The 11th edition of ChildAid, a charity concert organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times, ended on a high note at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre last Saturday.

ChildAid was started in 2005 to raise funds for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, which provides financial assistance to children from low-income families to help them through school; and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, which sponsors arts training for young people from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

This year, instead of open-call auditions, performers were picked by the creative committee headed by actor-director Jeremiah Choy. The concert, with 19 acts, featured 123 performers aged seven to 19 years old, including talents from Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China.

Singaporean double bassist John Koh, 18, who was one of the performers, said: "I've been blessed with a talent for music and I want to share this gift and spread the joy of music to others."

Guest of honour of the concert was President Tony Tan Keng Yam and $1.98 million was raised.

The acts included performances of the theme song from popular American television programme Game Of Thrones and The Snow Scene segment from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker by the Singapore Ballet Academy.

Original compositions were also performed. Pianist Isaiah Hui, 10, played a self-composed piece Joy Of Music and vocalist Lewis Loh, 19, sang Young, a song he composed and wrote the lyrics for.

The concert ended with all 123 performers coming together for this year's ChildAid theme song, Be The Light, which was written by music conductor and arranger Julian Wong, 27, and singer Amni Musfirah, 20, both ChildAid alumni.

ChildAid co-organising chairman Serene Goh, 43, who is also editor of The Straits Times' schools programme, said in a statement: "This concert is about purpose, joy and family. ChildAid performers share those values with one another and I look forward to seeing the show grow as they propel it with their creativity, compassion and caring."