To celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary in 2015, MediaCorp today announced the first of a series of exciting programmes and events for all Singaporeans. The Gift of Song is a nationwide search for a song that will resonate with the nation. The competition invites Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents to step up to the challenge of writing a song that will have every Singaporean singing along in 2015.
Chang Long Jong, Deputy CEO, MediaCorp said: “The celebratory song will be a special gift from MediaCorp to every Singaporean. This song will celebrate who we are – our shared ideals, our achievements and how we embrace progress and change as a society. As Singapore’s leading media company, our very existence is intrinsically linked with the nation, which is why we are proud to present this as a gift to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of our nation building.”
The judging panel for The Gift of Song will be helmed by well-known local musicians Dick Lee, Jeremy Monteiro and Sydney Tan. The judges will shortlist three best submissions in November 2014 which will then be put to vote by Singaporeans in January 2015. The winner of The Gift of Song competition will receive a cash prize of $10,000.
Celebrity, composer, songwriter and playwright Dick Lee said, “I applaud MediaCorp for organising The Gift of Song and am delighted to be a judge in this meaningful project. As a composer myself, I revel in playing a part in the search for a truly iconic song to celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday. I am also excited by the prospect of mentoring the finalists who will emerge, and share my vision and learnings on what makes a great song, while discovering the next generation of song composers in Singapore!”
Another outcome of the competition will be MediaCorp’s production of a grand-scale music video of the song, showcasing the largest number of Singaporeans from all walks of life ever seen in a music video, to be released in the lead-up to next year’s National Day.
Following the launch of The Gift of Song, MediaCorp’s year-long celebration will increase its momentum with the Celebrate SG50 Countdown show at the Floating Platform on 31 December 2014. The year’s countdown showcases Singapore’s past 50 years of pop culture – music, dance, entertainment – and will feature the biggest ensemble of local talents, past and present.
Among other activities, Singapore’s history will be retold as Channel NewsAsia presents a full-year’s lineup of television programmes including the untold story of Stamford Raffles and documentaries charting Singapore’s transformation from a young nation to a stable first-world country. MediaCorp’s other television channels – Channel 5, 8, U, Suria, Vasantham, okto – will also feature “infotainment” shows about Singapore’s history including We are Singaporeans and documentaries The Towkays III, The Malay Pioneers and The School Bell Rings.
Take Part In The Gift Of Song
This is a nationwide search for a song that speaks to all Singaporeans. A song that celebrates who we really are as one people and our distinct personality that is immediately recognisable to any Singaporean. A song that reflects on our humble beginnings while inspiring a future we envision for our country. This gift of song should be about you, the people in your lives and the island in the sun we all call home. After all, nobody knows Singapore better than you do. Come share that song with us.
Game rules:
1. The competition is open to all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.
2. No minimum age but submissions need to be made by a parent / guardian if participant is under 18 years old.
3. Songs submitted must more than 4 minutes and in English language.
4. You are free to submit as many songs as you wish.
5. The submission period is from Monday, 15 September 2014 to Sunday, 19 October 2014.
Rewards:
1. The winner receives S$10,000 cash and the remaining two finalists win S$2,000 each.
2. The Top 3 songs will be played on MediaCorp Radio Stations and a music video for each of the songs will be produced and released on various MediaCorp platforms.
3. The song will be submitted for consideration by the organising committee of NDP 2015.
How To Submit:
You may submit an MP3 file of your song together with a short write-up about you, your song and its lyrics online at toggle.sg/thegiftofsong.
Have fun & good luck!
