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ChildAid 2022 returns as a big bash after two editions of pandemic restrictions

A cast of more than 100 talented children is set to entertain you at ChildAid 2022, the annual charity concert that has been running for 18 consecutive years in aid of underprivileged kids.

This latest edition will see 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 Dec 13 will feature a wide range of music, 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 are also featured. Tickets, priced at $18, $28 and $38, are on sale now.

The songs form the backdrop to a fantastical tale about a group of friends who must journey through strange and enchanted worlds to get home. The cast comprises five actors, three instrumentalists, 30 singers and 65 dancers from about 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. Look out too for 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, will be tackling a Whitney Houston number. There are 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, helming the concert for the ninth time, says: “We’re hoping to bring back the full-scale razzmatazz that ChildAid had become known for before the pandemic struck. The last two editions were subjected to a lot of restrictions, such as cast and crew sizes. This edition faces none of those, so we can all work closely together again to mount an incredible production.”

He is aided by music director Evan Low, choreographer Ahmad Kamil and vocal coaches from The Voice Company. The show is produced by Global Cultural Alliance, with Orangedot Productions as creative partner. It will be staged at the National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre Ho Bee Auditorium.

Organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times, ChildAid has, over the years, raised more than $25 million for two charities, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund. The ST fund gives underprivileged kids money for lunch and transport fare to and from school, while the BT fund helps artistically talented kids from disadvantaged families pursue their passions.

UOB, Citi and MES are the main sponsors, while Shinji is a platinum sponsor.

The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission

ChildAid 2022: All Together Now

Where: National University of Singapore’s University Cultural Centre Ho Bee Auditorium, 50 Kent Ridge Crescent
When: Dec 13, 7.30pm
Admission: Tickets priced at $18, $28 and $38 are available via str.sg/ca22tickets, Ticketmaster (go to www.ticketmaster.sg or call 3158-8588), and at The Star Performing Arts Centre box office and SingPost outlets