A MELODY OF FRIENDSHIP

In September, military bandsmen from Singapore and Vietnam used the international language of music to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The 48-member Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam, for a joint performance with the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) Military Band. This collaboration marked the first-ever joint concert of the SAF Central Band with a foreign military.

Held at the Army Theatre on 11 Sep, the concert was aptly themed Melody of Friendship. Despite having only three days to rehearse together, both bands were determined to wow the audience.

Accompanied by six artistes from the SAF Music and Drama Company, the SAF Central Band took to the stage with a specially arranged medley called Lovely Singapore. Containing several popular classics such as Munneru Vaalibaa, Semoga Bahagia, Xi Shui Chang Liu and Home, the piece showcased the colourful multi-cultural aspects of Singapore to the Vietnamese crowd.

During the joint segment, the SAF Band and their Vietnamese counterparts combined harmoniously to perform a repertoire of Vietnamese as well as Singaporean origins.

Rousing songs such as Victory March and Progress for Hanoi displayed the tenacious spirit of the Vietnamese people, while Memories of Friendship reminded the audience of the deep friendship that the two countries shared. The concert was brought to a close with a simple rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Explaining that the idea of a band performance in Vietnam took shape during discussions between Military Expert (ME) 7 Liow Sin Hwa, Defence Attache (Hanoi), and the VPA last year, ME4 Steven Tan, the band's Director of Music said: "Even before we arrived in Hanoi, we planned our repertoire and exchanged music scores with the Vietnamese band so that each could carry out their respective training before the combined rehearsal."

He added: "There were translators on site, but language still proved a challenge during discussions to decide on the concert proceedings and for everyone to understand the entire programme. There was a lot of amusement when I tried to pronounce the titles of the Vietnamese pieces in their native tongue! However, everything fell into place in the end when we all came together to rehearse."

On 12 Sep, the two bands came together again for an outdoor performance at Ly Thai To Park. Among the audience was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was in Vietnam for a three-day visit. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Grace Fu, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Lee Yi Shyan, officials from both countries as well as numerous Singaporeans working and living in Vietnam.

Complimenting the VPA Military Band as "capable musicians and hospitable hosts", Private (PTE) Glen Lim, a bassonist, said: "It was great to see everybody interacting as good friends despite having been total strangers just a week ago. Our last night in Vietnam at a dinner reception by the VPA ended on a wonderful note with impromptu performances put up by musicians from both bands, a reminder of how well we all bonded over the week in the spirit of friendship through music."