NDP2011: THAT'S THE SPIRIT!

The biggest party of the year promises to celebrate all things Singaporean as the country marks 46 years of nationhood.

Come 9 Aug, the Marina Bay area will be abuzz with activity as Singaporeans come together to celebrate the nation's birthday at National Day Parade (NDP) 2011, which promises to be a multi-sensory extravaganza.

This year's parade will be presented as a five-act integrated musical - a first in NDP history. As the Singapore story unfolds, spectators will be transported through song and time as they witness the life of a Singaporean family from independence to present day.

Organisers of this year's NDP, themed Majulah! The Singapore Spirit, hope that Singaporeans will take the opportunity to reflect on the spirit which has enabled the young nation to accomplish much in a relatively short span of time.

"The Singapore Spirit is characterised by unity and trust, as well as our 'can-do' mentality. We hope that this year's NDP will rally Singaporeans to overcome challenges and stride confidently into the future as one cohesive people," said Colonel (COL) Alvin Kek, Chairman NDP 2011 Executive Committee.

Lions in the city

To drum up the festive mood, the Red Lions - officially known as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Parachute Team - will kick-start NDP 2011 in a show of guts and skill.

It is a familiar scene: the roar of helicopter blades draws eyes to the sky as spectators on the ground crane their necks to watch the free-fallers in mid-air action. The crowd then erupts into cheers - following each descent in a synchronised crescendo - as each elite parachutist comes in for the landing.

What the crowd does not see are the countless hours of hard work the jumpers have put in.

The team comprises some of the very best jumpers from the SAF; each member has to have at least 200 successful jumps under his belt before even being considered for a spot in the squad.

The jump starts at 10,000ft (3,050m) above sea-level, in a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Super Puma helicopter.

After all the Red Lions jump safely out of the helicopter, each team member has to guide himself into position to link arms with his team mates in a circular formation.

Once in place, they will hold this formation until they reach about 4,000ft above sea level before taking turns to deploy their parachutes for the descent onto the NDP grounds.

"We are there to make it look simple and easy when it's actually not the case," said 2nd Warrant Officer Maheswaran Miranda, one of the four Red Lions who will be gliding onto the Marina Bay Promenade come National Day.

A veteran Commando with about 600 successful jumps under his belt, this is the first time he is participating in NDP as a Red Lion.

Ode to tradition

What's NDP without military pomp and pageantry?

This year's Parade and Ceremony (P&C) segment will see over 1,000 Singaporeans, soldiers and civilians march as one on the floating platform.

Forming up the parade contingents will be NDP Regimental Sergeant Major Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Jennifer Tan, who is the first female to land the role in the history of NDP.

She is also responsible for ensuring that all the marching contingents execute their drills in a crisp military fashion. This is something she has been working on over countless weekends, imparting her knowledge on military drill to the parade participants at rehearsals.

Said MWO Tan: "The NDP journey is long: it starts four months before the actual day for the marching contingents." To motivate her charges, she has constant words of encouragement for them.

Military Expert (ME) 1 Navin, who will be part of the Republic of Singapore Navy contingent, said: "We would get demoralised at times, but she always tells us that we are doing well and to keep up the good work."

In another first for NDP, five contingents will march into the seating galleries during the aptly named Onward March moment at the end of the P&C segment. "I feel very proud doing this. It makes me feel that I am marching onwards together with Singapore," said ME1 Navin.

Dream team of defenders

Shortly after the marching contingents bid farewell to the crowds, sirens will sound to warn of an imminent threat to the republic.

Land, air and sea assets from the SAF, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will be mobilised in the Marina Bay area to tackle the intruders.

Over the waters, the Protector Unmanned Surface Vessel will prowl the Bay in search of the waterborne perpetrators, while naval Divers in full combat gear will jump from a Chinook helicopter into the waters of Marina Bay.

The Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter will soar across the Singapore skyline before lowering its dipping sonar into the waters of the marina to detect the exact location of sub-surface intruders, and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System will launch its rockets to deal with the threat.

These manoeuvres will culminate in massive pyrotechnic explosions as the nation's forces prevail. If there was ever a dream team in the defence of Singapore, this would be it.

This segment of the parade will be presented as a young Singaporean's (young Zachary Pang who plays the Grandson in the Singaporean family at the centre of the musical's story) daydream in which he is a task force commander directing the action through three scenarios titled Protecting our People, Safeguarding our Shores and Defending our Home.

To put up a good show, SAF personnel involved had to train hard to work within the constraints of the setting.

S-70B naval helicopter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Tan Jinq Yeu, who has three NDPs under his belt, noted: "While flying into the city area is not much of an issue, the lowering of the dipping sonar into the Marina Bay waters is a very precise operation since the waters are quite shallow."

For 3rd Sergeant Jegathesan Thannabal, one of the six Naval Divers who will jump off a Chinook helicopter at NDP 2011, the challenge is similar as he is required to jump into the bay in full combat gear.

"But we are well-trained to deal with such issues," he said.

He added that there are multiple checks done before they even board the helicopter to ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place.

The Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter will be lowering its dipping sonar into the waters of Marina Bay during the Dynamic Defence Display segment.

A show to remember

With a star ensemble of award-winning artists such as creative director Beatrice Chia-Richmond, music director Goh Kheng Long and playwright Haresh Sharma, the 50-minute integrated musical comprises larger-than-life costumes, spectacular props and moving music, threaded together by a simple but heartfelt narrative of a Singaporean family from the start of independence to the present.

"It's a showcase of the Singapore Spirit and we hope that the audience will be able to connect with this family, and ultimately to see the Singaporean Spirit in themselves," said COL Ong Tze-Ch'in, Chairman of the NDP 2011 Show committee.

"There will be beautifully-composed original songs, a radical set design, fantastic and whimsical costumes, outrageous props, multimedia design, grand choreography and unforgettable characters. I hope that this is a show that will warm the hearts and fire the imagination!" said Ms Chia-Richmond.

She added that she agreed to be the creative director of this year's NDP "in a heartbeat" when approached - an allusion to the similarly titled NDP 2011 theme song composed by Mr Goh.

Over five Acts, the Singapore story will unfold through the voices of four central characters played by local celebrities Sharon Au and Timothy Nga, and young talents Reuben Goh and Zachary. Together they form the central family comprising Mother (Ms Au), Son (Reuben and Mr Nga) and Grandson (Zachary).

Setting the scene for their story is the floating platform which has been enhanced this year with a seven-storey cube-like structure that transforms its shape and form across the Acts.

Watch out for one of the Acts where a prop representing an MRT train will emerge from the cube to give the impression of a train pulling up under a group of buildings!

In another first for NDP, this year's parade will incorporate a light-up of the Marina Bay skyline through laser and other lighting effects to show the vibrancy of the nation as well as how the spirit of innovation has brought progress to Singapore.

The perennial favourite pyrotechnics display has also undergone changes to make it one of the most exciting in recent years with a four-minute pyro-musical which will see the fireworks synchronised with specially-choreographed music.

This will be complemented by fireworks being launched from four building tops in the Central Business District up to 80m above those buildings.

In addition, over 100,000 people are expected to celebrate the nation's birthday together with the crowd at the parade proper. Named Celebrations @ The Bay, these events will be held at various sites surrounding NDP 2011 so that more Singaporeans can join in.

The Pledge Moment will mark the end of NDP 2011 this year, taking its cue from an SCDF chime. Singaporeans - wherever they may be - are invited to recite the National Pledge to reaffirm their loyalty to the country.

So, come on, get on your feet and celebrate the Singapore Spirit!

A nation celebrates
What it takes to stage Singapore's 46th birthday bash:

3,500 people
Performers and crew members involved in the 50-minute NDP 2011 Show segment, which will be presented as a five-act integrated musical.

4 designs
The Funpack, an NDP staple, comes in four different designs this year and they depict the common sights around the island which Singaporeans have come to identify with over the years.

780 LED mesh modules
The number of mesh modules which form the massive 45m by 9.75m central screen.

200 tons
Roughly how much the seven-storey cube structure weighs. Special care was taken to ensure that the cube met safety and other requirements before its installation on the floating platform.

On the NDP reflections wall!
NDP 2011 organisers asked Singaporeans to pen some thoughts for the nation's birthday on their official website at www.ndp.org.sg.

"The Singapore Spirit means that no matter how many times I fail, I will not give up."
- Zhi Xuan, 26

"The National Flag and the Pledge represent the Singapore Spirit."
- Abdul Rauf, 26

"I hope that Singapore will remain safe and disaster-free and every citizen remains bonded and united."
- Jing Wen, 25

"I hope that Singapore will be able to preserve her rich heritage while keeping up with the rest of the world."
- Qi Kang, 33

"It's cliche to talk about Singapore's racial harmony, but tolerance is a priceless gift not many countries in the world truly have. I am most proud to be Singaporean because most of us respect and accept different cultures."
- Miin, 28

"The Singapore Spirit means doing our best to preserve and protect whatever we have and to progress to the next level."
- Ricky Yang, 28

"To me, it means everybody staying together as one, no matter what happens."
- Klvin Kwok, 22

"The Singapore Spirit is about our identity. Even as a small country, we have succeeded against the odds, and we will continue to pursue our dreams."
- R. Santosh, 35