Singing chops and props win over judges

Whether they had the vocal prowess, or lacked it, contestants of the My Paper National Day singing contest sang their hearts out, in the hope of scoring front-row seats at next week's National Day Parade.

While some showcased their voices, those who fell short used creative props and music arrangements to give their performances the extra oomph.

Their efforts, captured in 49-second videos, wowed the judges, pop duo Jack and Rai, who picked 10 clips out of nearly 100 submissions.

Rai Kannu said: "We had a great balance of entries, between (those) having fun with the video and arrangements, and those who seriously sing."

The winners each snagged a pair of tickets to celebrate Singapore's 49th birthday on Aug 9 at the Marina Bay floating platform.

To join the contest, readers were asked to send in a video of themselves singing a National Day song of their choice.

Among the top 10, three video entries stood out for Jack and Rai. One was a sextet performance by Jean Tan and her friends, of the NDP 2001 theme song Where I Belong.

Jack Ho said: "The whole group coming together to sing, that was what won it for us."

Another performance of the same song by Chan Min Jie was also praised for its musicality. "She was one of the strongest singers of all the submissions, even harmonising with herself," Rai said.

The third favourite video was by duo Daryl Chee and Tricia Anna Lim, whose innovative use of props like street sign posts and flags in the song Singapore Town earned them a rave review. Their "cheery outlook" and "non-stop smiling" did not hurt their chances too, Jack and Rai added.

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