Victoria Concert Hall (19 June)

Esplanade Concert Hall (20 June)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 22 July 2026 with the title "Singapore International Choral Festival a delightful showcase of talent from around the world".

The Singapore International Choral Festival, organised by One Choral Company and Rave Group, is now in its 10th edition. Led by artistic director Lim Ai Hooi, this year’s event attracted 73 choirs from all around the world, mostly from Southeast and East Asia, and as far-flung as Estonia, Czechia, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.

Photo: Yeo Kai Wen

Its opening concert on 16 July at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall was a showcase of Singaporean singing and composing talent. Combined voices from Edward Becharas Choir from Catholic High School (Kane Teo, choirmaster) and Maha Bodhi School Choir (Lee Wanrong) lifted the spirits with Kelly Tang’s First Light and Liong Kit Yeng’s Little Red Dot, both light and enjoyable songs.

One NJC Choir (Dawn Yin) from National Junior College polished off Ko Matsushita’s Everyone Sang, before the festival’s resident chorus ONE Chamber Choir led by Lim Ai Hooi sang in the official languages. These included Juliette Lai’s arrangement of Burung Kakaktua, Ken Steven’s Gendang Asmara (Drum of Love), Goh Toh Chai’s Reminiscences of Hainan (idiomatically in Hainanese dialect) and further medleys in Mandarin and Tamil, with costumed dancers to boot.

Photo: Tan Zexun

Photo: Yeo Kai Wen

With Call Me (Not Maybe) arranged by Cherie Chai and Harold Arlen’s Over The Rainbow, the plea for world peace was clearly enjoyed by the international and cosmopolitan audience in attendance.

The concert on 19 July was a showcase for special guest choir Cantus from Trondheim, Norway led by founder-director Tove Ramlo-Ystad. Cantus had garnered worldwide fame for singing the opening songs of Disney’s animated movie Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019).

Its two-hour programme of unaccompanied music was mostly in Norwegian, with folksong arrangements celebrating lore and legends of the Sami people from the northernmost reaches of Scandinavia.

Photo: Yeo Kai Wen

Exhibiting a wide vocal range, the 27 women in delightfully colourful embroidered gowns enchanted with singing of haunting beauty. Pure evenness in unison passages contrasted with folk harmonies, including drone-like passages resounding with unspoken authenticity. More familiar were songs in English, like Kim Arnesen’s Even When He Is Silent and Knut Nystedt’s I Am My Brother’s Keeper.

After hearing Solveig’s Song from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt rendered with much poignancy and love, the famous orchestral version seemed almost superfluous. Eva Holm Foosnaes’ Solveig, a fantasy on its motifs and other Henrik Ibsen / Grieg inspirations was more than just a clever elaboration on original source material.

Photo: Tan Zexun

And who was not waiting for the “na na na heya na” chants (or joiks) from Frode Fjellheim and Christoph Beck’s Vuelie, which memorably opened Frozen? That and Trgve Broske’s Ratatoskr, about the playful squirrel of Norse mythology, were just some moments that made for a most charming show.

Photo: Yeo Kai Wen

The festival’s finale on 20 July saw seven top choirs from different ensemble categories vying for the Grand Prix. Unlike previous years, there was no Singaporean representation. However, the three choirs from Indonesia, and two each from China and Hong Kong were uniformly excellent in deportment and presentation.

Rhyme of River Children's Choir (China)

OCT Primary School Choir (China)

The young children from Rhyme of River Children’s Choir (China) and OCT Primary School Choir (China) stood out with their discipline and cuteness factor in a variety of repertoire. The Indonesian choirs, Yogyakarta Maizan Singers, Achievers Choir SMA Darma Yudha and PSM Universitas Indonesia Paragita, were colourfully and festively attired with singing of brightness and joy that matched their outfits.

Yogyakarta Maizan Singers (Indonesia)

Achievers Choir SMA Darma Yudha
(Indonesia)

PSM Universitas Indonesia Paragita

St Joseph's College Chamber Boys' Choir
(Hong Kong)

Young men in smart blazers from St Joseph’s College and Diocesan Boys’ School (both Hong Kong) made themselves heard in Cantonese, Haitian Creole, French and English. However, it was the latter in Get Your Happy Days On Medley arranged by Aaron Dale, led by Felix Shuen which infectiously stole the show and ultimately netting the Grand Prix awarded by a panel of 12 international judges. Next year’s SICF, the eleventh run, could not come sooner.

Diocesan Boys' School Choir

Watch this video of the Grand Prix Concert:

Additional photos from Grand Prix Concert 

(20 July 2026):

While the jury was deliberating,
Cantus (Norway) made a welcome
appearance with four songs.

The audience cheering on
their favourite winners.

And here is this year's deserving

Grand Prix winner,

Diocesan Boys' School Choir:

Conductor Felix Shuen receives the
Grand Prix on behalf of his ensemble,
Diocesan Boys' School Choir.

Photo: Aloysius Lim

Photo: Yeo Kai Wen

Photo: Aloysius Lim

Heartiest congratulations to
Diocesan Boys' School Choir.
Photo: Tan Zexun

All "Hong Kong Add Oil" messages

inserted by Pianomaniac.

GLORY TO HONG KONG!

2026 Festival Highlights

9TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT + 4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX / Review

 

9TH SINGAPORE 

INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

OPENING CONCERT

Victoria Concert Hall

Wednesday (23 July 2025)

4TH ASIA CHORAL GRAND PRIX

Victoria Concert Hall

Thursday (24 July 2025), 7 pm

This review was published in The Straits Times on 26 July 2025 with the title "Stellar singing at the Singapore International Choral festival".

The Singapore International Choral Festival (SICF), now in its ninth edition, opened with an hour-long concert presented by the 40 singers of ONE Chamber Choir led by director Lim Ai Hooi and five-member yIN Harmony, an ensemble of Asian traditional instruments helmed by bansuri virtuoso and Cultural Medallion recipient Ghanavenothan Retnam. Hundreds of foreign singers and delegates in attendance were treated to an all-Singapore musical experience.

Photo: Yeo Kaiwen

Photo: Tan Zexun

Popular National Day Parade staples like Singapura, Sunny Island and Singapore Town were aired, as were songs in the four official national languages – Malay (Dayong Sampan), Tamil (Munnaeru Valibaa), Chinese (Rose, Rose, I Love You) and English. In addition, there were solos and dances by singers dressed in saris, cheongsums and kopi-tiam attire. The strong and abiding message is diversity and cultural appreciation being encouraged here.

Photo: Tan Zexun

The Asia Choral Grand Prix that took place the following evening pitted five choirs, winners of five international choral competitions held in Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore last year in search for the creme de la creme. Each choir was to showcase its vocal prowess and range within a span of 20 minutes.

Concentrating on music from the homeland, such as the University of Mindanao Chorale (Philippines, led by Timothy Paul Atencio) in songs by Eudenice Palaruan (Gapas) and Ian Gabriel Corpuz (Di Man Mawari, Mawari) played to its strengths. Shining with clarity of consonants and warmth of sound, it also hit plangent climaxes in works by Hungarians Magor Bucz and Gyongyosi Levente.

The cuteness of little ones in the Cheorwon Boys and Girls Choir (South Korea, Chang Hae Won) dressed in traditional hanbok was matched by its singing, which came naturally and with unspoilt purity. Sticking mostly with songs by Korean composers, their mimicry of birdsong in Bird Taryeong and choreography with fans in Kook Hyun’s Yalli Yalli Yalla Syeong was simply charming.

Range was the strong suit of the Vocalista Harmonic Choir ISI Yogyakarta (Indonesia, Athiya Monica). It sang in Haya (a language invented by Swedish composer Karin Rehnqvist), Italian (Giaches de Wert), German (Hugo Wolf) and Latin (Joszef Karai), before closing with Indonesian composer Nicholas Rio’s Hanacaraka, which had drones, drum-beats and nifty dance movements.

The 16 young women in the Korea Choir (South Korea, Hyun Hangwon) are probably all professional singers, judging by their poise and demeanour. The brevity of its programme was made up by quality, singing in Latin for Josu Elberdin’s Salve Regina and Lee Hyun Chul’s Cantate Domino, the latter featuring an excellent soprano solo. Upping the tempo considerably, Jim Papoulis’ Panta Rhei and Kirby Shaw’s Something Latin were rhythmically exciting.

The last choir to appear was Sola Gratia Chorale (Philippines, Cyril Punay), already familiar with local audiences having been last year’s Grand Prix winner at Singapore International Choral Festival. If anything, this choir has actually progressed.

Francisco Feliciano’s Pamugun – highly impressive with its rapid polysyllables – was reprised, unsurprisingly. Its addition of Sinn Sisamouth’s sentimental Champa Battambang sung in Cambodian, Giovanni Gabrielli’s Jubilate Deo with antiphonal effects, Stephen Chatman’s Warm Summer Sun with clarinet solo, and the sheer warmth of the Afro-American spiritual He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands all provided goosebump-raising moments.

Photo: Chen Chen

Photo: Chan Chen

It did not take long for the nine-member international jury to name Sola Gratia Chorale as the winner of the 4th Asia Choral Grand Prix, deservedly so for its overall excellence and heart-warming range. Do not miss the festival finale on Sunday where the new Grand Prix winner of the 9th SICF will be crowned.

The moment you know
you have won!

Photo: Tan Zexun

Proud winner of the
4th Asia Choral Grand Prix:
Sola Gratia Chorale & Cyril Punay.
Photo: Tan Zexun

Watch Sola Gratia Chorale's 

Asian Choral Grand Prix Concert here:

IN FULL BLOOM / THE ONE THING / The ROS Singers / One Chamber Choir / Review

 

IN FULL BLOOM 

The ROS Singers 

Esplanade Recital Studio 

Friday (16 May 2025)

THE ONE THING 

One Chamber Choir 

Victoria Concert Hall 

Saturday (17 May 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 19 May 2025 with the title "ROS Singers and The Chamber Choir flex vocals in accessible concerts".

It is hard to believe that Resonance of Singapore (ROS) is just celebrating its third anniversary, considering its prominence as the nation’s first charitable organisation helmed by a professional choral ensemble. All its eight singers (two each of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses), led by Young Artist Award recipient Toh Ban Sheng, are mature professional singers and vocal teachers. 

For this fund-raising concert, the ROS Singers performed a light and accessible programme comprising popular songs from musicals and operas. Its singers trooped in with The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha (1965), with each voice standing out before coalescing into a pleasing whole. To demonstrate versatility, the next number was something more contemporary, For Good from Wicked (2003). 

The ability of this vocal octet to master wide-ranging repertoire with highly idiomatic and authentic performances was a major strength. More proof was provided in John Rutter’s I Will Sing with the Spirit (1994), Leonard Bernstein’s Make Our Garden Grow from the operetta Candide (1956) and Elton John’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King (1994). 

In between, its individual singers shined in solo items, soprano Charmaine Tan in Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid (1989), soprano Suzanna Pua in O mio babbino caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (1918), tenor Tseng Wen-Yu in George Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm (1930) and bass Wong Yang Kai in Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). All the songs were accompanied by pianist Matthew Mak. 

Guest performers including violinist Lynnette Seah, jazz singer Reggie Pryor with his team (Fabian Lim (saxophone) and Mei Sheum (piano)) and British operatic soprano Kezia Robson added to the variety and allure of the occasion. Over twenty-one thousand dollars was raised by silent auction for charitable and educational causes. 

One Chamber Choir led by Lim Ai Hooi was established in 2009, but its 38 singers are wholly young working adults. The diverse programming showed how comfortable they were singing in multiple different languages. First was Latin in Jacobus Gallus’s Musica Musarum Germana (Music, Sister of the Muses), a six-part madrigal where polyphony was negotiated with clarity and tonal beauty. 

The many consonants sung in Chinese of Xia Yanbin’s Xuan Huang (Black and Yellow) and Tian Jing Sha: Qiu Si (Autumn Thoughts) were matched by skillful portamenti (bending of pitches). The repetitive notes in Japanese composer Ko Matsushita’s Hashiru (Running) were quickfire, breathless but exciting. 

Local colour and nostalgia were injected in the calypso beat of Singapore Town (1967) by The Sidaislers and the Xinyao of Eric Moo’s Kopi-O (1985), conducted respectively by their arrangers Cherie Chai and Ang Yi Feng. 

All facets of choral excellence came together for a few crowning minutes in South African composer Franco Prinsloo’s Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Mother). Here, tenderness, gentility and cinematic colour found their equals, closing with the final word “salve” left hanging in the air. 

Two school choirs led by conductor Lim, from Eunoia Junior College and Hwa Chong Institution, showed exactly where choral discipline begins - in the classroom. One will not find more polished performances respectively of Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus or Felix Mendelssohn’s fugal Tag fur Tag sei Gott gepriesen (Day By Day, Praise Be To God), later topped with two more Matsushita songs. 

All three choirs got together for a final sing-along in The Clouds Give Way, Indonesian folksong Soleram, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Rest and Filipino Ryan Cayabyab’s hip and hilarious Da Coconut Nut. Both these varied but very satisfying concerts showed that one cannot be too young or not-so-young to make good music together.