Held in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival, Island Interludes is an evening of Chinese poetry and chamber music exploring iconic landmarks and urban landscapes in Singapore.
Drawing on the parallels between Chinese poetry as a lyrical recitation and Chinese chamber music as a melodic dialogue between instruments, Island Interludes takes audiences on a poetic journey through various sites and famous landmarks in Singapore, allowing them rediscover spaces that are both familiar and distant through the beauty of lyrical verses and melodies.
The performance features excerpts from 23 poems by a myriad of writers across different generations, including Cultural Medallion recipients Wong Yoon Wah, Liang Wern Fook, Lin Gao, Xi Ni’Er and Zhou Can and award-winning young poets Chow Teck Seng, Tang Jui Piow and Zhou Hao amongst many others. Curated by Singapore Literature Prize-winning poet, Tan Chee Lay, the poems are recited by Lee Yong Tick, Liow Shi Suen, Mia Chee and Tan Chee Lay, paired with music composed and arranged by Phang Kok Jun, and accompanied by photographs taken by Lee Leng Kiong. It is performed in Mandarin and is part of The Arts House’s Poetry with Music series.