National Day Parade, 2014

The National Day Parade 2014, also known as NDP 2014, is a national parade and ceremony that was held on 9 August 2014 in commemoration of Singapore's 49th year of independence. It was also being held the final time at the The Float at Marina Bay after 7 years since 2007 before heading back to the New Singapore National Stadium in 2016.

The National Day Parade 2014 is divided into 3 segments: Pre-parade, Parade and ceremony, and Show. The Show segment was directed by Singaporean composer [...] Lee. As a decision by the organizing committee, the classic theme songs of the parade through the years were sung again instead of introducing a newer theme song.

Event

The National Day Parade 2014 is divided into 3 segments: Pre-parade, Parade and ceremony, and Show. It revolves around the theme of "Our People, Our Home".

The parade and ceremony segment featured the 21-gun salute and feu de joie, which have been traditional ceremonial events at National Day Parades. NDP 2014 also featured the largest number of non-uniformed contingents in any National Day Parade since 2000. This parade also featured a segment entitled "Heartbeats" that recognizes Singaporeans who have contributed significantly to Singapore's nation-building process. This event celebrated also the 30th year of Total DeFence in Singapore with a display of the latest vehicles of Singapore's uniformed services. LTC Wong Pui Pin and MWO Low Soon Pan served as the parade commander and the parade regimental sergeant major, respectively, with the segment kicking off as the first time this year with a military tattoo performance by the combined bands and The Silent Precision Drill Squad of the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command.

The Show segment was directed by Singaporean composer [...] Lee, focusing on presenting daily challenges and opportunities of ordinary Singaporeans. Familiar songs from previous editions of the National Day parade, such as Home, We Will Get There and Stand Up For Singapore from the 1998, 1985 and 2002 editions of the parade respectively, were used instead of a new theme song, as well as One Nation, One People, One Singapore, the theme song of the 1990 parade and the Singapore Silver Jubilee, Count On Me, Singapore from the 1986 edition, and the 2009 edition theme What Do You See.

Show

Act By Act

Act 1 : Celebrate it!

The show opened with a grand and colourful tableau celebrating Singapore's amazing success story - this is the little island that dreamed big.

Underscoring the theme of Our People Our Home, the OPENING act showcases our dynamic people who keep our city buzzing. Get ready for a spirited and colourful display as we salute our professionals in various industries who enlarge our common space to work, live and play as one people, in this place that we truly belong and call home.

Look out for the quick introduction to five characters depicting our everyday Singaporeans whose stories will be traced in the subsequent acts.

Performers: Singapore SOKA Association, NDP 2014 Singers, SAF Music & Drama Company, School of Music, Republic Polytechnic, ITE College Central, Centre for Music and the Arts (SHOW Choir).

Act 2 : Love it!

The mood mellows as we put the spotlight on the familiar sights, sounds and smells of our HOME in this second act. This heart-warming segment captures the warmth of our family and community, depicted through scenes of daily life on our lovely island.

In evocative 'slice of life' scenes, we see the ties that bind us: from family and HOME to culture and communities. Join in the infectious sing-a-longs of traditional favorites that we have grown up with, such as Singapura, Xiao Ren Wu De Xin Sheng, Munnaeru Vaalibaa and Chan Mali Chan, in a vibrant showcase of our ethnic diversity.

And as always there will be food! We celebrate the joy and soul of our food with a display that promises to surprise and delight.

Performers: People's Association, NDP 2014 Singers, School of Music.

Act 3 : Live it!

In Act Three, a veil of monotones casts itself on the dramatic backdrop, setting a reflective mood as three of the five characters introduced in Act One confront their personal challenges:

Where do we find the strength to push on? Can we find courage to pursue our dreams? How do we keep the Singapore spirit soaring?

As each of them takes a brave step forward, we learn how everyday Singaporeans before them have soldiered on with their can-do spirit, supported by their friends, their communities and the country.

Stay tuned as we introduce everyday Singaporean heroes who inspire us with their stories of love, courage, dreams and faith.

Performers: Ministry of Education, NDP 2014 Singers, SAF Music & Drama Company, Republic Polytechnic.

Act 4 : Be it!

Leading the show to a spirited close is an energetic performance by young Singaporeans involving red and white flag bearers. Confidently twirling and whirling our national colours, our performers symbolically rally us to come together as one united people, underscoring the theme of Our People, Our Home.

Share the sense of community and commitment as all the performing groups return to the stage to create a rousing finale to our nation's 49th birthday.

And let the fireworks begin!

Performers: National Cadet Corps, NDP 2014 Singers, Singapore SOKA Association Marching Band, Bloco Singapura, Cheerleaders, Touch Community Services, SAF Music & Drama Company, School of Music, Republic Polytechnic.

Controversy

The 2014 National Day Parade Committee came under criticism after Singaporean media reported on a blog post entitled "NDP Website An Embarrassment" by Lai Zit Seng, a Singaporean blogger and information technology architect at the National University of Singapore. He revealed that the website lacked security features such as the Secure Sockets Layer protocol which puts personal information submitted through the website at risk of being compromised by third parties. In response, Lieutenant-Colonel Jason See, the chairman in charge of ticketing, said that "no personal information had been compromised", though he admitted that "level of security can be further enhanced and we [the organising committee] will do so.". Subsequently, on 21 May 2014, MINDEF Director for Public Affairs, Colonel Kenneth Liow announced that this website's security weakness had been rectified.

Broadcast

The live television broadcast of the parade was available in HD on MediaCorp Channel 5, (and for the first time) Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham.

Television

Live

As a national event, the parade was broadcast live from 5.40pm to 8.15pm SST on all MediaCorp channels, except for Channel NewsAsia (Singapore). The English commentary, National Day Parade 2014, is found at Channels 5, okto and Channel NewsAsia (International). The Mandarin commentary, 国庆庆典2014, is found at Channels 8 and U. The Malay commentary, Perbarisan Hari Kebangsaan 2014, is found at Suria. The Tamil commentary, Dhaesiya Dhina Anivaguppu 2014, is found at Vasantham.

Rerun

All times are in SST.

National Day Message

The National Day Message was delivered on 8 August, 2014, the day before National Day. The message in English was delivered on Channel 5, Channel Newsasia, and okto by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The Mandarin message, 国庆献词2014, was delivered on Channels 8 and U by Minister in Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say. The Malay message, Amanat Hari Kebangsaan 2014, was delivered on Suria by Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim. The Tamil message, தேசிய தினச் சசய்தி, was delivered on Vasantham by Minister for Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran. The message was 10 minutes long, and subtitled for the deaf. A repeat telecast was presented on 9 August, 2014.

Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham will deliver the message for the first time in HD.

Radio

Four radio stations also simulcasted the programme with the 6 television channels, from 5.40pm to 8.15pm. The English commentary, National Day Parade 2014, is found at 938LIVE. The Mandarin commentary, 国庆庆典2014, is found at Capital 95.8FM. The Malay commentary, Perbarisan Hari Kebangsaan 2014, is found at Warna 94.2FM. The Tamil commentary, Dhaesiya Dhina Anivaguppu 2014, is found at Oli 96.8FM. Viewers could also listen to the live commentaries on MeRadio.

Online

Live webcast was also available on the official NDP website and xinmsn NDP webpage. Viewers could also watch the programme on Toggle Live and Channel 8 Primetime on Toggle.

Outdoor Digital Media

Live screenings of the parade was available on Ooh Media, outdoor digital screens that are managed by MediaCorp. Digital media screens managed by SPH MediaBoxOffice in 313@Somerset and HDB Hub also screened the parade Live from 5.40pm to 8.15pm.

Others

Live telecast of the parade and celebrations was also available at selected SAFRA Club Houses and Resorts World Sentosa.