A chef and freelance musician's song about enjoying the success of Singapore after its tough past has won a songwriting competition held to celebrate the country's golden jubilee this year.
Lee Chin Sin's These Are The Days earned him a cash prize of $10,000 at SG50: The Gift of Song, which is organised by MediaCorp.
"When I wrote the song, I just wanted to convey the sense of positivity and optimism I myself felt as we approach our 50th birthday as a nation. I sincerely hope that this message resonates with people when they listen to the song," says Lee, 40, who is single.
His song was among three finalists selected by a panel of judges from almost 1,000 entries. The other two were Being Here by Ciao Turtle, a songwriting duo comprising Dennis Ng and Jared Chan, and We Are Stars by Andrew Lee, younger brother of renowned composer Dick Lee.
For the winner, public votes accounted for 60 per cent of the result and the five judges' votes the remaining 40 per cent. MediaCorp said more than 65,000 votes were cast in total, declining to provide a breakdown of the votes.
The company also did not reveal the individal decision of the five judges - pianist Jeremy Monteiro; composer Sydney Tan; Mr Bernard Lim, Head of Family Segment and Customer Group, MediaCorp; Ms Zakiah Halim, Senior Vice-President of MediaCorp Radio's Malay Broadcast Division, and Ms Georgina Chang, Vice-President of English Programming (Music) at MediaCorp Radio.
The winning song will be made into a music video showcasing Singaporeans from all walks of life, as well as featuring winners from MediaCorp's talent shows: Farisha Ishak of The Final 1, Shabir of Vasantham Star and Project SuperStar champion Alfred Sim.
Other artistes performing in the winning music video include singer-songwriter Tay Kewei, rising Channel 8 star Julie Tan and Sufie Rashid, first runner-up of SG Mania.
Student Sarah Chuwa, 14, was among those who voted for These Are The Days. She says: "It's a song that brings us together at a time when we want to remember all that is good about our past and celebrate our future together.
"It resonates with younger people like myself, as it touches on coming of age and finding a way forward."
