Kit Chan on NDP song Home: ‘Whenever I am feeling low' was thought a terrible start

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Did you know that Home wasn’t written for the National Day Parade? It was a submission for Sing Singapore (a music campaign for Singaporean musicians) in 1997 where the theme was Singapore River. The lyrics referenced it, “Sail down that river which brings us life... winding through my Singapore.”

The composer, Dick Lee, was feeling particularly homesick when he wrote the song. The tune was melancholic and opened with, “Whenever I am feeling low, I look around me and I know...”

Those same opening lyrics had some in the Committee of the National Day Parade (NDP) in 1998 thinking, “what a terrible (opening),” according to the singer of ‘Home’, Kit Chan. Lee said the committee was “a bit against” the song starting on “such a downer”. Winston Toh, chairman of that year’s committee, said he was “initially expecting the (rah rah) Stand Up for Singapore kind.”

But there was something about ‘Home’ that made the NDP Committee think it could uplift the Singaporeans and evoke patriotism, amid the gloom of the Asian financial crisis that the nation was just recovering from. And indeed it’s gone on to become a favourite with Singaporeans over the years.

Darius Lim, a choral director and artistic director with Voices of Singapore, explains why ‘Home’ is such a ‘singable’ song: It’s composed in a vocal range that’s easy for all ages, while the lyrics are timeless and international, wherever in the world Singaporeans might be.

WATCH the 2-part series of Striking A Chord, on Singapore’s national songs:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkMf14VQEvTaLeKEgDHWcBIMNRbJqzF9g

ALSO WATCH:
The Secret History Behind This National Day Song:
https://youtu.be/-ojIm2ag_hw
How Singapore’s National Anthem & Flag Nearly Turned Out Different: https://youtu.be/aAE6tC98xpw
What Makes Singapore's National Day 2020 Celebration Remarkable?: https://youtu.be/Bz86L_JZ0ZM
Singapore 1980s: A Nation Is Tested: https://youtu.be/neDx9U1kLRQ



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