The stage was set and the seats were all in place. The two hosts for the day, Ebi Shankara and Jean Danker were all smiles as they welcomed everyone to the NDP 2008 Media Brief 3, featuring primarily the Pre-Parade and Show segments of NDP 2008. The date was the 8th of July 2008, and we were exactly a month and a day away from NDP 2008.

Without further ado, the hosts invited Chairman Show Committee for NDP 2008, COL Tay Boon Khai to deliver his opening address. NDP 2008 will be inclusive, COL Tay promises, encompassing a wide variety of groups. Everyone is putting in a lot of effort, and the guiding principle of the NDP 2008 Show Committee is that “everyone is a star”. COL Tay also introduced his creative team, spearheaded by Creative Director, Mr. Goh Boon Teck and Music Director, Mr. Iskandar Ismail.

The audience was also treated to a glimpse of both the Pre-Parade and Show segments proper via a fashion show. Amidst the gush of costumes, make-up and eye-catching designs, various features stood out, in NDP 2008’s bid to “celebrate the Singapore Spirit” by being different. Under the Pre-Parade segment, groups as diverse as the resilient Wheelchair Dancers, the exciting Red Lions (highly trained Commando Parachutists), and the familiar soldiers from MP Command performing the precision drills will be featured. The Show segment itself will be split into three acts, titled “Search!”, “Sense!” and “Spring!”, each featuring unique performances, from Presbyterian High students dressed up as birds, to Bukit Batok Secondary School students sporting fluorescent umbrellas, to an innovative display called the Merlion Dance. Indeed, the interesting aspects of the Pre-Parade and Show segment are too numerous to list.

The icing on the cake though, was the theme song, titled “Shine for Singapore”, sang by Joi Chua and Asian Idol Hady Mirza. With a declaration “you are going to be the first to hear the song” by Jean Danker, all present were treated to a preview of the song as sang by Hady Mirza, followed by a video featuring the song in Chinese, sang by Joi Chua.

To round everything off in style, the guests were ushered out to the Seating Gallery itself to view a freefall display by the Red Lions, highly trained Commando Parachutists. By then, if the purpose of the event was to excite the senses in anticipation of NDP 2008, then the purpose was surely fulfilled. If anything at all, the vitality and energy of the Singapore Spirit was clearly displayed in all its splendour that day.