Engaging music and the arts, the Red Cross Youth NTU Chapter held a successful fundraising concert recently.
By Esther Ang
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ENAMOUR 2012.
Talent plus compassion is always a winning formula, as students of the Nanyang Technology University and various organizations from the local performing arts scene demonstrated on March 15 when they came together at a fundraising concert, Enamour 2012–Your Heart, Their Dreams.
Held at the Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre in NTU, it was organized by the Red Cross Youth NTU Chapter. The evening, which saw a turnout of more than 300, succeeded in raising S$7,000 for two beneficiaries: the Red Cross Home for the Disabled and Sarah Senior Activities Centre. The funds will go toward supplementing the daily necessities of the beneficiaries such as food, adult diapers, vitamins and special therapy equipment.
The charity concert saw a melting pot of Vietnamese, Chinese, Western, Indonesian and Japanese cultures represented through various forms of performance art including karate, kecak dance, Chinese diabolo (Chinese yo-yo), Chinese drums, lion and dragon dances, Vietnamese dance, modern jazz, hip hop, classical music and others.
One of the concert highlights was a performance by Strikeforce, a percussion ensemble formed by members of City Harvest Church. The band made an impressive entrance with a series of rhythmic drumming. The Strikeforce was inaugurated with the mission of world evangelism through impactful and energetic music. To date, they have influenced over 1.5 million people in Southeast Asia through its passion to support worthy causes without seeking commercial interest.
In contrast to the energetic performance of Strikeforce, The Millennial Orchestra’s wind quintet delivered three classical numbers that were lively yet soothing: “Blue Moon”, “Over The Rainbow” and “Siboney”. The most touching performance of the night came from Vietnamese student Pham Duy Duc who gave voice to the suffering of less fortunate children with a traditional Vietnamese song.
The Red Cross Home for the Disabled houses approximately 100 residents with severe disabilities, ranging from neuromuscular to mental disabilities, while the Sarah Senior Activities Centre is a neighborhood center that provides aid for elderly persons with low or no income.
“Both Strikeforce and The Millennial Orchestra were fantastic; the audience was able to flow with their music! We would like to thank both teams for their support in participating in such a meaningful event,” said Enamour’s fundraising officer Ronald Kristianto.
Shawn Tan, 24, a student from NTU’s School of Engineering said, “The concert was inspiring—it is encouraging not just to see youths putting in effort for charity, but people from all walks of life giving back to the society through their finances, time and talent.”
