Archives Invites: Dr Bernard Tan – The Anthem as National Memory
For many Singaporeans, the national anthem, “Majulah Singapura” is sung every morning in school, and nowadays a great source of pride. Part of the pride is the original stirring emotions on the music, made grander by the power of a 100-person symphony orchestra in the official versions that we know today.
The story of the orchestrations is little known, but the evolution of the different arrangements as well as who performed them mirrors the story of Singapore. Join us as we open the curtains into this part of our history, tapping on the resources of the National Archives, and unpack a tale of how the orchestral versions of “Majulah Singapura” (Malay for “Onward, Singapore”) kept pace with Singapore’s progress!