British Malaya, including Singapore, was the most western influenced area in mainland SEA. Classical music and ballroom dance was practised and performed. The strong influence also resulted in the development of new genres. As the colonisers made their way into Singapore, the noblemen had brought in court music as their form of entertainment. The missionaries brought along sacred music, which was used as a medium to deliver their messages to the masses. House concerts were grand affairs. In the 1840s, the D´Almeida Family use to hold such concerts of high musical quality twice a week at their home. This was one way that the noblemen in that time had introduced Western classical music to Singapore.
The noblemen had also created amatuer groups for people of similar interest to come together to appreciate music. These clubs included the Singapore Amateur Musical Society from the English Community, Liedertafel of the German Club and the Malacca Fiddlers. SAMS had performed for benefits concerts in Tan Tock Seng Hospital and during the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. They had also collaborated with Liedertafel to perform Händel´s Messiah.
Edward Charles Salzmann (1853-1930), an organist in St. Andrew's , a conductor, violinist and a music teacher, also played a very strong role in bringing in the western music to the locals. He had great links with the European singers and soloist, and was able to bring them in for the performance of Elijah in 1893. He had founded the Santa Cecilia Band which played light classical music using the harmonized Chinese melodies that he created, adding on to the Chinese interest in this genre.
In 1906, the Straits Chinese Community formed an Amateur Musical Society. The Singapore Philharmonic Society was formed in 1891, and though no restrictions were made, there were no signs of local participation. However, when the society moved to Victoria Theatre and later fell silent, it was the Chinese community had aided its revival in 1921. The Philharmonic Society was later disbanded in 1977, to give rise to the first fully professional orchestra in Singapore, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, still performing today. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra has since toured over 50 countries since its inception, and is gaining recognition around the world. More information on the Singapore Symphony Orchestra can be found here.
Furthermore, the building of the Esplanade has since allowed the arts scene in Singapore to expand, and is also now the main concert hall where the SSO makes does its performances. Other groups that have a grown shared interest in Western Classical music also includes the Ensemble Singers (previously called the Singapore Youth Choir). They had previously been formed from the combined school choirs, and have since grown and started expanding their horizons to work on many other genres of music.
The schools today play a very important part in garnering a child's interest in the Western Classical music. Teachers that have a keen interest in the subject could help to spread their enthusiam to the younger generations and keep the such music alive in Singapore.
Here's a clip taken during "One ACS Christmas concert", where the students from the different schools of the ACS family had come together to share their musical interest with family and friends. It was interesting to see how they had played current the MTV tracks from popular movies using their instruments.
