In 1934, Singapore’s first Chinese musical group, Mayfair Musical Party (later renamed Mayfair Musical and Dramatic Association), was established. This happened against the backdrop of the Second Sino-Japanese War, when Chinese in the Nanyang region were exposed to dramas, paintings, and songs with anti-Japanese and anti-war sentiments, which included plays such as Huichunzhiqu (Melody of Returning Spring), Fangxia nide bianzi (Put Down Your Whip), paintings such as Xu Beihong’s (1895–1953) Tianheng wubaishi (Five Hundred Warriors of Tianheng) and Fangxia nide bianzi (Put Down Your Whip), as well as songs such as Nie Er’s (1912–1935) Tietixia de genü (Songstress Under the Iron Hooves), Yiyongjun jinxingqu (March of the Volunteers) and Xian Xinghai’s (1905–1945) Huanghe dahechang (Yellow River Cantata).

Mayfair Musical Party’s second anniversary concert magazine, 1936. From Digital Gems, NUS Libraries Special Collection.

During those years, immigrants from Southern China still felt strongly attached to their former homeland, which was why cultural elements from China, including nationalistic songs reflecting anti-Japanese sentiments, were widely popular. Though the local conditions then were still unconducive to creating music, these songs nourished young people’s souls and sowed the seeds for local music composition.

Amid this climate, and encouraged by the visiting Wuhan Chorus’ fund-raising concerts in Singapore and Malaya, Singapore’s first Chinese choir, Tong Luo Choral Group (now defunct), was formed in 1939, paving the first step to local songwriting.

Wartime songs

Influenced by anti-Japanese songs from China, works by local songwriters in 1930s to 1940s were closely linked to the everyday life and political climate of the times in terms of style and content, reflecting the zeitgeist of the era. A prominent songwriter/lyricist of that period was Ye Litian (1921–1943), a core member of the Tong Luo Choral Group, known for songs like the Tongluo hechangtuan tuange (Tong Luo Choral Group Anthem), Xinjiapo he (Singapore River), Xue zhige (Song of Snow), and Chidao zhige (The Equator Song). The English-educated pioneer songwriter, originally from Meixian, Guangdong, was unfortunately arrested and hanged by the Japanese military police due to his politically subversive works in 1943. He was barely 22 when his life came to a tragic and untimely end.

Besides Ye, another important songwriter was Yang Li (1919–1942), who also died in his prime. His works included Bieli (Parting), Baowei Malaiya (Defending Malaya), Tiesiwang (Barbed Wire Fence) and more.

Other significant songs of the period included:1

  • Hong Cang’s Sixiang qu (Thinking of Home), Hongri yao (Song of the Red Sun) and Shenghuotan (Lamenting Life)
  • Chang Hong’s Wugengtan (Lament at Dawn), Kunan de renmin (Folks in Suffering), Ge minzu jinxingqu (March of Various Races) and Fengyi yao (Stitching Song)
  • Renowned piano teacher Lucien Wang’s (1909–2007) Huairen (Remembrance), a tribute to her husband who was killed by the Japanese
  • Maihuaci (Flowers for Sale), with lyrics by late poet and calligrapher Pan Shou (1911–1999) and music by Chinese composer Xia Zhiqiu (1912–1993) for an anti-Japanese fundraising drive

Besides wartime songs, popular songs from Shanghai in the 1940s, or shidaiqu (songs of the era), also spread from China to Singapore. Though some of these pop songs mainly appealed to the man in the street, many others expressed concerns and anxieties about the state of the country and the common people. The latter were seen as professional creative works that reflected the realities of life back then, including:

During the 1940s, some important songwriters also spent a brief sojourn in Singapore, such as Ren Guang, who wrote Yuguang qu (Fishermen’s Song) and Caiyun zhuiyue (Colour Clouds Chasing the Moon), and An E, who wrote the lyrics to “Fishermen’s Song”.

Post-war environment

Shortly after the Japanese occupation of Singapore ended, there were still not many formally trained songwriters of local Chinese music. However, Chinese choirs were soon successively established, including the Lee Howe Choral Society in 1952, Rediffusion Youth Choir in 1953, Metro Philharmonic Choir in 1959, and Herald’s Choral Society in 1961. Their repertoire consisted mainly of arrangements of art and folk songs from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even the western world, and those which could be considered as local compositions were still works that reflected the political struggles and living conditions of the time.

The local style of Chinese songs written during the 1950s also became increasingly distinct and technically mature. For instance, the song Jiaolin, women de muqin (Rubber Plantation, Our Mother), written and adapted by Boh Chit Hee (1935–2009) from Yu Zhou’s (birth and death years unknown) poem Wo manbu zai jiaolin li (I Am Taking a Walk in a Rubber Plantation), was widely popular. Written in a lyrical style, it spoke of the hardships experienced by rubber tappers and the love they felt for the land, and was considered an iconic song of that era.

The lyrics to “Rubber Plantation, Our Mother” by Boh Chit Hee. Courtesy of World Scientific Publishing.

Other representative works from the 1950s included:2

  • Ma Ren (1930–2019), Renren dou xihuan (Everybody Likes)
  • Xiao Ling (music) and Jun Feng (lyrics), Xincun yue (Moon over the New Village)
  • Tie Feng (music) and Xuan An (lyrics), written for Nanyang University:
    • Ken huang (Clearing Land)
    • Limi de dengdai (Waiting for Dawn)
    • Nuhou zhong de hanglie (Roaring Lines)
    • Nanda de huaduo (Blooms of Nantah)
  • Written anonymously to raise construction funds for Nanyang University:
    • Guanghui de zhonghua wenhua (Brilliant Chinese Culture)
    • Huawen jiaoyu kaile hua (Chinese Education Flowering)
    • Xieli jian nanda (Working Together to Build Nantah)
  • Wuyisan jiniange (Remembering May 13), Zhongxuelian de qizhi zai xiguang zhong piaoyang (The Flag of Secondary Schools Fluttering in the Morning Sun), Liaoliang de zhongsheng (Bells Loud and Clear), Qingnian jinxingqu (Youth March), Xuexi ge (Learning Song), Ying shuguang (Welcoming the Light of Dawn), Xuelian ge (Students’ Union Song), and Xin nüxing (The New Woman), all of anonymous origin

In summary, local musical activities between the 1930s and 1950s predominantly revolved around anti-war themes. Pop songs which became in vogue in the 1940s were of a different musical style and also gained a considerable following in Singapore and Malaysia. Subsequently, in the post-war 1950s, the establishment of various mainstream Chinese choral groups played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for the continued development of original Chinese music creation in Singapore.