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Many Voices, One Symphony

-by Kelvin Yang

In the first two parts of the four-part series on Celebrating the Singapore Spirit, we have explored both the idea of the Singapore Spirit as “a totality of our attitudes, beliefs and dreams” and the role that the element of time plays in the genesis of such an idea. This article, the third in the four-part series, focuses on the expression of this Singapore Spirit on the stage that is NDP 2008. The Singapore Spirit has brought us prosperity, peace and prominence on the international stage, and we celebrate it this year. And if we sing of this spirit as a diverse chorus of many voices, the one symphony that emerges truly bears testament to the unity that we have found amidst such diversity.

Plurality is omnipresent in the conceptualisation of this Singapore Spirit that we speak about. As is the case with the human element, “spirit”, in the sense of the word that we refer to, denotes a number greater than one. We do not speak of the spirit of a particular person (assuming that we are not discussing the supernatural); we do, however, speak of the spirit of a community or a collective group of people.

It is precisely here that the role of the National Day Parade as a mirror of Singapore at large comes to the fore. In celebrating the Singapore Spirit, the individual segments of NDP 2008 portray and epitomise the different aspects of Singapore as we see them everyday. The precision drills of the Military Police Command reminds us of the discipline we as a people have shown in getting to where we are today, be it the discipline of the wet market fishmonger who has to wake up at 4 am, or that of the university student who is preparing for his test in a few hours time. On the other hand, the vibrancy and dynamism shown in the performances of the Line Dancers reflect the tendency of Singaporeans to stay young at heart, whether it is the middle-aged worker picking up karaoke singing or the recent retiree learning to use the computer.

And if the performances reflect a myriad of qualities that Singaporeans embody, the background of the participants further emphasises this wide spread. Singaporeans from all walks of life partake in the National Day Parade – from the old to the young, from the able-bodied to the physically challenged, all have a part to play, be it participant or spectator. There is perhaps no better tribute to the old Singaporean adage of “unity amidst diversity” than this very fact.

As is the case with the analogy on the diverse chorus of voices, coordination is a crucial factor in the success of NDP 2008. The participants, themselves of diverse backgrounds, have to be coordinated into the various segments, which in turn have to be coordinated into NDP 2008 as a whole. Be it the Parade Commander giving out his command or the choreographers working behind the scenes to put the performances together, the work involved in piecing together the whole National Day Parade cannot be underestimated.

With the amount of coordination required at the National Day Parade, NDP 2008 will indeed be a poignant reminder to us that we have to stay coordinated as one Singapore. Be it a coincidence or a planned occurrence, NDP 2008 has many parallels with Singapore at large, and the need for coordination and collaboration is just one of the most important ones. Yet it is perhaps this reminder that might qualify as one of the most compelling reasons for devoting such time and effort to NDP 2008.

As our many voices fuse into a single symphony and we sing the song of Singapore, how then might we celebrate the Singapore Spirit? It is in this fusing that an answer can be found. The Singapore Spirit is in every one of us – it is a collective multitude of voices, each of different pitches; however, it is also a single unified voice in its own right, otherwise known as the voice of Singapore. In the finale of NDP 2008, as all the performers come together, each holding a star, each and everyone shining for Singapore, we somehow experience this transcendence from a multitude of voices to one single unified voice. This voice is very much the enigma that we call the Singapore Spirit.

For just as the idea of spirit suggests many, it also presupposes a shared bond between the many.

So as we see the sights and hear the sounds of NDP 2008 come the 9th of August, perhaps it would be a timely tribute to Singapore on our part if we can see beyond the coordinated moves (be it of the Marching Contingent, Show Performers or Black Knights) and envision the reminder it serves to us that as one people, one nation, one Singapore, we can achieve much.

In that, we truly partake in celebrating the Singapore Spirit.