The Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) played to a virtual audience last night, raising $730,500 for its operations and development at its annual fund-raising gala. This will be matched dollar for dollar under the Cultural Matching Fund. The one-hour concert, titled Yueqin Romance, featured the yueqin, played by soloist Zhang Li and with music director Tsung Yeh as conductor. The string instrument is known in English as the moon lute because of its round wooden body.

Among the 180 who tuned in to watch were Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the orchestra's patron, as well as Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan. Mrs Goh Chok Tong, who chairs the fund-raising committee of SCO, also performed, singing a song titled Plum Blossoms For A Better Tomorrow.