2010 Chingay Parade to Feature Young Christians

Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 Posted: 5:14:19PM HKT

(Photo: Chingay Parade)

Young Christians from various churches will be taking to the 'stage' in the hundreds at the nation's 38th Chingay parade next year.

Calling themselves 'Many Members One Body' or MMOB, these young people have designed an attractive float to depict the old Egyptian culture as part of the ancient civilisations segment.

This is the first time a Christian group will be represented in its own right, organisers say in a series of electronic slides made available online via a Facebook group.

Christians were invited to participate in the event, touted as Asia’s grandest street and floats parade, as a result of a successful collaboration between Celebration Christmas in Singapore and the People’s Association in 2008.

There are six people behind the performance, including a former creative director of the National Day Parade and the founder of COSMOPROF.

They hope that the Chingay parade in 2010 will be a chance for young Christians to experience unity in serving with those from other groups and churches, and for the different denominations and para-church groups to unite in serving to bless the wider community. It will also pave the way for future collaborative outreach projects involving young Christians.

Titled Joseph the Dreamer, the performance will tell the story of the biblical figure.

An illustration of the design shows a float helmed by a representation of Joseph from the chest upwards, resplendent in his robe of many colours, the head-dress of an ancient Egyptian noble, and seeming to juggle stars in his hands.

Behind him, there is a model depicting the sprawling glory of ancient Egypt, complete with commoner’s houses, palm trees, a royal throne, all under a regal shelter supported by thick columns.

The 300 participants will be divided into twelve teams, symbolising the tribes of Israel. Some of them will serve as drummers and attendants on the float, some as percussionists playing and dancing beside the float, some as slaves pulling large stones and as life-sized puppets designed to look like chariots, horses and riders in front of the float.

Behind, participants will act out the reunion of Joseph’s family and others will act as attendants carrying tall poles.

Joined by some Egyptian international delegates, they will perform to a 2.5 minute Egypt-inspired music cum dance cum percussion presentation.

At the end, the young performers will toss hundreds of small bags of rice into the audience, enacting the provision of food amid a famine made possible by Joseph acting under the plan of God.

Started in 1973 to make up for the absence of the traditional sound after the government banned firecrackers in 1972 when a fatal explosion killed two people that year, the Chingay parade has since become an annual event that brings the nation together.

The Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng noted: “Chingay was conceived to enhance the festive mood during Chinese New Year, but it has flourished into a multicultural festival for all citizens, whatever our race or creed. CHINGAY shows we can celebrate and yet remain united as one people, proud of our roots but even prouder to be Singaporean.”

Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com