Raffles Singers was founded in 2001 when the alumni singers of Raffles Chorale, recipient of the 1999 Best Choir of the Year award, came together for a reunion concert. Since then, Raffles Singers has continued to draw choristers not only from top Singaporean school choirs,but also from among accomplished choral conductors, teachers, and singers. Under the direction of award-winning conductor Toh Ban Sheng, the diverse group continues to showcase their common passion for choral singing.

 

Since its inaugural full-house concert at Victoria Concert Hall in 2001, Raffles Singers has given public performances both locally and overseas, from the inaugural International Garden Festival in Singapore (2008) to the concert at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland (2015). More recently, the choir collaborated with the Orchestra of the Music Makers and the Queensland Festival Chorus (Australia) in 2016 for the performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Esenvalds’ Lakes Awake at Dawn in Singapore’s Esplanade Concert Hall to rave review. In the same year, the choir also served as the demonstration choir for a week-long conducting workshop with Dr. Brady Allred and performed under his baton at the opening ceremony of the 9th International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus in Singapore.

 

Further afield, Raffles Singers has clinched top honours in international competitions and festivals in Europe. The choir was awarded a perfect-score Gold Diploma and Category Champion at the 34th International Festival of Songs Olomouc in 2006. The following year, it was awarded a Gold Diploma at the17th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music in Prague. Most recently /notably, in 2015, the choir flew Singapore’s flag high at the 3rd International Copernicus Choir Festival and Competition in Torun, Poland, emerging as the Grand Prix winner.

 

Today, Raffles Singers continues to be recognised as a premier Singaporean choir. The choir remains committed to pursuing both period and contemporary choral music, enthralling audiences local and abroad with its signature fusion repertoires.