<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Aug 10, 2008
sunday people
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Pastor scores a hit with Singapore Song 10 min
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-- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->He preaches the good word to thousands of people who attend church services at Lighthouse Evangelism in Tampines and Woodlands every Sunday.
But since last week, Pastor Rony Tan (right) has been 'singing' a message of a different kind.
To pay tribute to the country's 43rd birthday, the founder of the charismatic church has composed The Singapore Song that his 12,000-strong congregation is learning to sing.
'I had the idea to write a song during last year's National Day. I thought it would be nice if someone could write a song which shows how far we have come as a nation,' he said.
The pastor, who does not have formal music training, composed the tune and lyrics within a day.
He later recorded the song with his church's music ministry.
Set against historical clips of wartime Singapore, the tune, with lyrics like 'So in this homeland I vow to live and die', overflows with patriotism.
Apart from introducing the four-minute song to his congregation, he also uploaded its music video on YouTube about a week ago.
It became an instant hit, drawing over 10,000 views within days.
Pastor Tan, who declined to give his age, said he has received numerous letters from Singaporeans who said they were touched by the song. Several teachers also wrote to ask if they could teach the song in school.
Jamie Ee Wen Wei
sunday people
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Pastor scores a hit with Singapore Song 10 min
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
-- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->He preaches the good word to thousands of people who attend church services at Lighthouse Evangelism in Tampines and Woodlands every Sunday.
But since last week, Pastor Rony Tan (right) has been 'singing' a message of a different kind.
To pay tribute to the country's 43rd birthday, the founder of the charismatic church has composed The Singapore Song that his 12,000-strong congregation is learning to sing.
'I had the idea to write a song during last year's National Day. I thought it would be nice if someone could write a song which shows how far we have come as a nation,' he said.
The pastor, who does not have formal music training, composed the tune and lyrics within a day.
He later recorded the song with his church's music ministry.
Set against historical clips of wartime Singapore, the tune, with lyrics like 'So in this homeland I vow to live and die', overflows with patriotism.
Apart from introducing the four-minute song to his congregation, he also uploaded its music video on YouTube about a week ago.
It became an instant hit, drawing over 10,000 views within days.
Pastor Tan, who declined to give his age, said he has received numerous letters from Singaporeans who said they were touched by the song. Several teachers also wrote to ask if they could teach the song in school.
Jamie Ee Wen Wei
