A Melody named Memory is an evening of Chinese poetry and Chamber music exploring recollections of Singapore in the heady nation building decades of the 1950s to 1980s.
Inspired by the Chinese saying “莫忘影中人”, a common adage used in old photo postcards urging loved ones to remember and cherish them, this Mid-autumn Festival event features close to a dozen poems by some of the nation’s most celebrated poets such as Chua Chee Lay (蔡志礼), Wong Yoon Wah (王润华) and Dan Ying (淡莹).
Deftly playing with the unique characteristics of each art form - Chinese poetry as a lyrical recitation and Chinese chamber music as a melodic dialogue between instruments - the event paints a vivid portrait of a generation grappling with social transformations and upheavals, evoking their aspirations and anxieties.
Preceding the performance is a lecture by Singaporean poet and academic Teo Sum Lim (伍木) who will lend insights into Singapore’s Chinese poetry landscape from the 1950s to 80s. The session will highlight key poets, analyze some of their most significant works, and finally evaluate how the genre has evolved through the years.
VENUE: The Arts House, Chamber
ADDRESS: 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
EVENT WEBSITE: The Arts House, Peatix (for registration)
DATE AND TIME
7 Oct 2017, 8pm-9.30pm