Reimagining Getai as Singaporean Art Song
Characterised by songs in Chinese dialects like Hokkien and Cantonese, flamboyant kitschy aesthetics, and strong community presence, getai occupies a complex position as both widely recognisable and culturally marginalised within contemporary Singapore. Today, getai faces an increasing risk of decline as younger generations lose touch with dialects and social stigma around getai grows.
Commissioned by The Opera People, my collection of Getai Songs reimagines popular getai songs such as Don't Worry, Be Happy! (歡喜就好), Train Station (車站), Fate (命運), and One Little Umbrella (一支小雨傘), through the lens of contemporary art song as an act of preservation through creative evolution. In addition, by approaching this project as a way of documenting my personal childhood memories of watching getai with my family, these arrangements of Getai Songs investigate how artistic identity is forged at the intersection of personal memory, cultural heritage, and contemporary art song.
Dr Tan Yuting
Singaporean composer Tan Yuting explores the interaction and manipulation of rhythm, texture, and timbre to create evocative soundscapes. Her music has been recognised with multiple awards and has been performed in Singapore, USA, UK, Thailand, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Italy. Past collaborations include performances by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound, Sandbox Percussion, Ekmeles, National Sawdust Ensemble, Tacet(i) Ensemble, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Ding Yi Music Company, The Opera People, K⼝U, Quince Ensemble, Empyrean Ensemble, ~Nois, Unassisted Fold, and Ensemble Soundinitiative.
Yuting also plays the piano, occasionally writes poetry, and enjoys creating music in collaboration with other art forms. She received her PhD in Music Composition from the University of Chicago and currently teaches at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.
YST Conservatory of Music