National University of Singapore

The NUSChoir

Devoted to choral and a cappella music, The NUSChoir gathers members from all academic faculties with a love for singing. The 70-strong choir almost annually competes in overseas competitions, consistently bagging gold awards in the past three years. Back home in Singapore, the Choir performs regularly in public concerts and charity events, and conducts annual workshops.

The NUSChoir comprises over 70 undergraduates, staff and alumni from various NUS faculties who share a common passion for singing and music. The choir aims to promote choral music excellence  within  campus, as well as to audiences both local and overseas. Under the baton of Singapore's premier choral director, Mr Nelson Kwei, Assistant Conductor Mr Terrence Toh and of voice tutor Ms Mary Tan, The NUSChoir continues to embark on its journey of diverse and challenging choral music

The Choir is also an active participant of international choral events. At the 1st Voyage of Songs Festival at Genting Highlands, Malaysia (2004), the Choir won Gold awards for all categories it competed in, the award for Best Interpretation of Set Piece, and Most Promising Conductor award for Mr Terrence Toh. The NUSChoir was the Category Winner of the Open Mixed category in the Mundi Cantant: 33rd Festival of Songs in Olomouc, Czech Republic (June 2005) where it scored a remarkable 99 out of 100 points. At the 2nd Voyage of Songs Festival in Shah Alam, Malaysia (December 2005), the Choir received Gold awards in both Advanced Open Mixed and Folklore categories, in addition to receiving the prestigious award for Best Interpretation of Set Piece. In 2006, the Choir was one of the recipients of the NUS Student Achievement Award (Arts & Culture), an honour accorded to student groups who have made noteworthy contributions in activities outside their academic curricula.

Varsity Voices, The NUSChoir's annual concert, is a showcase culminating each year's efforts, where the Choir presents works in various languages and genres: from 16th century pieces to contemporary melodies of the 20th century, from Latin sacred hymns to upbeat Asian folk tunes, and from deeply emotive choral pieces to recognisable popular hits. Varsity Voices 2004 was A Tribute to Living Composers, while Varsity Voices 2005 was A Pre-Competition Concert that featured challenging songs in preparation for the Mundi Cantant competition in Czech Republic. Varsity Voices 2006 was themed An Evening of Flower Songs, in which the Choir sang lovely melodies reminiscent of flowers.

Varsity Voices 2007: Musica Sacra showcased divine melodies and sacred music. The programme featured classical pieces like Mozart's Missa Brevis (Sparrow Mass) and Haydn's symphonic Te Deum, as well as contemporary upbeat African-American Spirituals by Moses Hogan. 

In 2006, the Choir launched its 1st Annual Choral Workshop, a gathering of primary and secondary school choirs, in a mutually beneficial music exchange that culminated in a mini-concert.

The NUSChoir also performs regularly at public, educational and charity events. In 2004, the Choir performed in Franz Lehar's Merry Widow, a Singapore Lyric Opera production. In 2005, it sang at the PAP's 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner, as well as in the concert opera adaptation of the Chinese classic Thunderstorm, a co-production by the Esplanade and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra for Huayi-Chinese Festival of Arts. The NUSChoir collaborated with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and other choirs in Voices of Harmony: Sounds of Thousand Years, a fund-raising event held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in December 2006.

Annually, in December, the Choir sings Christmas carols at hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants. Its caroling sessions in December 2006 were at Millenia Walk, Conrad Continental Hotel, Grand Copthorne Hotel, Marina Mandarin, and Shangri-la Hotel. The Choir participated in the 3rd Voyage of Songs Choral Competition held in Pattaya, Thailand in July 2007.

To find out more about NUSChoir, email them at outreach@nuschoir.org.