Written by Ethan Tan Wei Ren
The joys derived from charity always go both ways.
In warming up for a performance of most sorts, one usually anticipates a backstage atmosphere filled with a cacophony of auditory exercises being belted out. However, this particular performance was unlike the norm. On the 16th of December, 34 volunteers started their day at the foyer of Heartbeat @ Bedok psyching each other up, without the urge to warm up any vocals or instruments.
This group of volunteers were about to hit the stage to perform for Christmas Song Sign 2023 (CSS ‘23). Nested by moderate foot traffic of other passersby, the members of WSC’s Regular Service Project for the Deaf Community (RSPDC) congregated clad in smart trousers and a t-shirt that distinctly branded their portfolio’s identity in the five bolded letters.
Having gained a reputation of being one highlight event for the club, a lineup of song–signing performances by the volunteers is aired to members of the public annually. This combination of familiar pop jingles accompanied by their pantomime was sure to capture the attention of those in the vicinity, as inevitably as Michael Bublé’s discography in December.
This year’s curated performance playlist of pop songs featured You Deserve It All by John Legend, One More Sleep by Leona Lewis, and Underneath the Christmas Tree by Kelly Clarkson. Under the skilled hands of the volunteers and their acting chops, these songs, with romantic undertones woven into their lyrics, were transformed into three full-blown performances using Singapore Sign Language (SgSL), each one telling a different story that sought to invoke a warm fuzzy feeling all the same.
The seven-man cast of each item pranced around the performance platform, switching between character roles and chorus ensemble, where the former threw themselves into storytelling mode, while the latter dedicated themselves to signing. Themes of familial and romantic love have and will always be RSPDC’s forte, so expectedly, these storylines took toward an affectionate slant, such as the reunion of a family or between two star-crossed lovers.
With an array of eye-catching props and conscientiously coordinated stage choreography, the performances contained an element of controlled chaos that made for an entertaining spectacle regardless, managing to cater to an audience of all walks: the deaf, the hearing, and everyone in between.
Following a year-long endeavour of learning Singapore Sign Language (where new members learn the language for 6 months), tutoring hard-of-hearing children, and many members have expressed their appreciation for being able to volunteer in a meaningful different way.
“We’re simply happy to perform with friends, and just have fun together,” says L.A., who performed the signed rendition of One More Sleep by Leona Lewis alongside her friends.
Judging from testimonies of a similar note, along with the other volunteers’ cheery chatter among their friends throughout the event, it was evident that the volunteers gained some semblance of a deep fulfilment when all was said and done.
Yet, as a fly on the wall the whole way through, my perspective on the event is effectively that of a passing member of the public. What, then, would there be for someone like me to take away?
Sandwiching performance items, two emcees routinely took the stage to not only announce and ignite enthusiasm for the following item, but also to sprinkle in a tidbit of knowledge about SgSL. From teh tarik, to stations along the MRT downtown line, Bukit Timah Hill to Marina Bay Sands, the duo sought to engage and educate their audience, teaching them culturally exclusive signs that breathed the Singaporean identity into SgSL.
With a majority turnout of a hearing audience, it is apt that RSPDC had aligned their event’s mission to have a more significant impact on this demographic.
So, “Why sign to a perfectly hearing audience? Translating English lyrics into a language much fewer may understand?” One might inquire.
Should there even be one person in the crowd that day who learned how to sign popiah (funnily enough, by mimicking the way you wrap the flour skin of one), then the volunteers at RSPDC would have made a successful endeavour out of the event.
“It’s a common sentiment in DC that CSS is organised for the volunteers to enjoy themselves. Otherwise, the ins-and-outs of our usual tasks of tutoring and group activities, while meaningful, can get repetitive,” says Mr Chew, a fourth-year senior who has volunteered with RSPDC since his first. “But just as importantly, DC intends to raise awareness among the hearing (most of the public) about the services our volunteers offer, or about SgSL in general.”
Sitting among many other enamoured observers who were attracted by the merriment of the music was Bedok resident Susan Koo. Despite Mandarin being her native language, the universality of music managed to reach even those who understood limited English and SgSL.
“Spreading this happy mood to others using Christmas songs is quite pleasant,” says Mdm Koo. “Although I don’t understand any of the lyrics, I find their (volunteers’) happiness infectious.”
Above all, what else could represent the true essence of the holiday season, if it isn’t anything other than about sharing joy with others? The profound impact CSS ’23 had on all those involved, wherein its programme and performances seemingly charged everyone with festivity, could only have been possible with the volunteers at RSPDC being rooted in this very principle.
Indeed, RSPDC’s objective to emphasize the importance of and promote the use of SgSL may just have been met. At the end of it all, within the audience, just a few rows in front of me, a young girl of no more than 6 years of age signs along full of glee.