'I'm excited but also nervous': Young busker performs at Istana open house for National Day

Singapore is celebrating its 59th birthday soon, and some 12,200 people visited the Istana on Sunday (July 28) to take part in festivities ahead of National Day.

From 8.30am to 6pm, they enjoyed live performances, activities and tours of the Istana grounds.

One of the performers was 11-year-old Lyla Ng, a Primary Five student who previously garnered attention online for being one of Singapore's youngest buskers at age nine.

With her guitar in hand, the young singer-songwriter kicked off her first performance at the Istana with National Day Parade (NDP) 2021 theme song The Road Ahead.

She also sang a mix of popular English and Chinese songs such Nonsense by Sabrina Carpenter and Friends by Hong Kong singer Wakin Chau during her two-hour set.

Speaking to AsiaOne, the girl said that she was honoured to be given the opportunity to perform at the Istana.

"I'm very grateful. I feel happy and excited, but also nervous," she said.

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Her dad is 58-year-old Eric Ng, an award-winning local Mandarin pop songwriter who has penned lyrics for artistes such as A-Mei and Stefanie Sun. He is also the principal of The Songwriter Music College.

Despite his influence, his daughter's talent for performing is a result of her own initiative and discipline, he told AsiaOne.

"She wanted to learn [how to play] all these instruments and perform. That's why my wife and I encouraged it," he said. "Now that she's in Primary Five, she has way more homework. But she still takes an hour out of her day to practise music."

He believes that his daughter has developed her people skills and confidence alongside her singing and songwriting talents through public performances such as this.

Other musical acts at the Istana open house included the Townsville Primary Handbells Ensemble, The River Valley High School Concert Band and the Nan Hua High School Choir, all of which were held in the main tent alongside various activities such as floor curling, bean bag toss as well as designing kebaya and kerongsang.

The Nan Hua High School Choir, comprising at least 40 students, sang several songs during their 45-minute performance, including a rendition of Home in both English and Mandarin as well as this year's NDP theme song Not Alone.

The latter was accompanied by simple choreography, and the young performers encouraged audience members to dance along as they sang.

Additionally, students from Bedok Green Primary School Malay Dance showcased their graceful moves with the Istana as a backdrop, wowing visitors.

Snaking queues to tour Istana's main building

With the Istana's main building slated for major restoration works in the second half of 2024, throngs of people queued under the blazing morning sun so that they could take a look inside.

Some opted for tours conducted by volunteer guides from the National Heritage Board (NHB), while others chose to explore the first floor of the iconic building on their own.

During one of the guided tours, a volunteer guide explained that the Presidential Standard - a red flag with a white crescent moon and five stars emblazoned in the centre - had not been raised at the top of the main building as President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was not present for this open house.

This prompted a series of disappointed groans from some members of the tour group, who stated that they were hoping to catch a glimpse of the President.

"I wanted to take a selfie with him," said a woman who declined to be named.

President Tharman and his wife are currently in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

AsiaOne understands that this open house could be the last time the Istana's main building was open to the public before restoration works began. The works are expected to be completed in 2027, NHB said in January.

The Cheong family, comprising of a couple and their two sons, told AsiaOne that they had not been aware of the restoration plans for the Istana's main building.

The eldest son, aged 12, said: "It's disappointing that the building might be closed off soon, I feel it is the main attraction [of the open house]."

"I really enjoyed seeing the inside of the building for the first time, it's very grand and looks very nice. The artefacts from all the different countries were very interesting."

"Luckily we decided to queue and go for the tour today, our next chance will probably only be three, four years later," he added.

ALSO READ: Wish come true: President Halimah fulfils students' desire to visit the Istana

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com