Complaints Choir in Singapore: Cancelled [sort of]

Complaints choir cancels public performances

A CHOIR singing complaints about Singapore had to change its public performances to invitation-only private shows after the authorities said foreign members could not perform. Ms Melissa Lim, an organiser of this year's M1 Fringe Festival of which the Complaints Choir Project was part, said the choir was told of the restriction by the Media Development Authority (MDA) only on Friday, one day before the performances were to start. 'It would be a shame if we canned the whole thing, so we decided to have private performances at the Arts House,' she said. Ms Amy Tsang, a deputy director of the MDA, said: 'A licence has been issued to The Necessary Stage for the Complaints Choir to perform at the various venues provided the performers are Singapore citizens, as the content touches on domestic affairs and it is preferred that only Singapore citizens participate in the public performance.' 'However, The Necessary Stage has chosen to hold the performance as a private event.' The concept of a complaints choir was started by Finnish duo Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, who travelled round the world to teach people to sing about their grouses to fellow citizens. They are among some six of 50 members - including the choir's Malaysian conductor Chong Wai Lun - who are foreigners. In a statement, the organisers said the restriction came 'as a total shock' to them. 'The choir decided they did not want to perform in these circumstances and all the public performances have been cancelled,' they said. Complaints to be sung here included: 'We don't recycle any plastic bags, but we purify our pee' and 'Will I ever live till 85, to collect my CPF?' The founders, in a post on the choir's website, said they were 'disappointed that our prejudices against Singapore have been affirmed'. 'We see the symptoms of a neurotic society. We find it irritating that foreigners - people that built this city, nurse Singaporean kids and bring in their knowledge - are not allowed to complain.' They said they would post a video of the performance on their website. Well, so much for the Complaint Choir complaining... [yes, the conductor is the Mr Chong Wai Lun that helped us for the choir concert.]