Concert Introduction

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Singapore saw an influx of Chinese immigrants coming here to seek their fortune. The Teochews of Guangdong province were one such community, and along with their arrival came the establishment of Teochew temples that would serve the immigrants. They provided aid to those in need and conducted religious ceremonies according to practices in their native homeland.

The culture of temple worship in Teochew temples is a unique blend of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian practices, and are full-day affairs. Typically, a traditional ensemble would be hired for the purpose, and Buddhist scriptures would be chanted in Teochew, typically for blessings upon the community, or to help the departed find peace in the afterlife. Elaborate draperies of embroidered cloth are put up to decorate the worship hall, themselves artisanal masterpieces of Teochew craftmanship. Unfortunately, both the arts of performing these ceremonies as well as the craft of creating these embroidered decorations are on a decline after the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In Singapore, only a few torchbearers of the tradition remain.

Heritage Arts of Teochew Temple Ceremonies features a collective of these torchbearers from Seu Teck Sean Tong, the oldest Teochew temple in Singapore. Get a glimpse of a Teochew temple ceremony as they share a ritual performance and sutras chanted for the purposes of auspiciousness and world peace, as well as providing relief from the pandemic.

Guided On-Stage Tour: The Art of Teochew Embroidery

Essential to the visual aesthetic of a Teochew worship hall are extravagantly embroidered draperies that are displayed in layers, framing the altar area. Hand-sewn in gold thread by a large team of artisans in Chao Shan, Guangdong province, such decorations are considered a temple treasure. However, the craftsmanship to produce these traditional draperies is dwindling with the passing of artisans, and not many temples can afford to upkeep these precious fabrics.

In Singapore, Seu Teck Sean Tong is the custodian of the most elaborate set of Teochew ceremonial draperies. Get a rare opportunity to view them in a guided on-stage tour facilitated by Jeffrey Eng of Chinese Cultural Shop Eng Tiang Huat. Learn about the history of these decorations, the traditional symbolism in the designs and what makes their manufacture so challenging even with the modern equipment of today.

Concert Details

• Heritage Arts of Teochew Temple Ceremonies
• Date & Time: 25 Mar 2022, 19:30 | 26 Mar 2022, 17:30
• Guided Tour:
• 25 Mar 2022, 20:30 | 21:30
• 26 Mar 2022, 18:30 | 19:30
• Venue: Esplanade Theatre

Note:

Entry to this performance and the guided tour is by registration only.

About the Artist

Singapore Seu Teck Sean Tong (STST) is established in 1916. It was set up as a non-profit charitable organization with the aim of helping the needy, in line with their patron saint Song Da Feng’s teachings. The organisation reaches out to all regardless of race, religion or nationality. Besides charity works, STST also preserves and promotes traditional ritual musical and chanting culture. The STST Ritual Chanting Team has always been an integrated part of STST’s history since its establishment. With various understudy training programs with our grand masters, our ritual team expanded in various temples through a unique training program that consists of traditional Teochew music, ensemble playing, Buddhist scriptures and the art of pronunciating Teochew words with rhythmic accuracy. Proficiency in these practices is a necessity before one can be appointed as a ritual master.

In a typical performance, ritual teams require about 25 and more performers. They consist of percussionists, Chinese instruments musicians and chanting masters. The combination of every performer is needed to ensure a smooth harmonized tune and melody be presented, bringing out the holiness of the Buddhism sutras in a unique and fascinating rhythm, mesmerising its audience.

Advisory

From 1 Jan 2022, there will no longer be a concession for unvaccinated individuals to perform Pre-Event Testing in lieu of being fully vaccinated. All patrons (except for children aged 12 and below) need to be fully vaccinated#against COVID-19.

#Full vaccination refers to:

• having received the appropriate regimen of World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines including their respective duration post-vaccination for the vaccine to be fully effective, and had their vaccination records ingested in MOH’s national IT systems
• recovery from a COVID-19 infection within the last 180 days

All patrons are required to do SafeEntry check-in at the venue via the TraceTogether app (version 2.11 and above) or token only. Other modes of SafeEntry check-in will not be accepted.

Information Source: Esplanade