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THE FINAL ROAR
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There's no place you'll rather be this Saturday as the National Stadium
closes with a big bang. Mayo Martin (mayo@mediacorp.com.sg) gives you a
sneak preview

Come Sunday, Kit Chan will hold the distinction of being the last singer
ever to belt out a song in front of a crowd of thousands at the National
Stadium.

That's something definitely worth bragging about, considering that the
venue has played host to the biggest names in pop music: Mariah Carey and
Michael Jackson.

And aptly, Chan, 34, will be performing Live Our Dreams at Field Of
Dreams - A Tribute to the National Stadium, the stadium's official closing
ceremony on Saturday.

The song was commissioned back in 2005 by the Singapore Sports Council
(SSC) for Team Singapore in preparation for the country's participation in
the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

"It's the most appropriate song," she said in a phone interview yesterday
prior to official rehearsals tonight. She then recited a lyric from the
song written by David Tan and composer Thomas Schönberg: "There's no place
I'd rather be."

"This song is about the sportsmen and women of Singapore," the regional
superstar said, adding that she'll be getting help when Team Singapore
members - from anywhere between 30 and 100 - will come onstage for the
chorus part. "It's a very We Are The World thing," she said with a laugh.

Chan admitted she has never actually performed the song live, as only a
video was made for TV in 2005.

Field Of Dreams, which is organised by SSC, kicks off with a rocking set
by the John Molina-led band Krueger, followed by a short friendly match
between legendary footballers from Singapore and Malaysia, including Fandi
Ahmad, Quah Kim Song, Samad Allapitchay and V Sundramoorthy.

Team Singapore athletes led by ex-national sprinter C Kunalan will take
charge of a lighting ceremony before Singapore faces off against Australia
in a match.

After this, father-and-son sports presenters Brian and Mark Richmond will
host a tribute video presentation before Chan takes to the stage - as a
symbolic caldron flame is doused.

It is a fitting moment for a singer whose career has, in some ways, been
associated with the Grand Old Dame. Chan has performed for two National
Day Parades at the stadium. She first sang the theme song Home in 1998. In
2004, she did a reprieve during fellow Singapore singer J J Lin's hip-hop
rendition of the same song.

This year, she is set to sing the theme song - but the festivities will be
held at the 27,000-seater Marina Bay Floating Stadium, which is currently
under construction.

"I've sung on stage at the National Stadium three to four times for
various events, but the most significant would be in 1998. It was the
first time a pop singer was performing the theme song for the National Day
Parade and everyone was kancheong (Hokkien for "uptight"). I wore a big
burgundy gown and high heels, and walked down an incredibly steep flight
of stairs," Chan reminisced.

Singing at the home of the Kallang Roar has always been a unique
experience. "The stage is 360 degrees and there's no other venue that will
give you this kind of feeling," she said, adding however that the place
can be a nightmare for performers. "The echoes will kill you, and you have
to rely on ear monitors all the time!"

Like everyone else, she has her own memories of the place - and not all of
them from the stage. Recalling the national sports meets she attended in
her younger days, the country's first National Youth Ambassador said: "I
used to be a cheerleader at Raffles Girls' School and we were notorious
for being very loud!"

But in the end, practicality wins, she agreed. "As much as you love her,
the National Stadium is kind of crumbling. You can never be too
sentimental especially when it comes to stadiums that hold sports events
that need state-of-the-art facilities. But it is good that we are able to
end on a big bang."

And a Big Bang it will be, courtesy of a fireworks display after Chan's
performance. After which, the second part of the night's festivities
begin.

The pitch will then be transformed into a dance floor for LightsOut, a
dance party with Zouk DJs B and Andrew Chow spinning hip-hop and a
mishmash of retro music from the club's iconic Mambo Jambo Wednesday
nights. According to Zouk marketing manager Tracy Philips, around 6,000
people are expected to join in the fun.

Take it from Kit Chan: There's no place you should rather be, indeed.