About 5,000 people enjoyed a picnic while listening to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) yesterday evening.

The concert marked the first of 13 this year under the SPH Gift of Music, a series of free community concerts sponsored by Singapore Press Holdings now in its 14th consecutive year.

Held at The Meadow at the Gardens by the Bay, associate conductor Joshua Tan led the SSO as it played popular classics like Beethoven's Symphony No.5 and tunes from the Broadway musical West Side Story.

The SSO has two other concert dates: The Straits Times Concert in the Gardens on July 29 and a lunchtime concert at Victoria Concert Hall on July 11.

Other performers for this year's SPH Gift of Music include local a cappella groups MICappella and The Apex Project, and fusion band The Teng Ensemble - all of which are playing for the programme for the first time this year.

SSO and Singapore Chinese Orchestra will also play at venues such as the Esplanade and concert halls. For more information, go to http://sph.com.sg/sph-gift-of-music