ChildAid 2022

All Together Now

A cast of more than 100 talented children was set to entertain at ChildAid 2022, the annual charity concert that has ran for 18 consecutive years in aid of underprivileged kids. The 2022 edition saw a return of spectacle and storytelling, after two ChildAid editions that were hampered by pandemic restrictions.

Themed All Together Now, the 90-minute concert on 13 Dec 2022 featured a wide range of musical performances, from the chart-topping hits of K-pop boy band BTS to an Abba medley; from the popular anthems of the 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman to the classical spirit of Mozart.

Songs by Nicky Youre, OneRepublic, Elton John, Whitney Houston and Eurythmics were also featured. The songs formed the backdrop to a fantastical tale about a group of friends who must journey through strange and enchanted worlds in order to get home. The cast comprised five actors, three instrumentalists, 30 singers and 65 dancers from approximately 40 schools.

Standout performers include the adorable five-year-old pianist Shalom Shyann-E Ng, who won first place in Category 1 (for ages six and below) of the Amateur Class of the 2022 Steinway Youth Piano Competition. Special shout out to 13-year-old wunderkind Lim Jing Rui, who can whistle just about any tune, including the musically complex Queen Of The Night from Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

Husna Humaira M. Hairie, a 12-year-old with a big voice, tackled a Whitney Houston number. There were self-taught K-pop dancers from Victoria Junior College and Woodlands Ring Secondary School, as well as an award-winning tap group from Jitterbugs Swingapore.

Creative director Jeremiah Choy helmed the concert for the ninth time. He was aided by music director Evan Low, choreographer Ahmad Kamil and vocal coaches from The Voice Company. The show was produced by Global Cultural Alliance, with Orangedot Productions as creative partner. It was staged at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre Ho Bee Auditorium.