Striking the Right Notes: Tune into Singapore’s Musical Heritage on MusicSG

Tune Into Singapore’s Musical Heritage On MusicSG

Whether you are an avid fan of xinyao music (Singapore Chinese ballads) or a researcher exploring the history of nostalgic Malay folk songs, the newly minted online archive, MusicSG, is a treasure trove of music related to Singapore that you will want to tap.

As the nation’s first digital archive for music, MusicSG allows scholars or students doing research or individuals with a keen personal interest in Singapore music to access music-related works, both historical and contemporary, such as recordings, scores, articles, lyrics and album covers. With offerings from many genres ranging from classical, instrumental, jazz, pop, rock and metal, the website is a convenient one-stop portal that showcases music written in Singapore’s four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

All rights reserved, Minstry of Information, Communications & the Arts. 2009.

An Upbeat Tempo in Preserving Singapore Music Heritage

A collaborative effort by the National Library Board (NLB) and the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), MusicSG gathers a dazzling array of content on Singapore music in a bid to raise the awareness of local music, and provide resources for research and discovery.

All rights reserved, Association of Composers (Singapore). 2009.

This portal is also part of a nationwide drive to preserve Singapore’s heritage. Explaining the need to capture crucial snapshots of our history, Dr Edmund Lam, Chief Executive and Director of COMPASS, explained that “as time elapses, many significant moments in music history are in danger of deteriorating to the point where they would be lost forever. MusicSG aims to save these materials for the enjoyment and education of future generations”.

All rights reserved, Omar Md. Hashim. 2009.

The Singapore music portal also aims to attract COMPASS members, music industry players and members of the public to donate their published music works to its fast-growing collection.

Fuss-Free Ways to Plug-and-Play

One key feature of MusicSG is its catalogue of music by recordings, albums, genres, instruments and scores. Anyone who is passionate about the local music scene can look up articles on the history and development of Singapore music, or specific music topics. Biographies of local composers, lyricists and musicians, including discographies, awards and commendations, and other related information can also be found on the site.

All rights reserved, Springroll, 1997.

Access to the digital depository is free of charge and no account registration is required. Music enthusiasts may search for the soundtracks of their choice from the multimedia stations at NLB’s network of 23 public libraries and the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

In addition, users may access MusicSG from the comfort of their homes, where copyrights granted by the owners permit. The online music portal also provides a platform for NLB digital account users to wax lyrical over their favourite tunes.

NLB welcomes donations to MusicSG’s growing archive of musical works. We accept music composed by Singaporeans, published by record companies based in Singapore or musical works and paraphernalia related to Singapore. All titles should be in good physical condition with clear sound quality to facilitate digitisation.

About the Author
Michelle Heng, Reference Librarian, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library.